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Search Engine Optimization in a Nutshell for Ottawa Business Owners

5 MINUTES TO READ
Search Engine Optimization in a Nutshell for Ottawa Business Owners

SEO is about optimizing your website to drive traffic through search. SEO is the foundation for a strong online presence and digital marketing strategy for Ottawa businesses. You can pay for clicks, banner ads, social media posts and links, but without a good website that uses SEO as its base, none of those marketing techniques will pay off.  

What does SEO stand for? 

SEO stands for search engine optimization. In a nutshell, SEO is about how a search engine ranks web pages when a user searches for information. The algorithms that determine rankings are very complex, which makes many people think SEO is too complicated. It’s important to remember that with SEO, the key is focusing on things you can control about your website. Producing high-quality content, using backlinks, and creating authority around your brand are just a few things you can do to support strong SEO.  

Which is better, SEO or PPC? 

PPC stands for pay-per-click. It’s a form of advertising that can get your website noticed by users. SEO is organic search. You can’t pay to get your site listed at the top of the rankings. PPC isn’t necessarily better than SEO, nor is SEO better than PPC. PPC campaigns can drive immediate traffic for a special sale or to gain new customers. SEO is the long-term viability of your website to maintain your customer base and sales. 

Where do I start with an SEO strategy? 

A good SEO strategy has many factors, so we think it’s important to start with an analysis of your current site to see what’s working and what isn’t. Then, we define your goals to optimize your site to work on meeting your goals. SEO isn’t a one-time effort. It’s an ongoing process of constantly adding elements to your site that make it more easily searchable and valuable to searchers. Download wsi ebook

What are the most important elements of SEO? 

SEO consists of many elements, from keywords to backlinks, authority, and relevance. Search engines are also concerned about user experience when it comes to rankings, so you can’t be solely focused on stuffing keywords into your digital content. Technical SEO is concerned about optimizing your website more than content, but specifically about the details that help the search engine index your site.   

What are SEO backlinks? 

Backlinks are links to your website from other sites. When it comes to SEO for your Ottawa business, you want reputable websites to link to your site, because quality matters. Backlinks are a cornerstone of SEO, because quality backlinks demonstrate authority in your industry. To gain backlinks, you need to start with a professionally designed and strategically optimized website that is worth linking to. Invest in high-quality content that supports your SEO strategy. Backlinks will come your way.  

How does user experience fit into SEO? 

Search engines are in the business of organizing information for its users. When a search engine ranks your site for a user, they want the user to have a good experience on your site. Search engines measure user experience by how much time people spend on your site reading other pages. User experience is about how easy it is to navigate through your site. You can’t afford to ignore user experience when you’re trying to make your site more SEO-friendly.  

What role does content play in SEO? 

WSIOttawa Q1 Inner SEO For Ottawa Business Owners

Content is probably the most important aspect of SEO and the one thing you have the most control over. Content holds your keywords and provides relevance to the user. Stuffing random keywords into your content isn’t helpful to the user, so it can actually hurt your SEO strategy. When you create content, keep your targeted keywords in mind, but also keep your audience in mind. Creating high-quality content that is focused on what the user needs, will help you improve online rankings.  

If SEO constantly changes, how can I make sure I’m keeping up? 

Search engines change SEO rules and algorithms to keep up with how users search. If you have an SEO strategy that focuses on building a quality website with relevant and useful information to the user, you’re going to rank as you build an audience. When the SEO landscape does change, it usually isn’t so dramatically that you’ll need to overhaul your website; provided you have a solid foundation at the start. Working with a good SEO agency in Ottawa and across Canada will help you to keep your eye on SEO best practices and make tweaks to your strategy as needed.  

How long will it take to see results with SEO? 

SEO is not a quick process. You likely won’t start to see results for four to six months, because it takes time for search engines to index your pages and changes to move you up in the rankings. When you increase the effort in your SEO strategy, it’s not only about updating content and getting more links. You also need to support your SEO by driving traffic to your site.  

How can I fix my old pages to make them more SEO-friendly?  

Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer to updating your old pages. It simply depends on the gaps you identify where your SEO strategy isn’t working. You may need to perform an SEO audit to determine your best course of action. In an SEO audit, you analyze your website to see what’s working and what isn’t. This can help you create actionable steps to boost your SEO strategy toward your business objectives.  

Define SEO Success for Your Business  

SEO strategies need to be tailored to fit your goals and needs. If you aren’t getting results from your content and search engine marketing for your Ottawa business, it could be from many different factors. Instead of giving up on SEO or thinking that it is too complex, improve your strategy with a robust content marketing plan. WSI eStrategies in Ottawa can help your business improve its digital marketing strategy. Contact us to get started.

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