A business with a strong online presence and customer engagement is thriving. That’s why companies on the internet should master the art of SEO marketing. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of ranking websites and digital content to determine which will rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
There are various strategies businesses can employ in their SEO marketing. On and off-page and technical SEO are just some ways a business can enhance its online presence. Billions of internet searches happen every day. You’re missing out on thousands of potential customers without the proper SEO practices.
Main Components of SEO Marketing
There are three main components of SEO marketing. Optimising each element will help businesses drive traffic to their website, rank high in SERPs and establish their online presence. Let’s take a closer look at each of the components of SEO marketing.
On-page SEO
On-page SEO refers to strategies you apply directly to web pages that affect the website’s relevance to users and search engines. Here are the different elements involved in on-page SEO.
Meta Tags
- According to the SEO experts at Due North, you need descriptive title tags, typically 60-70 characters for each web page.
- Meta descriptions are used to summarise the web page content in 160 characters to encourage users to click on the content in SERPs.
Header Tags
- Header tags (H1, H2, H3, H4) are used to create a structure for published digital content to help search engines understand them better.
- Using proper keywords in header tags will signal search engines of your relevance to its users.
Content Optimisation
- Creating high-quality and original content will provide helpful information to your target audience, positively influencing your ranking factors.
- Optimising the length of your content while maintaining its readability and including additional elements such as images and videos will enhance user experience.
Internal Linking
- Internal linking helps users navigate your content better and easier leading to a positive user experience.
- Link relevant pages together and use relevant keywords as anchor text to improve your SEO.
Social Media Integration
- Include share buttons on your content so users are encouraged to share your content to increase engagement and online visibility.
- Create social media profiles and establish your online presence on different platforms. (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn)
Off-page SEO
In contrast to on-page SEO, off-page SEO is strategies used outside of your website to improve your online presence and search engine rankings. Here are the primary elements of off-page SEO.
Link Building
- Acquiring backlinks from sites with high authority and relevant web pages will help search engines search your website as trustworthy, thus improving your SEO rankings.
- You can maximise acquiring backlinks through guest postings, collaborations and social bookmarking.
Online Listings and Directories
- Submit your business information to online listings such as Google My Business, Yelp, Yahoo Local and Apple Maps to help people find your business and know its service area.
- Make sure to be consistent in your NAP (name, address, phone number) across all online directories.
Online Review Management
- Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your products or services. Quality and quantity of reviews can put your business listing on advanced search results called rich results.
- Be prompt and quick about responding to negative comments. Remember to keep a calm and professional tone when dealing with issues and complaints.
Influencer and Press Collaborations
- Collaborations with influencers can significantly increase traffic to your website. You can send them products for reviews or demonstrations and ask for the link to their content so you can put them on your website.
- You can involve local media to improve your brand exposure. You can send them press releases, published content or interviews to feature your business in the news and other forms of media.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO is the process of optimising the technical elements of a website. This includes website infrastructure, codes and backend processes to ensure that search engines can properly crawl and index the website and its content. Here are the key elements of technical SEO.
Loading Speed Optimisation
- Optimising images, CSS and JavaScript files can help sites with faster loading time.
- Use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to allocate your content faster.
- Ensure your website and its content have speedy loading times across all devices.
Mobile-Friendly Designs
- Make sure that your website and all its elements can adapt to different screen sizes. Mobile-friendliness of a website dramatically impacts SEO rankings.
- Use tools such as Google’s mobile-friendly test to identify issues to help you modify them.
Website Architecture
- Use navigation menus and internal linking to promote effortless navigation. Organising your website to create a logical structure and hierarchy is also important.
- Provide an XML sitemap to help search engines crawl into your website’s pages.
Crawling and Indexing
- Make sure the engine crawlers can access your web pages without any difficulties.
- Deploy a robot.txt file if there are pages of your website you don’t want search engines to crawl.
- Use tools like Google Search Console to fix broken links and crawling errors.
Structured Data
- Provide structured data for your website to give search engines additional context about your website.
- Structured data using schema markup will help search engines display rich snippets of your website in SERPs.
Website Security
- Security threats are common on the internet. Implement firewalls and security protocols to protect your website from malware threats and cyber attacks.
- Procure an SSL certificate to activate HTTPS encryption to give users a secure connection and browsing experience.
Analytics and Tracking
- Utilise web analytics tools (e.g. Google Analytics) to monitor metrics such as customer behaviour, bounce rate, average session duration, page views, conversion rate and many more.
- Use the data in your analytics tools to make changes and improve your website further aligned with SEO ranking factors.
Website Localization
- A website localization strategy involves adapting the content, design, and functionality of a website to suit the linguistic, cultural, and regional preferences of target audiences.
- Website localization is a strategic move for businesses aiming to expand their global reach, as it allows them to effectively navigate international markets and adapt to the specific needs and expectations of users in different regions.
Competitive SEO That Works!
The different elements of SEO marketing are an essential foundation that drives digital success for online businesses. Understanding how SEO works is your first step to thriving in the online industry. Don’t let your competitors outrun you. Talk to SEO experts today to help grow your business!
