Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process that extends way beyond rankings. Yes, choosing keywords, adding them to your website, and monitoring rankings is part of that, but search engines have evolved. "Optimization" also means making sure you take every advantage of every listing type and feature search engines offer.
SEO: Rich Results & Structured Data OptimizationIf you conduct a Google search right now, chances are you'll find a lot more than just website listings. You'll no doubt see paid ads among the listings, but depending on the search, you're also going to display images, products, questions and answers, star ratings, pricing, booking info, product pages and all kind of other results. These are called, "rich results," and they are traffic magnets.
Once in a while, Google will discover rich results that apply to your website and display your website as a "featured snippet" or "people also ask" result. However, you don't have to cross your fingers and depend on luck. There is a mechanism called "
structured data" that allows us to directly influence how your website will be displayed. Most SEO agencies or webmasters simply generate
structured data code and paste it into your website. No, no, no... Structured data is FAR too important for that. We'll provide much more detail in a future blog post, but no other Reno SEO agency has the level of SEO expertise or the tools that we've developed.
Keyword Stuffing is a BIG NoKeyword stuffing is what it sounds like, that is cramming your target search phrase into your page in every possible place you can. That includes headings and anchors, repeatedly throughout the page copy, you name it. Anytime you read a webpage that overuses a term, you can safely assume it's keyword stuffing.
The keyword stuffing approach to SEO doesn’t work very well. Actually, sometimes it does for a while, but search engines are sophisticated and when keyword stuffing hurts you, it can hurt a lot. Search engines analyze hundreds, even thousands of signals related to your website. These include what's on your website itself, as well as offsite factors and user metrics, to determine exactly what your website is about, along with how much your visitors care about what you present. There’s also a local search engine optimization component, which can be managed in part through your Google Business Profile.
The Secret to SEO
Everybody wants to know the secret to SEO. SEO, in theory, isn’t complicated at all. Basically, you just need to have the most relevant website or individual page for the keyword, or keywords, that is the subject of the search. The challenge is, there are thousands of factors and they change frequently.
