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Demystifying SEO in Five Steps

Miguel Guinard • Mar 11, 2020
This week's tips will help you understand the basics of Search Engine Optimization and how it works in 2020. I will share direct links to the sources so that you can expand your knowledge.

SEO is not a superpower that only the "gurus" can apply. If you understand what helps you optimize your site, you can focus your efforts, and if you love this stuff, do it yourself. You will also know if someone is trying to sell you.

There are only three correct ways to show up on the first page of search results. Spending money in ads, applying the tips below, and regularly scheduled and engaging content. Any other effort to "trick" the system will get your site demoted or removed.  

Ads will get you in front immediately if you know the keywords that will benefit your business. The rest will take some but will get you to the top organically. 

Here are the five steps in order of importance:

  • Secure your website
  • Claim local business profiles
  • Create or update your site to mobile-first web design
  • Optimize your site for speed on mobile and Desktop
  • Create fresh content to drive traffic to your site.

1-Secure your website

Search engines will not trust your site if you don't have a secure connection. You can check this by the "lock" symbol on your browser or the "s" at the beginning of the URL (https://)

A security certificate is the easiest to implement, and it is very inexpensive. You can purchase one from your domain registrar, such as GoDaddy, NameCheap, etc. 

Your web designer or webmaster can implement one for you for free in most cases.

2-Claim local business profiles

When you are looking for a local business, the first search engine results are the business profiles. 

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP! Why?

Because getting your business registered in Google My Business, Bing Places of Business, Google Maps, Apple maps, etc. require verification via mailer and domain code.

When properly set up, search engines know that your business is legit and, therefore, will show the map results right away.

I wrote the article Three tools to help you take control of your information online. This article includes links to Google, Bing, and Yahoo business tools.

3-Create or update your site to mobile-first web design

Google determines the rules in search optimization, with 70% of market share worldwide. Their algorithm for the past two years only indexes sites through mobile websites. They recommend that your site use responsive design so that the content looks good on any screen. 

The reason for prioritizing the mobile platform is because of smartphones. Most online interactions start on the smartphone. 

4-Optimize your site for speed on mobile and Desktop

Since search engines are only indexing sites optimized for mobile, the website experience must load fast. Smartphones rely on internet connections that vary in speed and signal coverage. If someone is left hanging waiting for a site to load, it's going to frustrate the user and encourage them to do another search and avoiding your website.

If you are in the process of creating or updating a website, you must create a site with a mobile score of 70+. Test a few times to make sure you get the correct analysis. The desktop equivalent must have a rating of 90+. The tool will give you suggestions on how to improve your speed.

Make sure you use the secure site address "https://www.domain.com." Redirects slow down sites but, as long as the main site is fast, you won't be affected.


Tip: if you are looking for web designers, test their site speed to see if they are up to date.

5-Create fresh content to drive traffic to your site.

Once all the above tips are in place, this part is crucial. You need to engage your audience and potential clients via a blog. I recommend that you write articles and give tips to your audience at least once a week. 

Search engines love to index compelling articles that match the title and have at least 600 words. You can write shorter articles in between long ones with tips that are faster to read and encourage your visitors to spend more time on your site.

Fresh content lets the search engine know that your site is active, and that is providing helpful information. 

Remember that the number one job of a search engine is to provide you with the most trustworthy results as fast as possible.

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