Almost the entirety of web traffic takes place via search engines. If you hope to have a piece of that cake, you have to rank highly. Ideally, your website should be positioned within the first results page as 75% of users won’t bother to click past it.
Waiting for traffic to come to your web page is a recipe for disaster. You need a helping hand, and that is where SEO comes in!
SEO services can help you increase your website visibility and organic search traffic, providing they are supplied by an expert, of course. Hence, if you are not adept, you should best outsource and find a professional to assist you.
You have two options: hiring a freelancer or an SEO agency. However, you should be careful whom you trust as executing SEO services continuously and successfully mandates a blend of many diverse skills.
It would be wise to learn the basics of SEO optimization, too. Understanding how and why a search engine decides when ranking websites, gives you an opportunity to join forces with whomever you choose to optimize your site and make sure everything turns out just the way you want it to be.
SEO Ranking Factors
Every business aims for the top of the Google search results page. It is the principal goal of any SEO strategy, as well. The battle for clicks is the survival of the fittest since only winners get to enjoy the benefits.
The question is: How do websites get to be ranked top three and grab most of the web traffic for themselves? The answer is not simple. There are hundreds of ranking factors that contribute to their success. Let us introduce you to the most important ones.
The King
You probably heard the saying “Content is the king,” and we couldn’t agree more. Content is the basis of any successful website. Search engines utilize sophisticated algorithms for scanning website content to match users’ queries to the most pertinent content possible. It is the reason why Wikipedia articles are typically ranked so high – they deliver the most relevant, highly comprehensive content.
As a business owner, you want to implement the best SEO practices so that your web page receives a fair share of web traffic. Yet, you should not optimize your content solely for search engine bots. Quite the opposite, your content should be optimized for humans – that is how it will become search engine friendly and help drive traffic to your website.
The Queen
User experience is yet another fundamental building block of any successful website. Content might be the king of the SEO realm, but it cannot do much without the queen, and it would be the user experience.
Having great content is crucial, but if people visiting your site have a poor experience, they will leave, never to return. You do not want that – your visitors are your biggest asset. Besides, web pages with superior user experience get ranked higher by search engines. Ergo, creating a quality user experience is the key to your website’s success.
If your website is not mobile-friendly and fast or your users have a hard time navigating due to slow responsiveness and annoying pop-ups, chances are they will leave faster than you can say “oops.” They won’t revisit, either. No hasta la vista. They’re gone for good.
You have to construct your site with that in mind. Quick and easy navigation should be your top priority since mobile devices make up the majority of web traffic nowadays. Securing fast loading times is a central concern as well. There are many ways to achieve this; for instance, via image optimization, code minimizing, enabling compression, reducing redirects, and avoiding unnecessary widgets and extras.
We know you have a lot to say and show, but do not do it all at once. You do not want to overwhelm your visitors with too much information or visuals. Keep your pages simple by stripping down the design to the bare essentials. Do not go crazy with your color scheme or the number of pages, either. Remember: Less is more! Focus on your users, be open to their feedback, and change your website accordingly.
The Minions
Great content and positive user experience might rule the realm of SEO services, but they cannot do it all alone. If you want a website that drives web traffic, you must work on technical ranking factors such as metadata optimization, user feedback metrics, and backlinks. The list does not end there, but we think you got the point! SEO is a complicated discipline.
Do You Need SEO Services?
Indeed. The real question is: Can you do SEO on your own?
While it is entirely feasible, we still would not recommend bypassing professionals, especially if you’re in a competitive industry. The knowledge and experience of an SEO expert can give you the head start needed to outrank your competition. In the meantime, you can concentrate on your core business and do what you do best to double your chances for success.