Anybody who is the Internet business knows or is at least familiar with SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO is a set of practices used to optimize and promote a website so that its traffic increases from online search engines such as Yahoo, Bing and of course, Google.

These are the three biggest search engines that drive 90% plus of traffic on the web. If your website is not reflected on these search engines, a large chunk of potential audiences is missed out on. You also lose out on targeting your visitors.

You can find tons of resources online that will give you helpful tips and even this website can provide you with up to date SEO practices to keep you on top of the game. Now if you are new in the online business and are looking to reach and increase the traffic on your website, here are some tips you should follow.

1. Content is King

This saying was first coined by Bill Gates in 1996. (See article here: http://www.digitopoly.org/2011/11/26/betting-on-content-is-king/) He likened the content of the Internet to be like broadcasting, and is where the money will come from. However there have been some points that have been raised saying that this is not necessarily true.

A certain Andrew Odlyzko said in 2001 that the biggest application on the Internet was the e-mail and that had nothing to do with selling content. He argues that it is not content that is king but communication. But if you think about it carefully, what triggers communication? What propels sharing online? You guessed it right. Content does. So a communication application like e-mail is enhanced by great content.

2. Key in the right Words

One of the ways you can boost your website’s ranking on the top online search engines is by using the right keywords. A keyword is what your user would most likely be searching for. It is a topic that he has a need for. So when choosing your keywords, it is best to use terms that best describe the service or product that you are offering. You can also use tools online https://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/ that can help you find out which keywords can give you the best chance to rank high in.

You must understand how your user thinks in terms of the keywords that he will type in. Sometimes it is good to include a verb to further find your targeted audience.  For example, you may try using “Adopt Siamese kittens” instead of just “Siamese Kittens”. A word or two makes all the difference in the world.

3. Keep your website creative yet simple

It is easy to get carried away with the design of your website. But what good are fancy graphics if the user has a hard time navigating your website? Navigation is best defined as the manner by which one is able to move around and access sections in your website.

No one likes it when a page takes forever to download because of intricate graphics. A simple website structure for navigation will also help the indexing of your pages to go faster which will therefore rank them higher. Remember, the simpler your navigation structure is, the higher your chance is of ranking on the search engines.

If you are creating your own website structure for your business, it is best to use user and search engine friendly CMS. A good platform to try is WordPress.

4. Go social media savvy

There is a reason why social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are very popular. People like connecting with eahc other. They like sharing stuff that happened to them. Can you imagine the rate of things that get shared on these platforms everyday? Facebook has just registered a total of a billion users.

Twitter has 500 million users and there are 800 million unique users that visit YouTube every month. Yes, folks. These numbers do not lie. If you want a piece of the action, you better start making use of these channels to promote your business. The trick to effective social media marketing is, like number one states, great and original content.

If you have awesome content about your product or service, more people will want to share it. A widely circulated piece of content can go viral, meaning, it reaches million of other users by the sheer act of sharing. Imagine that many people seeing your content. Make sure that your video, article or meme is tagged with your website so that people can visit it after their attention has been caught.

5. Don’t Forget your Page Titles

While using the right keywords help your website to rank higher in search engines, the placing of them is just as crucial. One of the most strategic places you can put in your keywords are your page titles. These title provide information about your content’s topic to the search engine robots therefore making it easier for them to rank. Use primary keywords when creating your page titles. What are primary keywords? These are the terms that you are aiming to get a high ranking in.

In your content, you also want to use your primary keywords within your headings. You can use h1, h2 and h3 tags for your sub headings while making your primary keywords bold. These techniques give the search engine an easier time in figuring out what your topic is and can result in a higher ranking.

It can be intimidating for anyone at first to dive into the world of SEO. It’s a good thing that there are many online resources that can give you a clearer idea of what SEO is. There is plenty of help out there when it comes to practicing tricks and techniques for effective online marketing. You just need to know where to look. If you are new to SEO, you can check out Guides and Articles for more practical guides on how can you start your SEO journey today.