SEO Help for Beginners: How to Improve Your SEO & When to Get Professional Help With SEO

If you want to stand out from the competition, then a strong SEO strategy is the way to go. With constantly evolving search engines, online marketing experts are in constant need of different tactics and information that will keep them at the top of their game.

For example, Google’s release of Penguin 4.0 and Panda updates mean that many SEO strategies need an overhaul in order to remain reliable in 2017 and beyond. This article is your guide to SEO, covering everything you need to know about beginning your journey toward a stellar SEO strategy.

What is  Search Engine Optimization ( SEO )?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. SEO is the art and science of ranking a website in the top search results for a specific topic or keyword. It is considered by many to be one of the most important marketing skills out there because it drives traffic to a site, and this traffic can give an organization an advantage over other organizations that don’t use SEO.

The best way to optimize your website for better search engine rankings is through building quality content that will attract organic (i.e. from the search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing) traffic, and will help you rank higher overall in organic search results.

There are several search engines that compete to rank websites higher in organic results on Google. The big three (Google, Yahoo, Bing) are very specific in their rules on which websites can get ranked as 1st page of organic results.

Learn more about how to optimize SEO

• Basics SEO for Beginners
• The Beginner’s SEO Tutorial
• Google SEO Optimization Guide 2022

How to improve your SEO (and search rankings)

1. First things first – what is SEO?

SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” and it refers to the process of increasing the visibility of a website or webpage in a search engine’s organic (unpaid) results. As the online marketing and advertising world continues to grow, SEO has become a necessity, especially if you want to stand out from the competition. Google, Yahoo, and Bing are the major engines that most websites use to rank their site in search results. When a user searches for a specific term on one of these engines, they will see pages and content that are professionally optimized based on algorithms that determine relevancy.

2. SEO is a way of life

That being said, SEO is necessary to remain competitive. Businesses that neglect their SEO efforts and go after the cheap alternative of Google Adwords will find themselves losing out on potential customers. According to one report by Moz, 82 percent of marketers feel more confident in their website’s search engine optimization if their marketing budget equals or exceeds $100,000.

3. What should you do to get started?

Beginners typically focus on keywords that are unique and specific to their business or industry. There are so many different keywords that you could spend hours researching and creating a strategy for. Instead of spending too much time and effort on keywords, start with broader topics such as “buy Vimax pills,” “get Vimax pills” or more general phrases like “HGH for men.”

4. Use a keyword research tool

Ultimately, though, your success in search engine optimization depends on two things: the quality of your content and the relevancy of your keywords. This is where keyword research tools come into play. Learn which keywords have the highest search volume, best competition and chance of ranking, and most importantly which ones are relevant to your business.

As an example, if you are a pet food company that produces dog food for smaller dogs, then you could choose to consider both “dog food for small dogs” and “dog food for toy breeds.”

5. Choosing the right keyword phrases

There are so many variables that go into choosing the right keyword phrases that it can be easy to get overwhelmed. However, you will want to find the right balance between searching for broad keywords and long-tail keywords that aren’t as competitive.

For instance, you could use “buy dog food” or “best dog food for small breeds.”

6. Consider your competitors’ SEO strategy

The best way to choose the right keyword phrases is by researching what your competitors are choosing, and then choosing different variations of those keyword phrases. You can use an online tool like the “Compete” tool in Google’s Keyword Planner to see what your competitors are doing, and you can use a marketing program such as Hootsuite’s Keyword Explorer to see what your competitors are referring people to in their websites.

If you notice that your competitors have more of a focus on using phrases with even higher search volume, then you could possibly adjust your search volume research.

7. Create compelling content

… no matter how large or small your online business is. If a customer searches for “best dog food for small dogs,” then your website should come up in the first 10 results to entice customers to stay on your page and read more about your products. In addition, you should use compelling content of your own – even if you are a small business.

For example, you could include a video to encourage potential customers to learn more about your products.

8. Use high-quality photos

Photos and images have an enormous impact on how successful someone’s SEO campaign can be. In fact, over 50 percent of an email’s success is directly related to the image used. According to one study from Epsilon, 81 percent of online shoppers want to see a photo or image when they look at a product or service. You should spend time creating high-quality images and using them throughout your website.

9. Optimize your content

Conversion rate optimization is quite possibly the most important part of SEO, simply because it will determine whether or not you are able to generate leads and sales for your business. While you can’t guarantee a high conversion rate, you can ensure that your website is optimized to convert the maximum number of visitors. This includes analyzing everything from your site’s user interface to the content, graphics, and color schemes of your website. You can also help your SEO by looking at your content marketing strategy.

10. Start ranking for keywords

Once all of these factors are implemented into your SEO strategy, it’s time to start ranking for keywords and long-tail keywords. Keep in mind that this process may take several months or even years due to the constantly evolving search algorithms.

11. Build a fast website

Page speed is a ranking factor for the Google search engine. If you want to help your SEO, make sure your website loads quickly by implementing the best practices for page speed. This step will require a web developer to optimize your site, but it’s worth it.

Get started by testing your website speed with the free Google PageSpeed Insights tool and removing unnecessary code from your site with the free PageSpeed Optimization Tool.

12. Make a responsive website

According to Google, more than half of all searches are now made on mobile devices. This means that a responsive website is no longer a nice-to-have – it’s now a must-have to rank well in Google. Make sure your website loads quickly on smartphones and tablets, has Mobile Friendliness verified with the free Google Mobile-Friendly tool, and follows the mobile responsive design principles.

13. Link to high-quality content

Getting powerful backlinks from high-authority websites significantly improves your search rankings on Google. Ask businesses and other websites to link to your site, and make sure to include high-quality backlinks in your bio on social media.

14. Submit your website to search engine directories

Google and other search engines use websites such as SearchEngineLand, MozRank, and others as a means of sorting out the best sites based on the quality of their content. There are two ways you can submit your site for inclusion: via free services like SubmitSites or via paid services like directories like Moz.

When to ask for professional help with SEO?

Now that you understand how SEO works, it’s time to get started implementing your SEO strategy. But how do you know when to go out and hire an SEO professional?

Step 1: Identify your goals

Although there are many different factors that go into SEO campaigns, the most important part of every SEO campaign is determining what you want from the campaign. If you have a strong product that needs to be marketed and advertised, then hire an SEO company for help in getting your product noticed. On the other hand, if you have a lot of competition and your website’s conversion rate is too low, then hiring an SEO professional could be your best bet.

Step 2: Your website doesn’t get much traffic

It is not uncommon for a website to stay stagnant or not get much traffic if the website owner is only focused on selling their product or service. If that’s the case and you are wondering if you should hire an SEO company, then your website may be lacking in some of the basic elements of search engine optimization, such as backlinks and keywords.

Step 3: Low customer conversion rates

Another common indicator that you might need an SEO professional is if your sales and conversion rates are low. If you have a website that gets a lot of traffic but very few leads, then you could be missing out on some of your potential customers.

Step 4: Uncomfortable with the task

If your SEO campaign has been going well but you are starting to feel uncomfortable with SEO, then try hiring an SEO professional. When you feel uncomfortable about something, it’s good to know that there is help available for your issue.

Step 5: The search engine changes its algorithm

Every few months, Google makes changes to its algorithm. If you use a WordPress blog, then you already know that most websites have to change their software and themes every once in a while, making it difficult for people to keep up with all of the changes. However, if you hire a professional SEO company to manage your website, then they will be able to make these necessary updates much easier on your end. Contact an SEO Agency using the contact form on this page.

Tips for finding professional SEO help

The following are some ways you can find an SEO company when you’re looking to hire a professional SEO company.

• Ask your friends for recommendations.
• Ask for referrals from people who have had good results with the same type of company.
• Search for a company on Google, LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook to see if the company is well-known in your industry and city.
• Keep in mind that a company’s SEO rankings don’t mean they’re the best SEO company.
• Find out how much experience the SEO company has, and ask them about their past and current clients to find out how satisfied they are.
• Check their website for signs of SEO improvement, such as keywords ranking, backlinks, and more.
• In addition, find out how SEO-friendly the SEO company’s website is. If you find that the SEO company’s website isn’t using SEO best practices, then you may want to consider hiring a different company.

After you have identified the right SEO company, it’s time to hire them. There are many aspects that go into hiring an SEO professional alongside thorough research and interviews with a potential candidate.

Improve your SEO with SEA

Ready for some professional help with your SEO?

SEO Expert Agency is a digital marketing agency that specializes in a range of services, from SEO to paid advertising and social media management. We have a team of strategists, designers, programmers, and marketers who understand what it takes to create digital campaigns that build brands.

SEA has been working with brands from the UK and the US for nearly 10 years. Over this time we have built up a portfolio of industry-leading clients as well as thoroughly tested marketing methodologies used by our team day-in and day-out.

Check out our award-winning SEO services and SEO pricing. If you like what you see, give us a call at (704) 856-9058, or contact us online to speak with a strategist.

We’re excited to help you drive results with a custom SEO campaign!