Search engine optimization (SEO) is the most popular and effective digital marketing strategy today. It allows businesses to be visible on top of search results by using keywords and following SEO best practices.
That being said, competition is very high and you should find ways to rise above it. If you are a business owner and new to SEO marketing, here are four key features that you should know to help you get started:
1. Site Speed
Site speed refers to how fast or slow your website loads and responds to user input. Most people will not wait for your website to load longer than it should. Experts say that a website should fully load in no more than two seconds. Anything above that will only cause visitors to leave your site.
Additionally, Google tends to favor websites that load quickly. They rank these websites on the top of the search results so that users can easily navigate to them. This means that you should be careful to avoid large images and complicated scripts that cause your site to load slowly and rank poorly.
2. Metadata
Metadata refers to the title and description of each page on your website. Making these elements clear and concise will help search engines find and rank your website more efficiently. They will know what your page contains and whether it is relevant to what people are looking for.
The title of your web pages is one of the most important factors of ranking your website and content on Google. The only way you can get on top of the search results is by optimizing your titles by:
- Incorporating relevant and ranking keywords
- Limiting your title between 50 to 60 characters
SEO marketing is all about ranking your website by increasing its visibility in search results. To attract audiences and increase traffic to your website, you should incorporate relevant keywords and clear and powerful language to your metadata.
3. Long-tail Keywords
Competition in SEO is fierce, so you should know how to make your website stand out against those of your competitors. Using the right keywords is one way to do this, but if you are using the same ones that others use as well, it may be challenging for you to rank highly.
What you can do is to use specific keywords related to your industry. Adding the location of your business will help you rank even more. Consider using long-tail keywords that mention your location and specialization.
For example, if your Montreal-based business specializes in organic supplements, then you should use a long-tail keyword such as “organic supplements in Montreal” rather than just “supplements” alone.
4. Website Mobile Optimization
Several studies have found that most online users today browse the Internet through their mobile phones or tablets. With that said, you should optimize your website for these devices so people can find you more easily. Doing so will make your site rank higher, getting you more traffic as well.
What happens if you will not optimize your website to mobile? Visitors will leave. Users will not waste their time navigating around your non-mobile-friendly website knowing that there are other sites that they can more easily use.
Conclusion
SEO marketing has made it possible for businesses to reach the most audiences online, but like any other marketing strategy, it will only work if you do it right. For starters, you should learn about the basic features of SEO, including site speed, metadata, long-tail keywords, and mobile optimization. Understanding the gist of these features will successfully get you on top of the SEO game.
If you are looking for the best digital marketing agency in Calgary, make sure to contact us today. We help businesses get started with SEO marketing and strengthen their presence online.