The business world is shifting more and more online in this day and age. You may be asking yourself how you can capitalize on a digital world. Let’s face facts. No matter what business you may have, you need a website. It doesn’t matter what your business may be. Running a business without a website doesn’t exist anymore.

So what is SEO, you ask? Search engine optimization (often referred to as SEO) is a form of marketing in a sense. Although, it relates solely to search-engine-related content. Any search query you have ever entered on Google, that information gets indexed by the search engine that you are using. There are multiple ways you can optimize that content to get to the top of those search rankings. The first being, you guessed it, websites. Google accounts for 86% of all search queries; the others are a group of Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, Baidu, among others.

Why Do We Use It?

Well, everyone uses Google for one, among other search engines. No matter what your query is, the masses are searching for something. Almost all search query interactions happen on the first page of search results. That is why it is crucial to get on the first page if you are a business owner. Google ranks your content on keyword consistency, page speed, inbound and outbound links (links to other sites and between pages), image alt text, accurate header tags, correct meta descriptions and title tags, and your domain authority, among others. Using multi-page website designs can help you rank for more keywords and maximize your SEO as well. As you can see, creating an SEO-driven website is easier said than done. If you are tech-savvy, make sure to check all these boxes. If not, you should see an agency, freelancer, marketer or me, Developer Jamie.

What Can You Do?

First of all, knowing what keywords to use and which keywords are high-volume will help in maximizing your website SEO. There are many search engine tools in the industry – Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz are the big ones. The kicker is you will pay a hefty fee to use those. For anyone in a small business, paying for these tools is costly. But don’t worry, there are cheaper and free tools out there. You have to know where to look. SEOptimer is what I use as a web developer and marketer, and I am happy with that tool. At a cheaper rate, I can search keywords, analyze my websites and critique them as needed. Google Ads is also free, and you can use their keyword planner. The planner allows you to figure out what keywords are high-volume. Other free tools to check out are Diib, Ubersuggest and Spyfu. Spyfu and Diib allow you to search your competitors’ keywords. This is a useful tactic if you are unsure where to go with your business’ searchability. Make sure to choose keywords that are high searchability yet easy to rank for. It is not easy but takes some research.

Putting it all Together.