If you’re in business and attempting to contend with the internet these days, it’s likely you’ve come across the acronym SEO. If you’ve ever wondered why it seems so popular to those in marketing and if it’s a worthwhile thing to bring into your work, we’d like to help clarify that for you! We’ll go over what SEO is and why we think it can have a huge impact on the strength of your online presence, driving customers your way and helping your business grow and thrive!

So, what is SEO anyhow?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. If you’ve used the internet, you’ve come across search engines (hiya, Google!). So, what does it mean to optimize them? Think of it this way: when you sit down to look for a car mechanic in your town, the search engine you choose will return several options for you to look over. You’ll probably scroll through the first few listings and investigate their websites. More often than not, you won’t be clicking to the next page because the first page has offered you such an abundance of options that you’re sure to find what you need there. And that, in a nutshell, is the result of good SEO.

How it works

Any business can take advantage of SEO and use it to improve their online presence! The best way is to think of things in a backwards fashion. Begin by imagining your target customer as they open their computer to search for the service your business offers. What will they type? Will it be, “tax law accountant Denver, CO”? “Asheville web design”? “Real estate agent New Jersey”? Brainstorm the phrases that your clients might use to look for you and once you’ve narrowed down your top choices, you’ve landed on your SEO keywords!

Now, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work utilizing these word combinations in your marketing. Every time you make a post on Facebook, naturally work in one or two of these phrases. Posting to Instagram? Use these keywords as your hashtags! The more frequently your business’ website and social media are associated with those keywords, the faster you are to be found on search engine listings, placing you in front of your potential clients!

Parting thought

Before we set you loose with this information, we want to add a piece of advice. There is such a thing as Bad SEO and you don’t want to engage in it. Bad SEO is a habit where you use your keywords in a spammy manner, such as making a post that includes nothing but these phrases. This can work against you in two ways. First, a search engine may see this and penalize you for creating poor content and place you lower and lower on their search lists. Second, your audience will notice and be repelled by the poor content, making them less likely to continue following you and using your business.

Want some help navigating the world of SEO? Our Marketing team is well-versed in the world of SEO and we’d be glad to get your business climbing the search engine ranks! Take a look at our marketing plans here and feel free to get in touch with us anytime!