A Beginner’s Guide to SEO

Sep 18, 2020

It doesn’t matter how big or small your business is, what you sell, or how you sell it (online or in a physical location) search engine optimization is a digital marketing tool that you can’t ignore. SEO is what sends internet traffic to your website through organic, non-paid sources like search engines such as Google or Bing.

How SEO Works

To understand the basics of how SEO works, consider how you use search engines. You enter a keyword or phrase, and you get results in the form of a list of websites that are relevant to your search terms. Search engines — and especially Google — offer up these results based on algorithms and rank results on the level of relevance. These algorithms factor in a handful of elements, like the popularity of websites according to visitor traffic, exact and close keyword matches, and the overall quality of the content on the website.

The Importance of SEO

More of your customers than ever are online now, and they’re becoming accustomed to getting the answers they want quickly and with ease. Leveraging SEO strategies means you will drastically improve the odds that your website shows up early on in search results and edges out the competition. SEO also helps you build and maintain a site that visitors want to keep looking at, with content that answers questions and lets them know how you can solve their myriad problems.

Understanding the Different Types of SEO

SEO is many things, but what it’s not is static — you need to work hard on a consistent basis to keep up with trends and algorithm changes. On-page SEO is what you do to build relevancy on your website pages with content that searchers connect with. Off-page SEO is how you promote your website on other areas of the internet, like guest blogs, link building, podcasting, and social media posts. Technical SEO is a complex process that you should outsource to pros and includes strategies like creating separate pages for keywords and optimizing image tags to help search engines better “crawl” or assess the structure.

Improving Your SEO

What makes SEO a great digital marketing strategy is that there are several approaches you can take without overspending. The list below is just a snapshot of what can be done to increase your online reach and improve your business website visibility. If these are tasks that you’re not comfortable with, it’s a smart idea to outsource the work to a team of pros — like our marketing experts here at Cole Dalton.

On-Page SEO Techniques

Content optimization is the best and most effective way to optimize your website. It begins with keyword research — make a list of the words and phrases that closely correspond with the products, services, and location information for your business. This is all highly relevant and creates connections within search results by potential customers. Use these keywords and phrases in copy like blog posts, FAQ pages, product listings, and service descriptions. Other on-page strategies include a quickly loading website, fully functioning internal links, mobile-friendly and responsive layouts, and easy navigability.

Off-Page SEO Techniques

Search engines love to see that other trusted, reputable sites are linking to yours; it translates directly to a boost in rankings. This is commonly referred to as link building, and can happen through guest blog posts, thought leadership copy, and podcast transcripts that include information about (and a link to) your business. When search engines like Google see that you’re building these online relationships, they reward that effort. Conversely, link farms and spammy directory sites aren’t well-liked by search engines and appearing on these sites will result in a penalty.

Technical SEO Techniques

As briefly mentioned before, crawling is how search engines assess your website during a search and decide whether or not to feed it to internet users in results. Taking steps to index your website pages, marking up your schema, performing canonicalization, and more are all including under the technical SEO umbrella. This is definitely something you want to leave up to a team of marketing pros that have extensive experience with web design. Think of technical SEO as the bridge that connects the human user experience and the search engine crawling process.

However you decide to tackle SEO for your website, ensure that the approach is meant for humans and not for search engines; Google is not your target demographic. If visitors to your site like what they see, search engines will pay close attention and you’ll show up higher in rankings; the more visitors you have, the odds will increase for that traffic to turn into loyal, paying customers.

The post A Beginner’s Guide to SEO appeared first on Cole Dalton.

Launching the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office New Website

16 May, 2024
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office debuted its new website at the beginning of May. Our Cole-Dalton Marketing Services (CDMS) team had the opportunity to build and design the new site. This project involved meticulous attention to detail and design with respect to user functioning and legal requirements, and we are excited about the finished product. From our work with small business owners, we know that any organization, no matter the size or which field it serves, benefits from a fast, secure, and information-driven website. Unfortunately, government agencies don't have updated websites. When citizens need assistance and direction to resources but get stuck on an outdated website, they can become discouraged and choose not to seek help. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabriel E. Gore and his office want St. Louisans to have proper access to resources; they also want to build trust with community members and pursue justice to achieve a higher level of public safety for St. Louis.

The State of Cybersecurity in 2024

09 May, 2024
What comes to mind when you think of a hacker or a digital scammer? A lone, 40-year-old man typing away at a computer monitor hunkered down in his mother's basement? An older adult who thinks she's on the phone with her granddaughter? Certainly not you? If that's your belief, it's time for a reality check. Cybercrime has increased by over 250% over the last two years, and the global cost of cybercrime is estimated to have exceeded 6 trillion dollars in 2023. The criminals behind these numbers are running highly efficient and effective operations – and many cybercrime organizations have hundreds of members/employees. The cybercrime industry intersects with international law, global politics, high-level business interests, fast-paced technological advancements, and human trafficking. While this information can be daunting, and the large-scale implications seem intangible, small business owners can't let overwhelming feelings prevent them from taking action. While many cybercrime organizations target large corporations, small businesses continue to be the most frequent victims of digital scams. The President of Moore Computing LLC, Fred Moore, recently presented "The State of Cybersecurity in 2024" to St. Louis small business owners. Let's review some of his key points and discuss the critical actions small business owners can take to safeguard their businesses, employees, assets, and their reputation. Types of Cyber Crime in 2024 Phishing Scams Phishing remains one of the most common scams affecting business owners and employees. The idea behind phishing is simple: a bad actor sends a message pretending to be someone else and prompting the recipient to reveal private information. Phishing scams are constantly evolving, with scammers designing email messages that resemble a standard email from a company, a client, or even the recipient's boss. Fred asserts that vigilance with links is vital. Be wary of any links sent in emails, especially those that ask you to share certain information. Verify the link before clicking on it. Take caution if you notice glaring spelling errors, conspicuous vocabulary, or something that needs to look right in the email's footer. It takes time to recognize these emails, and training can help. Ransomware Ransomware is one of the most detrimental cybercrimes. When cybercriminals target individuals or businesses with ransomware, a virus infects the computer system, encrypts data, and blocks the victim from accessing their information until they pay a ransom. The ramifications of a ransomware attack can be disastrous. Even if an attacked company can work with their legal team to pay the ransom or regain their data, the average downtime from a ransomware event is 21 days . When MGM Grand suffered a severe ransomware attack in 2023, getting their casinos and properties up and running took days since everything was tied to the computer system. Businesses may incur costs from the ransomware attack itself, along with costs from loss of business and reputation. Business Email Compromise Business email compromise scams are another common issue. These scams take phishing one step further, with cyber criminals hijacking email accounts. Once the bad actor can access the victim's account, they often orchestrate unauthorized fund transfers or manipulate account details. Like phishing, vigilant training and awareness are critical to lessen the chance of these attacks. Always be alert, never cut corners, and always follow company protocols to minimize risk.

Forecasting the Next Ten Years of Marketing

10 Apr, 2024
Marketing is gearing up for significant changes as we enter the new decade. With new technologies, shifts in buyer behavior, and changes in consumption culture, the way businesses reach out to customers will look very different in the coming years. While we can't say what marketing will look like in 10 years, we can examine emerging trends and strategies to forecast its future. Here are some predictions experts are suggesting could take shape moving forward. Increasing Personalized Advertising Personalized marketing should undergo even more profound transformations in the coming decade, leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics to forge deeper customer connections. With the ability to glean insights from vast amounts of data, companies will craft highly tailored ads and messages that resonate with individual preferences and behaviors, fostering stronger brand-consumer relationships. From dynamic content customization to predictive marketing algorithms, the era of hyper-personalization will redefine how businesses engage with their target audiences on a one-to-one level. Advanced Device Communication The proliferation of voice-enabled devices and virtual assistants heralds a new era in consumer engagement, requiring marketers to adapt their strategies to communicate effectively through these mediums. As voice technology continues to gain traction, companies must anticipate the rise of voice commerce and tailor their approaches to accommodate this emerging trend. By leveraging conversational AI and natural language processing, brands can deliver seamless, personalized experiences that resonate with consumers, whether shopping, seeking information, or interacting with digital assistants. Wider Use of Virtual Reality Virtual reality (VR) is poised to become a ubiquitous tool in the marketer's arsenal, offering immersive experiences that transcend traditional advertising methods. With VR, brands can transport consumers into captivating virtual environments where they can interact with products and services unprecedentedly, fostering deeper engagement and brand loyalty. As VR technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, expect to see a proliferation of immersive marketing campaigns that leverage the power of virtual experiences to captivate audiences and drive conversions.
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