SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can be a complex and ever-changing beast. However, with the right tools and approach, it can be conquered. ブレンダ・クローショー, SEO expert and CEO of The Crawshaw group, demystifies SEO strategy.

What is new about SEO, and how can it help my business? 

SEO is about getting the spotlight on your content in a new way. There’s a bigger focus on intent, meaning small business owners can get the same degree of attention and love as big companies. Therefore, if you want to get your content out there and get those spotlights on it, you’ll get served up with the same level of admiration from bots as others.

What are hidden things I should look for in SEO? 

Technical SEO is very important. Google rolled out its Core Web Vitals when they introduced mobile-first indexing. This means that they look at how your website renders on a mobile device and make their decisions about your website based on that. 

I’m not very technical. What can I do on my website?

If you’re doing it by yourself, it’s going to be a little tricky to figure out, but the most important things that negatively affect people’s Core Web Vitals are:

• Image size: Optimize your images for web performance and make them small in file size without losing any resolution. 

• Interstitials: remove any popups and image carousels. Instead of a popup for email, put it as a sticky or an exit pop-up, that won’t slow down your speed.

What is the core of SEO?

SEO is still about keywords, but now it’s about very specific and highly relevant keywords. Don’t be afraid of zero-volume keywords. If your content is just information, don’t use a keyword that says “buy” or “get.” If you want them to buy, use that keyword to tell them where they can pick it up.

How much will it cost to hire someone instead of doing it myself?

It depends on what stage of your SEO process and how much you are willing to invest. It can be from a few dollars a month to a couple of thousand dollars, which can be too much for a small business.

How can I pick the right keywords? 

It depends on your content! Find something relevant to the conversation that you’re having with your reader, and determine which keyword is going to resonate the strongest with them. Then you will need to balance the volume against the difficulty score. For beginners, it’s best to find keywords with high volume and low difficulty scores.

How long will it take to get to the first page of Google?

It depends on many things. On-page SEO is one piece of a constellation of factors that go into whether your site is going to perform well for the search engines. You will be overlooked if you don’t meet the technical thresholds, such as site speed. Your site’s authority and trustworthiness are also very important, but they can take time to build.

Should I pay for backlinks?

No! Paying for backlinks is a really bad idea. Google could catch on to it and flag your site. Therefore, it will have the opposite effect.

I can’t get enough backlinks. What should I do?

A great alternative is interlinking. Interlinking is when you create “backlinks” within your website. For example, if you have a food blog, link similar recipes and related articles within your blog post.