How You Can Become an Expert at SEO
It’s only human nature to want to gain as much knowledge as possible about certain topics of interest. If your goal is to connect with potential customers searching for what you have to offer online, you should focus your efforts on trying to become an SEO specialist. This may seem like a massively difficult task, but there are some steps you can take to become fairly well versed in search engine optimization. Here’s some great advice from the industry experts at Saba SEO, a renowned San Diego SEO agency.
Understand Search Engines
Google, Bing, and other search engines essentially work by using algorithms and a series of factors to determine how online content will be presented. In your quest to become an SEO specialist, it can be helpful to brush up on:
• Google’s top ranking factors
• Mobile friendliness—this is what matters most to top search engines today
• The technical aspects of SEO that help search engines understand various webpages (e.g., meta descriptions, sitemaps, website security, schema markup, etc.)
Know How Marketing Is Done Online
The way you approach SEO depends on how you prefer to interact with your target audience online. Online marketing and Internet marketing are broad terms that encompass many forms of online engagement. The most common one is your website and its various webpages. Additional SEO techniques need to be implemented if your marketing plan will also involve:
• Social media marketing
• Organic or paid ads
• Search engine marketing—the steps taken to make links back to your content more visible on search engine results pages (SERPs)
• Email marketing
• Banner advertising
Learn What SEO Involves
Keywords are a big part of SEO, but that’s not all you need to know to become a search engine optimization specialist. You should have enough knowledge about the various aspects of SEO to put together a comprehensive plan that covers all your bases. The important components include:
• On-page SEO—what’s done on your website
• Off-page SEO—the steps you take outside your site to attract attention to your website’s content
• Technical SEO—what you do to make your website crawlable
Use the Right SEO Tools
There are many handy tools at your disposal—some free, and some requiring a fee—that can be used to research keywords, keep tabs on competitors, spot and fix technical and on-page SEO errors, and track your optimization results. Some of the most common and popular ones include:
• Google Analytics (GA)
• Google’s Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools)
• SEMrush—an all-in-one SEO resource that allows you to do useful things like check up on competitors, monitor social media engagement, plan PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns, and find relevant keywords
• Ahrefs—an excellent backlinks analyzer that offers other useful functions
Keep Up with SEO Changes
Once you’ve gained a basic knowledge of the aspects of SEO that matter most to you, don’t lose focus. Pay attention to changes in trends and major search engine updates. The last thing you want is to be left on the sidelines as SEO evolves to meet the needs and expectations of online searchers.
Because SEO encompasses so many different elements, you may still need to turn to professional optimization experts to get some assistance with the finer points of SEO. However, it never hurts to brush up on your own skills as you make an effort to keep both real searchers and search engines happy.
If you need help with learning more about using SEO for your business, call on the experts at Saba SEO. Our team of SEO specialists can create an SEO strategy to increase your online rankings. As a leading SEO company in San Diego, we have over ten years of experience in search engine optimization, content development, web design, and social media management. To talk to one of our professional SEO Managers, give us a call at 858-277-1717.