online marketing
Nov 22 2018 0

A Recipe for Effective SEO

As the name suggests, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) would not be a thing without the existence of an omniscient and ubiquitous non-physical entity – the internet, of course. Companies would not value featuring on the first page of Google search results alongside a drive for profit and workplace efficiency had Leonard Kleinrock not given birth to the idea of the internet in 1961. The nature of our lives has changed ever since that lightbulb moment.

SEO refers to any action aimed at climbing up the internet search ranking ladder. The importance of Australian SEO services should not be understated, since search engines are the main drivers of traffic to websites; 90 per cent of people do not navigate to page 2 of Google’s search results, and roughly two-thirds of clicks are centred on the top 5 results.

So, what needs to be included in the recipe for effective SEO? To form a comprehensive inventory of the best SEO ingredients, we first need to understand how Google works. Note here that there are obviously other search engines available, but targeting Google disproportionately will boost your return since this is where most people look for answers to their queries.

When a query is typed into the search engine, Google will aim to find the most relevant results subject to some mathematical algorithms. As such, successful SEO is about manipulating a search engine’s algorithms. For this, you’re going to need to put on your black and white hats…

 

On-page SEO

On-page SEO refers to the behind the scenes SEO on a website, for example clear and accessible landing pages that are easily and quickly navigable and full of quality content, keyword articles, and back-linking.

There is a need to take extra care when producing keyword articles. Firstly, you need to make it seem like you’re writing for human beings rather than the search engine. Secondly, and more importantly, you don’t want to give the Google bots any reason to label your article as ‘black hat’ keyword stuffing. To avoid this, clever manipulation of percentage keyword density is needed. You need to find the right balance between keywords and other content. For a 600 word article, integrating 6 keywords would be optimal for manipulating Google’s algorithms in order to be listed within the organic search results.

Back-linking is the practice of including hyperlinks within an article to authoritative sites. This makes your article seem more trustworthy and consequently Google will give it a higher ranking. Furthermore, if your article is linked within a reputable site then the SEO rewards will be even greater.

 

Off-page SEO

The rise of social media has proven to be a bedfellow of SEO and search engines’ algorithms have adjusted to recognise this. Starting in 1997 with the rudimentary online communication platform Six Degrees, social media has evolved far beyond its initial set of principles into a market where everyone is, with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other apps being used for economic purposes. Amongst the growing cohort of social media influencers and targeted ads, social platforms have proven themselves to be effective means for a company to increase its visibility online and attract organic traffic.

The SEO value of social media is revealed in the number of clicks from Facebook posts and tweets and the engagement with posts. Engagement comes in the form of liking, commenting, sharing, and retweeting posts. The design of social media makes it easy to engage with a post and so this form of off-page SEO receives heightened effectiveness. Simply, the greater engagement a social post receives the more credibility and the higher ranking search engines award the post.

 

 

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