Does Getting a Website Mean You Get SEO?

Does getting a website mean you get SEO? As it turns out, the answer depends on what you do after you get your new site.

As a business owner, you probably already know the importance of having an online presence. If you have a website, the thinking goes, you’ll be found easily by people who search for your service. But even with a new website, you may find that your search engine rankings are still low – and you may not show up on the first page of Google results. Why is that?

Because having a website is not enough. You can have a brand spanking new website with all the bells and whistles and still not be found by your prospective customers. 

A new website isn’t the answer to all of your problems. Of course, an updated site is a huge benefit. But many you need good search engine optimization (SEO) as well. You need to optimize your website to rise in search rankings on the major search engines like Google and Bing. In order to do that, you need to implement both on-page and off-page SEO techniques to rank well in Google’s search engine result pages (SERPs). 

What is On-Page SEO?

Some of the best practices for on-page SEO include incorporating keywords that your target market uses in their online searches. In addition, you should create the kind of content that they want to see.

For example, if you’re a dental clinic, you might want to incorporate keywords like “dental clinic near me” or “dental clinic in Chattanooga” in your text. Why? Because they have a high search volume. Many people type those phrases in Google when searching.

You can also use Google to search for topics. Try typing “dental clinic” in the search box. At the bottom of the first page, the search engine will provide clues about the kind of content people have been searching for.

Based on these suggestions, you can come up with a webpage that highlights your affordable services. In addition, you may write a blog post about how to get cheap dental care.

You also need to optimize your title, images, and headings to make Google take notice of your website. The more relevant “ingredients” your content has, the more Google will include your site in its top search results. 

What is Off-Page SEO?

Off-page SEO happens outside of your website. “Backlinking” is a popular off-page SEO tactic. It is the process of establishing links on authoritative websites that link back to your website so that Google deems it trustworthy.

In addition, other off-page activities can include guest blogging, social networking, influencer outreach, and many more.

SEO is a Continuous Process

As you can see, in order to gain high rankings in Google, you need to continue working once your new site is in place. Either you, or a representative, should keep writing relevant content. It takes effort to rise in rankings and gain more business through Google searches. SEO is not a sprint, but a marathon.

In order to get noticed online, not only do you need to be visible in the search engine results pages, but you also need to remain visible.

Once you start implementing SEO strategies to your website, you may see a sudden boost in your rankings. However, this will plateau or drop off if you don’t do anything else.

For this reason, your website needs a regular SEO audit to check and optimize the existing webpages and blog posts. If this is a tiresome task, you can obtain the help of an SEO agency to do the legwork for you. If you do, you can remain relevant – on top of the search engine results.