What is SEO?

Ever wonder what search engine optimization is exactly? To put it very simply, search engine optimization, or SEO for short, is the process of improving the visibility of your websites in search engines. Well, that sounds easy enough, right? The next question you might find yourself asking is OK, How do I do it? The answer to this question is not as simple when you consider that Google has over 200 ranking factors! It becomes even more complex when you become aware that sharing this exact “algorithm” with the public would be giving away business secrets Google just can’t afford to leak. First thing’s first though, to understand how to rank higher in search, we need to understand how search actually works. How does Google work exactly? Where does it find websites to show in the search results? How are these websites ranked? What can I do to increase my rank in the search results? It’s ok if you don’t know the answer to some of these questions, that’s what we’re here for! Let’s take a deeper look into the anatomy of Google’s search technology…

How Search Works

Check out this short video of How Search Works with Matt Cutts. This is an excellent explanation about how Google works and should definitely make Google more understandable! With billions of websites on the ever expanding internet, what makes your site stand out? Why should Google show your web page to potential customers when they are looking for products or services you may offer instead of a competitor’s page? Well, as we just learned from Matt in this short video, Google’s software decides which website is the most relevant to a user’s search query by “asking questions, more than 200 of them!” We call these questions ranking factors. Depending on how your website answers these questions, you may place very high in the search results or chances are, in most cases, your website is nowhere to be found!

 

Google Ranking Factors

The reason your site isn’t listed on the first page of Google for the keywords you want is simple. You don’t have all the right ingredients! Of course, ingredients alone aren’t a recipe! Just because we have everything that goes into a pie, does not mean that it’s going to taste very good without following the recipe. Making that pie delicious requires following step-by-step directions, measuring, and of course, some good old fashioned baking experience! Although Google does not and will not release all of their ranking factors or the weight each one actually carries, they do give all the webmasters out there some direction. The SEO Starter Guide from Google is a great resource to help kick start your online presence. Making sure you follow the webmaster guidelines is also essential. With more and more experience, you start to see what’s good, what works, and what you should avoid. All major search engines will have quality guidelines to follow that ensure you aren’t doing something completely wrong, and with Bing and Yahoo each approaching 14% of the search engine market share, they should not be ignored! Google is still the industry leader with a whopping 65% of all searches done on the internet.

How do I get MY site on Google?

Wow, with numbers like that you want your site grabbing a piece of that pie, don’t you? It’s undeniable that this day in age Search Engine Optimization and having a solid online presence is an essential part of any small business marketing strategy. Attracting targeted traffic to your website leads to more customers, more sales, and a bigger bottom line! To make sure you’re getting your fair share of business from the internet, mobile searchers, and even iPads and the latest tablets out there, your website has to make the grade. It should be obvious by now the only way to do this is through Search Engine Optimization and making sure your website goes the distance.

SEO By Bert Ford

Sure, we’ve given you enough resources and links on this page alone to get started optimizing on your own. Search Engine Optimization is a lot like basketball for example, anyone can play, and to get better it just takes practice! Can a little practice though make you better than an NBA all star? Probably not. The same goes for SEO. It’s best to hire a professional and get professional results. Bert Ford offers an inclusive package that consists of organic search engine optimization, local maps optimization, and sponsored placement starting at only $199! Inquire Today!