Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Keeping up with your SEO is a bit like the decades-old tech battle between police radar technology and radar detector companies. As soon as radar detector manufacturers learn how to overcome the latest law enforcement advances, police radar takes another leap, changing the game. Then detector technology takes another leap. SEO is like this because, as soon as marketers contrive ways to work in harmony with the latest Google algorithm updates, Google changes the algorithms to make them more difficult to “trick.” Back and forth the battle goes; we as marketers gaining ground in search engine results, only to be forced to change tactics a few weeks later because the algorithms change again. SEO isn’t so much a set of hard-and-fast rules as it is an ongoing battle to adjust and re-adjust to the types of content currently being favored by search engines.
Our SEO department constantly tracks changes to Google’s algorithms (among other things) to keep our clients ahead of the game. We watch rises and falls in organic search traffic for various types of site content on a daily basis and make adjustments to our clients’ online strategies to keep them climbing the search engine result pages (SERPs).
It’s a full-time job for an SEO specialist to watch and respond to these trends, but we thought you might like to know the basics of what we do, so you can make an informed decision about who to work with on your site’s optimization for best results in the Wichita, Kansas, market.
What is SEO?
SEO is a constantly changing system of procedures that increase qualified traffic to your site through organic searches. Search engines use algorithms to determine which sites should appear at the top of search results based on the quality of those sites from an informational standpoint. In its most basic form, SEO is the art and science of populating your website with information and media that are attractive to search engines for the searches being typed in by consumers when they seek your product or service.
SEO Services
There are dizzying numbers of tools and techniques out there for optimizing a website. At US Logo we’ve packaged the ones that, used together, give our clients the biggest bang for their buck. Our proven toolbox of SEO services starts with finding the right keywords for your products and services.
How We Find the Right Keywords for your SEO
When we talk about a “keyword” it can actually be one word or a short phrase in the world of Google algorithms. We use the Google Keyword Planner in conjunction with other apps to determine which ones people are typing into search engines when they look for a company like yours in the Wichita, KS, market. There’s no guesswork involved because this information is available to SEO professionals who know where to look.
We’ll choose one main keyword for every page of your site because Google bots have a certain amount of tunnel vision when it comes to ranking pages, but the algorithms also “read” other parts of the page, looking for similar keywords (called long tail keywords) to confirm that the page is truly a reliable destination for web searchers who type these keywords into a Google search.
We’ll also recommend (and can help you with) high word counts on your site’s landing pages (pages to which you are trying to attract organic traffic with your keywords) because search engines are currently showing heavy favoritism for long text. This is a new development in Google’s algorithms, but a key ingredient if want to skyrocket past your competitors to the top of the search results.
Let’s not forget VEO – voice engine optimization. Siri, Alexa, Google, and Cortana are all taking orders from us daily. We tell them to “search for this”, “play that”, “find… near me”, or “what’s the recipe for…” Is your website ready for this kind of search optimization? If you are one of our Website/ SEO/ Digital Marketing customers you won’t have to worry about this… But if you are not call us at 316-264-1321 to get a head start.
https://www.uslogo.net/digital-marketing/
Putting the Keywords in the Right Places on Your Site
Google algorithms are extremely smart when they check your web page to make sure it’s a good destination for people who type in your keywords, but they are computer programs that operate according to specific rules, and we monitor changes in the kinds of content Google bots are looking for when they rank pages. If you use a keyword too much, you’ll be penalized. If you use it in the wrong parts of the page, you’ll be penalized. We’ll help you place the right keywords in the right places on your site to keep you climbing the search result ranks.
Merging Your Mission with Google’s Mission
Google is the world’s most comprehensive index of online media and information because it is very good at serving up the search results that people are looking for, based on a few words typed into a search engine bar. This is Google’s mission, which is very different than your company’s mission, which is to sell as much as possible. One of the keys to successful site optimization lies in providing the kinds of information on your pages that do a good job of selling for you while providing Google bots with the somewhat encyclopedic information Google likes to serve up in response to searches.
Give us a call at our Wichita, KS, marketing complex: (316) 264-1321 or email orders@uslogo.net.
This is a time of great opportunity for your company to put long, comprehensive text on your web pages because most of your competitors are probably not doing it yet. Yes, it takes more time to write this type of content, but when you seamlessly merge your goals with Google’s goals, your ranking will rise more quickly.
Placing Your Keywords in the Right Places on Every Page
Keyword placement within a page is a trick many webmasters overdo. The main keyword for a given page should appear in the right places, but it should not appear too many times or Google will penalize your ranking for what it thinks is keyword stuffing. We’ll make sure you have the right keywords in the right places to act as Google bait rather than deterrents.
Optimized Images on Your Site
Google rewards sites that are rich with images because most web searchers would rather look at pictures than read text. But Google bots have no way of knowing what content is in an image or video unless you tell them. This is where alt text comes into the SEO picture.
Alt text is information we add to images that the bots can read. Alt text tells bots what each image contains, so search engines have a way of “reading” them. We’ll place the right keywords and information in this text also, not only describe what’s shown but to coax the search algorithms into rewarding your page with higher rankings.
Optimized Video Content
Video is even more important than images from an SEO standpoint because the more time people spend on your site, the more Google mojo you get. Our strategy goes beyond that by posting your videos on YouTube (which gives them their own SEO life on the web), then optimizing them with the same keywords used on your website in a way that improves the rankings of the website itself.
We’ll embed the videos on your site, which means they’re being played from YouTube’s servers, and your YouTube channel will receive credit for the views—an added bonus that further boosts your SEO power.
What our Local SEO Services will do for Your Business
They call it the World Wide Web. So what are the advantages for Wichita businesses who work with a local SEO services provider?
SEO is most effective when you integrate it with your other branding efforts. The keywords you use should be chosen based on perceptions of your brand in the community, other promotions you’re running (both on and offline) and what your competitors are doing in their SEO. In spite of the Internet’s global reach, search engines are very good at serving up local information based on user IP addresses and other factors, meaning you’re still competing locally, even online. A local marketing partner is better informed on your community image, your other marketing efforts and what your competitors are doing. Also, it’s nice to be able to meet someone face to face when you do business with them.
How Long Does it Take to Rank Organically on Google?
Without some kind of optimization plan, your site may never make it to the first page of the search engine results. With moderate SEO, it can take years—or never happen, if you have SEO-savvy competitors. Our customers often get to Google’s page one within 3-6 months, and some even faster.
Where do we Start?
Before we touch anything on your site, we’ll do research, some of it common-sense stuff, and some of it much more technical, including a look at what kind of traffic you’re getting now and what kind of traffic your competitors are getting. We’ll identify keywords that your customers are typing when they search for your product or service and make recommendations about which ones offer the greatest likelihood of success in the Wichita and global (if appropriate for your company) marketing environments.
We’ll counsel you on the types of content strategies that can accelerate your rise in the search results, including text, images and video. In short, we’ll give you a map to SEO success, and we’ll offer you cost options that fit your budget.
What are the Costs?
SEO can get expensive; really expensive, but not when you work with us.
SEO, like every other kind of marketing, works best with constant attention. Google’s algorithms sometimes change weekly, and the work we did for one client three months ago is often less effective than the work we do for another client today, so the constant monitoring that accompanies an ongoing contract works to your advantage. Here are some other benefits we offer when you sign up:
- Website backup
- Plugin and software updates
- Daily monitoring
- Reindexing with Google after updates
- Effective SEO for site typically costs less with a contract
Where to Begin with SEO
It starts with a meeting, so we can learn about your online goals and get a sense of what’s working and not working for you online. We’ll also get a sense of what kind of cost goals you have in mind, then we’ll make suggestions scaled to your budget. We’ll keep you informed every step of the way, so you’ll understand what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and how well it’s working.