Oh, the ever-changing digital market. With millions of websites competing for attention in the digital landscape, search engine optimization (SEO) plays a huge role in driving organic traffic to your website. 

In case you missed it, I dove deep into SEO in last week’s blog. So deep that I had to stop myself and break it into 2 parts. 

So now that we’ve talked about what SEO is and you’ve audited your website with your team with an improved SEO lens, let’s cover the rest. 

Your titles, descriptions, and URL structures are not the only things that can be optimized. In fact, everything you create & post across platforms from now on should be optimized through SEO. 

Creating high-quality, valuable, and engaging content is key to attracting both search engines and users. Here’s what I stick to when creating content:

1. Keyword Integration: Incorporate relevant keywords naturally throughout your content. Not just in the titles and headers!
2. Readability: Make your content easy to read, using subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs.
3. Multimedia: Include images, videos, and infographics to enhance user experience.
4. Internal Linking: Link relevant pages within your website to provide a seamless user experience and improve crawlability.

Last week we covered how you can optimize on-page. It’s time to learn how to optimize external factors that impact your website’s visibility. Key off-page optimization techniques include:

1. Link Building: Earn high-quality backlinks from reputable websites to improve your website’s authority and trustworthiness.
2. Social Media: Leverage social media platforms to promote your content, engage with your audience, and increase brand visibility.
3. Online Directories: Submit your website to relevant online directories to improve visibility and build credibility.

Last but not least, there are technical aspects that can be optimized, too. Technical SEO involves optimizing the technical aspects of your website to improve search engine crawling and indexing. Some technical SEO elements that my team and I focus on include:

1. Site Speed: Optimize your website’s loading time to provide a better user experience.
2. Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive across different devices.
3. XML Sitemap: Create and submit an XML sitemap to help search engines understand your website’s structure. 
4. Robots.txt: Implement a robots.txt file to control search engine access to specific parts of your website.

Now, I’m aware the above might sound daunting if you’ve never heard of any of it. But don’t worry! A quick google search and a 5-min YouTube video will unblock you. Don’t let fancy words keep you from  learning a new skill. 

If you made it through both parts of this SEO 101 series, congratulations are in order! You’re ready to tackle optimization like never before. Don’t forget to regularly monitor your website’s performance using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, though! These tools provide valuable insights into traffic patterns, keyword rankings, click-through rates, and more. Analyzing this data helps you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions.

Oh, and, give yourself grace. SEO is a continuous process that requires ongoing efforts and adjustments. It is also a long-term investment, and staying updated with industry trends and algorithm changes is essential for success.

Cheers to you, future SEO expert!