SEO Agency Essex

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. SEO isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the strategic art of enhancing your website’s performance on search engines like Google and Bing. A well-optimized site doesn’t just exist; it thrives in the competitive realm of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

SEO is important because without it your site would not rank organically.  What this means is when someone performs a search in a search engine like Google or Bing your website is listed in what are called the SERPS  (search engine results pages) without having to pay per every click via paid advertising to be visible online.  Even though Google has now added scrolling to desktop in 2022 and had already added it to Mobile devices, most searches will not look beyond the first set of results. So it is huge to rank on the first page as high as possible for the keyphrases most related to your products and services.

This has been written many times before, but no SEO is not dead it has just evolved.  We still consider it one of the most cost effective way to drive traffic and conversions to your business.  Your presence with paid advertising vanishes the moment you stop paying for it. 
SEO has evolved so much from the early days.  Back in the early 90s keyword stuffing was all the rage. We used to do it ourselves in the very early 2000s.   Sites would be stuffed with text coloured the same as the background so it was hidden.  Thankfully Googles algorithm has massively improved since then.  It now requires strategy, planning and follow through with good practices to rank content. Outdated tactics can kill your SEO efforts so it is important to ensure everything is setup the correct way.

First analyze any web data you have. You can garner a ton of free awesome data on your site by using free tools like Google Analytics & Search console so ensure you have these setup and running on your site alongside Google tag manager.
Conduct thorough keyword research using tools.  We use tools such as Google Keyword planner, SEMRush, Ahrefs and SEO Power Suite Rank Tracker.  
Produce content for your site that is rich. Write it for users, not for bots but strategically place important keyphrases into your content.  It is okay to use AI to write the frame work but don’t soley rely on it to write all of your content. It should be an aid not a replacement.   Length is not imperative but you are unlikely to surpass a well written 2000 word article that is top of the serps with a 200 word article.  Ensure your site as no technical issues such as missing or duplicate page titles and use well written meta descriptions to catch the attention of your audience in the serps.  Build up your backlink profile for OFF page SEO.  Ensure your site provides an awesome user experience across all device types and test its speed using tools like GTMetrix, Pingdom & Page Insights. 

Google Business Profile formerly Google My business is a very powerful way to build your local SEO businesses presence for local searches.  Even when going up against very large franchises and corporations who dominate nationwide you can still rank above them locally because your location is more relevant to searches in the local area looking for your products or services.  It is completely free to claim your business profile and you should do this right away.  It is also very important to start building out your profile. Collecting reviews, photos and adding information about your business that is relevant to your visitors.  You then have the opportunity to appear multiple times in the SERPs for a given keyphrase increasing the likelyhood that the searcher will at least create a lead for your business.

Local SEO citations are your businesses detail on other people’s websites in directories such as Yelp, Yell.com etc.  It is referred to as NAP which is abbreviated for Name, Address and Phone Number.
It is important that your NAP is the same across all channels as this creates trust and should also increase brand visibility.  These listings are designed to boost your position in local search engine results.

 Search engines like Google and Bing to name the two most popular, determine website rankings based on a variety of factors and algorithms. While no none of us know the exact algorithms as they are not publicly disclosed, search engines like Google consider factors such as relevance, quality, and authority to determine rankings. Some key factors include:

• Relevance of the website’s content to the search query
• Quality and uniqueness of the content
• User experience and website performance, including page load speed and mobile-friendliness
• Backlinks from trusted websites
• Social signals and user engagement metrics
• Website structure and metadata optimisation
• Historical website data and domain age

 SEO is not a one-time activity; it requires ongoing effort and maintenance. Search engines constantly update their algorithms, and competition in search rankings is fierce. To maintain and improve your website’s visibility, you need to continually work on optimizing your content, improving user experience, building quality backlinks, and staying updated with industry trends.

 SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps your website rank higher in search engines by optimizing various elements on your website to make it more relevant and valuable to users and search engines. This involves optimizing your website’s structure, content, keywords, meta tags, and other factors that influence search engine rankings. By implementing SEO best practices, search engines can better understand your website’s relevance and value, leading to higher rankings in search results.

 The time it takes to see results from SEO efforts can vary depending on several factors, such as the competitiveness of your industry, the quality of your website, the extent of the optimisations made, and the consistency of your efforts. Generally, it takes time for search engines to crawl and index your optimized content and for those changes to reflect in search rankings. It’s common to start seeing noticeable improvements in rankings and organic traffic within a few months, but significant results may take six months to a year or more of consistent SEO work.

 Organic search results are the listings displayed in search engine results pages (SERPs) that are not influenced by advertising or paid placements. They are determined by the search engine’s algorithm and are based on the relevance and quality of the website’s content in relation to the user’s search query.  Paid search, such as Googles Pay Per Click, are the sponsored ads you see in the SERPs.  Google is now increasily modifying these ads to to an untrained eye they might look the exact same as the rest of the results. Organic can generate sustainable long-term results where as PPC can provide immediate visibility. While SEO requires initial investment and ongoing effort, the cost per click is typically lower compared to paid advertising. This can result in a higher ROI over time.

Think of backlinks like an endorsement.  The internet is one big web of links.  When one website links to another that is like a vote of confidence for that site. Think of it like a word of mouth referral. That site is endoring the website they are linking to.  Backlinks are extremely important and make up a huge part of Googles algorith. The more quality links and signals you have back to your site the higher you tend to rank. 

SEO and Google Ads (PPC) are two distinct approaches to digital marketing, each with its own unique benefits. While PPC offers immediate visibility, its effects are short-lived — the moment you stop funding your ads, your online presence via these channels disappears. Think of PPC as a rental property: it provides a temporary home for your online presence, but it’s never truly yours.

In contrast, SEO is more akin to a mortgage. It’s an investment in your digital ‘property’ that yields long-term benefits. The efforts you put into SEO compound over time, enhancing your website’s online presence and authority. Unlike PPC, the fruits of your labor in SEO remain visible long after your active efforts cease, providing a more sustainable and potentially higher return on investment.

Ideally, a robust digital strategy would leverage both SEO and PPC in tandem, capitalizing on the immediate traffic from PPC while building a lasting presence through SEO. Ultimately, the decision boils down to ROI. While both strategies have their place, SEO stands out as a valuable asset you build and own over time, ensuring continuous online growth and presence.

Fluctations in the rankings are normal.  As we rank a site it is usually to see a zig zag pattern.  The goal is to see the trend of that zig zag pattern moving upwards and eventually the goal is to keep it nice and steady and hold the positions gained.