A successful SEO strategy improves online visibility. More importantly, when done correctly, SEO gets your business in front of the right audience. Traffic to your website and online content is great, but if those visitors aren’t converting into customers or finding value in your content, your business won’t grow.
Freelance SEO Marketer and Communications Specialist Jessica Braun Gervais explains the fundamentals of SEO to improve online visibility, attract organic traffic, and grow digital presence. She shares key SEO concepts, including keywords, on-page optimization, and content strategy, providing beginners with practical insights to build a strong SEO foundation.
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What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is how search engines index online content so people can find businesses, products, and services online.
You can think of SEO as a filing system. Each piece of online content is a piece of paper that search engines file into a file drawer. Your SEO strategy and your SEO elements tell the search engines where to file your content and who to show your content to.
All of the content you put online should and can be optimized for search engines. Most people know to optimize their websites, but you can also optimize your social media profiles, your YouTube page and videos, and any downloads that you put online; all of that content should be SEO optimized if you want to be visible online.
Understanding Keywords
Keywords are the foundation and the starting point of SEO point of SEO. Keywords are the words and phrases that tell search engines what your content is about. They act as a bridge, linking people’s search inquiries with online content.
From a consumer or customer perspective, keywords are what someone types into a search engine when looking for content. One of the first questions people tend to ask when starting their SEO strategy is, “What keywords should I use?” or “How do I know what the right keywords are?” And the answer to that is you’re going to have to do a bit of keyword research to understand your customers, your industry, and your competitors. Tools such as SEMRush or Google Keyword Planner are a great starting point for keyword research.
It’s also helpful to know what words you’re already optimizing for. You want to know what keywords people are using to find your website. You can find that information on the analytics panel of your website. There should be a section that shows where your traffic is coming from and what search queries are drawing people to your site.
Helpful Resources
Building your SEO strategy takes time. Below are a few helpful resources and tools to help you get started.