This blog post was last updated: 23/03/24.
If you are not overly familiar with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and what it really is about, we have provided an analogy. See below.
Here is the Analogy:
Firstly, consider someone with expertise in their field. It’s fair to say someone who is a recognised authority in a particular field tends to make more money than an amateur, or those not as well recognised. One reason for this is because an expert is more likely to be recommended by others.
Let’s think about this expert for a minute: What are some of the qualifications that make this person an expert in your eyes?
Some of your answers would include:
- Years of experience in a field
- Great recommendations from others
- Endorsements from top industry experts
- Trusted by others
- Depth, breadth, and quality of their knowledge
SEO is just like that. It’s the work that goes into making your website an authority in the eyes of search engines like Google and Bing. This means that these search engines will “recommend” your website and its webpages, blog posts/articles and landing pages to its users (to those who use Google), by ranking your website and its pages higher than your competitors in the results pages. This especially applies for keyword phrases you are targeting and related phrases (search queries).
Just like becoming seen as an expert in the real world, SEO requires both time, effort and real work. No one becomes an expert overnight, and certainly not without working at it. [1]
Right now, as far as Google is concerned, if you have not worked with REAL SEO Experts or learned (and implemented) ALL you need to know about DIY SEO (and there is a LOT to know and learn), your website is being seen as a ‘first-year apprentice’ by Google. Therefore, Google isn’t going to reward/ recommend it… YET.
Consider the Analogy and turn your website into an ‘expert’:
Our job as SEO Experts is to turn your website into a really great representative of your business. It needs to convince people (website visitors) that you and your business are:
- Experts in your field
- Popular and spoken well of
- Trusted
Always remember: Anyone can say anything about themselves on a website; it is the proof and trust-based signals that back these claims up that count. There are MANY ways to add proof and trust into your website. When done correctly Google and Bing will see this… and so will your website visitors (including potential new customers).
Some of the things you can add to your website that add ‘proof’ and ‘trust’ are:
- Industry licenses, certifications
- Industry recognition including awards
- Case studies
- Buyer reviews
- Customer testimonials
- Video testimonials
- Before and after photos (and also progress photos)
- Excellent and well-written useful blog content
- Useful information that shows you are an expert
- Replying to comments posted in your blog articles. Including providing great answers to questions they ask
- Podcasts and Vodcasts
There are also heaps more!
If you want to learn how to do SEO yourself:
Updated on 16/09/23: If you want to start learning how to do effective SEO work yourself, here is where to start:
- Watch the video at the bottom of this blog post
- Then visit this page of my website, read its content and watch the other videos on that page
- Then do all the MOZ Academy Training
- Then do the SEMRush Academy Training
- Then do the HubSpot SEO training. Some of it is here
- Contact us if you would like us to help train you. We provide coaching and training
Note: SEO takes years to learn how to do it correctly. I am talking about daily study and learning for at least 3 years (and then some). I have been doing SEO work since before 2005. It is one of the core services that we, at Green Valley Digital, provide our clients… so they don’t have to worry about investing years into learning it for themselves.
When comparing your website to your competition, here are just some of the things Google and the other Search Engines look at when determining keyphrase ranking order. Note: the below list is NOT in order of importance:
- Relevance
- Reputation
- Popularity
- Authority
- Trust
- End-user Experience
Definitely watch the below video if you would like to know more about this.
Contact us if you have questions, would like more information and/or would like to engage us to do SEO work for you.
- The SEO Analogy we’ve chosen to use (adapt) in this page was first published here http://www.sitepoint.com/how-to-explain-seo-to-a-sixth-grader/ on June 12, 2013.
Jay Daniells has been doing advanced Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) work for clients since 2010. He is an SEO specialist. He first started doing SEO work in 2005. He has also been creating websites full-time since 2003. Amongst things Jay is also a graphic designer, digital marketing consultant and creative person. His focus is helping businesses, community groups, clubs, charities, organisations and other entities achieve their goals. He is the owner of Green Valley Digital.