The Concept of SEO
Many small businesses are already familiar with the concept of
SEO (Search Engine Optimization). You’ve been told time and again by marketing gurus and other professionals that SEO is critical to business success in the Internet Age. Telling you again doesn’t make it any less true, however breaking it down and simplifying it might make it a little more understandable for the common business owner!
On a macro level, the overall concept of SEO can be split into two distinct, yet equally critical focuses: on-page and off-page SEO. Understanding both sides of this same coin offers great insight into some of the core tenants of SEO and how they all come together to boost your business’ success.
On-Page SEO
Think of on-page SEO like looking at the outside world through the windows of your home—you’re inside, and everything else is outside. Everything involved with on-page SEO is done right at home: on your website.
SOME EXAMPLES INCLUDE:
- Optimizing your website’s text to contain relevant keywords that people might be searching for online.
- Adding schema markup to your website’s code that tells search engines what your site is about and what services you offer.
- Managing meta-data so that external websites pulling information are met with properly formatted, accurate page descriptions.
On-page SEO is all about building your website to make it as easy as possible for people to use it and for search engines to find the answers they’re looking for. It all comes down to creating a great user experience.
Great on-page SEO is like using a beacon that sends a signal to search engines that your website is open and ready for business, and that you’re intent on helping your customers find what they need: information, products, or access to a local expert.
Off-Page SEO
SEO efforts that are not done
on your website are considered off-page SEO tasks. It’s like landscaping your property; you might not be doing any work to your house, but you’re still working to increase its value!
SOME EXAMPLES OF OFF-PAGE SEO INCLUDE:
- Sending out a press release about your business with a backlink to your website.
- Guest blogging on an industry website, to share your brand’s expertise.
- Re-selling products on Amazon or hosting videos on YouTube.
Off-page SEO is all about helping your website rank higher and become an authority for its core focus. The more places online that are saying your name, giving you credit, linking back to you, etc., the more clout you’ll develop and the bigger (and better) your reputation will be.
With great off-page SEO, you’ll be weaving a web across the Internet that helps create paths back to you. Whether you’re building sales funnels or establishing a repository for information, off-page SEO is a critical focus that can improve your online presence.
Putting the Two Together
On-page and off-page SEO, as mentioned above, are two sides of the same coin: you can’t have one without the other. Building focus for both on-page and off-page also means building leverage for your brand in two different ways that have crossover appeal. For example, your on-page SEO efforts to boost conversions may actually draw in new customers, while your off-page efforts in building a brand name might actually help bring focus to a specific product you offer.
When you put the two together, you’re putting together the pieces of the puzzle to digital success. Making your website easier to find and easier to use means building a presence on the Internet that’s sustainable and defining.
Even if you don’t quite understand the nuances of SEO, it’s important to understand the concepts. Talk to a
local AlphaGraphics professional today if you need SEO help—both on-page and off-page—and learn more about what steps you could be taking towards success online.