SEO FAQ #1: What is SEO?

Do you want better search rankings, more website visitors, and greater impact for your Christian church, school ministry or business?

Search engine optimization (SEO) can help make that happen.

But SEO can mean a lot of different things, therefore…

We kick off our new SEO Frequently Asked Questions (SEO FAQs) series with SEO FAQ #1: What is SEO? by talking about 7 Key Aspects of SEO

(The article below is a summary of the video, but you’ll get more details and examples if you watch the video.)

What is SEO?

First and foremost, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.

It encompasses a range of tasks and strategies aimed at boosting a website’s ranking in search engines when users search for specific keywords or phrases. But why do we do this? It’s simple – we want more people to discover a website, click on its search listings, and visit it. The ultimate goal is to increase a website’s visibility and, subsequently, its traffic.

SEO is a multifaceted field, and it’s impossible to cover all aspects of it in a single video. So, I’ll provide an overview here, and then we’ll devote an entire article and video to each of the…

7 Key Aspects of Good SEO

1. Technical SEO

This involves ensuring that a website is easily read by search engines, loads quickly, and can be properly indexed.

Without good technical SEO, your website could be excluded or penalized by search engines. For more, see What is Technical SEO?

2. Keyword Research

Keyword research is the foundation of SEO. It’s the process of identifying and selecting the right keywords that will drive the right audience to your website.

Without keyword research, you’re just guessing at the best keywords to target, and as a result could end up targeting keywords that no one is searching for or that your website has no chance of ranking well for. For more, see What is Keyword Research?

3. On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization comprises the adjustments and enhancements made directly to your website’s content and structure to improve its search engine rankings.

Usually, when people hear “SEO,” this is what they think of, but there is more to on-page SEO than you may realize, including Google’s ongoing quest to measure quality through E-E-A-T.  For more, see What is On-Page Optimization?

4. Link Building

Link building focuses on getting other reputable websites to link to your site. These backlinks are crucial for improving your website’s authority and search rankings.

If your SEO focuses exclusively on on-page optimization and you neglect link building, you will only be able to rank well for low-competition, low-traffic keywords. For more, see What is Link Building? (Backlinks)

5. Content Marketing

Content marketing involves creating valuable articles, videos, and other content that not only engages your audience but also ranks well in search engines.

Content marketing is super-important if you want to continuously to expand your reach because each piece of content can be optimized for new keywords, attract new links, and connect with new people. For more, see What is Content Marketing?

6. Local SEO

Local SEO is vital for locally-focused organizations like churches, schools, and local businesses. It helps them rank higher in local search results, including map listings and local packs.

Getting listed in the local search results and maps doesn’t happen automatically or by accident. You actually have to register, verify, and optimize with each map/local search engine. For more, see What is Local SEO?

7. Reporting, Monitoring, and Maintenance

What do you think would happen if you took off in an airplane that had no reporting (cockpit dashboard), no one monitoring or making adjustments (pilot), and no maintenance? I think we both know it wouldn’t end well.

This ongoing aspect of SEO is often overlooked, but is crucial for measuring SEO results, identifying SEO problems, and adapting to changes in search algorithms. For more, see Do I Need an Ongoing SEO Service?

To sum it up…

SEO is doing everything necessary to get your website ranking as high as possible in the search results for your targeted keywords.

If you’re going to do your own SEO, understanding these seven aspects of SEO is crucial  because you don’t want to overlook anything.

Or if you are hiring an SEO company, understanding these seven aspects of SEO is also important because no two SEO services are identical. You want to be able to understand what aspects of SEO you will be getting with each proposal.

If you feel like you have a lot to learn, don’t worry… we’ll be taking a closer look at each of these aspects in our upcoming videos.

Want to talk with a professional SEO?

Got SEO questions? Want want to investigate what it might look like to work with a professional SEO? We’d love to talk with you about church SEO or Christian SEO for your business, school or ministry.

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