Understanding SEO
(Search Engine Optimisation)

Creating a sound SEO structure for your website and, actioning an ongoing approach to optimising your search engine rankings is a valuable component to growing your business.

 

The value of good SEO performance for your website is pretty simple: the better your website ranks on search engines like Google, the easier it is for your ideal customer to find you when they’re looking for the types of products or services you offer. It’s the digital equivalent to a good retail location and clear signage for your building.

The basics of good Search Engine Optimisation

There are a huge number of factors that determine how well your website will rank on Google (we say Google because in New Zealand 96% of all search is done via Google’s search engine). And while there are many experts who’ll tell you they can get you to the top of the rankings, the reality is no one actually knows for sure what the exact components are that will get you to the coveted top spot – because Google aren’t telling.

What we do know, is that there are some best practice approaches you can take to support your efforts, and these ultimately boil down to three key areas:

  1. SEO keywords

  2. On-Page SEO

  3. Off-Page SEO

Getting clear about your SEO keywords

 

Before you do anything in SEO, you need to be clear about your keywords. These are simply the words or groups of words that you want to rank for. But there’s a lot more to it than simply writing a list.

It’s important to dive into the detail about the keywords that are the best for your specific business to rank for. Ideally, you’ll create a short-list by combining data from:

  • Keywords you like based on relevance to your business

  • Keywords your customers actually use for products or services you offer

  • The level of competition for target keywords

  • Your conversion rates by keyword

Taking control of your
On-Page SEO

On-page SEO refers to the actions you can take on your specific website to help improve your overall SEO performance. It combines a number of factors, but broadly speaking, it’s a combination of how well the information on your site is structured, combined with the quality of that information. The key then is to have a website framework that allows you to structure the key components required for strong SEO and, of course, to provide a clear, valuable information on relevant topics for all visitors to your site; customers and Google.

Understanding
Off-Page SEO

 

As the name might suggest, off-page SEO describes all the activities you can take to improve your SEO rankings that are not on your site. Again, there are a number of things to consider, but in a nutshell, it’s about getting links to relevant content on your site, from other high-quality websites. The most common way to do this is via directory listings, or via your own social media profiles, but another valuable tool is to provide guest blogging or guest commentary on other quality websites, which can then link back to your own site.

 Why bother building your overall SEO presence?

The three methods outlined all contribute to helping your business rank on Google and other search engines, but you might ask, why make the effort? The short answer is to attract business. Google search is the modern-day Yellow Pages, and like it or not, just like the book, if you’re not found in Google, you’re often not found at all. SEO specialists will tell you that the key benefit is that it’s free, but it’s not. SEO if nothing else costs a lot of time and effort, but typically also requires changes to websites, and consulting advice which costs money. There is no doubt that having a good SEO ranking for keywords that are valuable to your industry can drive business growth, but as with all forms of marketing, it’s just as important to understand what the overall return on investment looks like for your business.

Will a focus on SEO help to drive growth in your business?

We believe that growth solutions should be tailored to each business – what works well for one, won’t necessarily work well for another. Why not arrange a free chat today to see if SEO is right for your business?