How to Improve Your SEO to Improve Your Marketing Results

Most promotional products distributors are aware that showing up on search results is important to the long-term growth and sustainability of their business. However, few give it proper attention, if any at all, or they search for solutions but end up overwhelmed by information overload.

There are more than 400 ranking factors that fall into one of three types. Not all factors carry the same weight, which can change over time as Google keeps changing how it values each. But there are certain factors that have become stronger with each Google algorithm update, and those are the ones we’ll address below within the three types of SEO. The idea is to create an SEO tactical plan that mixes all three types.

The 3 Types of SEO

1. On-Page SEO

On-page SEO relates to the content on your website. It encompasses both the content that's actually on your pages, as well as the titles and descriptions you provide for the search engines.

Optimizing each individual page on a website helps search engines understand the topic of your site and determine if it's a good match for a particular search term.

This type of SEO includes:

• Keyword research: Finding the best keywords to target on a page of content
• Content creation: Publishing high-quality content focused on target keywords
• Keyword optimization: Using the target keyword in all the right places.

There are a variety of tools to help with all aspects of on-page SEO for keyword research and content creation. Some are free, such as the ones provided by Google. The top Google tools are the Adwords Keyword Planner and the Search Console. The Keyword Planner helps find search volume, competition, and other keyword references. The Search Console shows you the keywords your site ranks for, traffic, and allows you to check that your pages are indexed by Google. Outside of Google’s tools, there is Ubersuggest, a free handy tool to find long-tail keyword ideas based on searches to find relevant, popular keywords to target on your site.

The point is to cross-reference the information on these tools for better data, and not just stick to one, because none of them provides all the information in one place, nor is 100 percent accurate.

2. Technical SEO

Technical SEO relates to non-content elements of your website.

It has to do with a site’s backend structure and foundation. Technical SEO tactics look to improve a site’s readability. This is important for two reasons: to make it easy for search engines to crawl and understand your site, and to provide a good user experience. Improving user experience is mission-critical these days. It’s not only important for visitors to stay on your site and convert, but it also sends signals to Google as far as the quality of the site, based on traffic and engagement.

The types of SEO included in this category relate to:

• Site speed
• Mobile-friendliness
• Indexing
• Crawlability
• Site architecture
• Structured data
• Security

An easy way to check on the state of your technical SEO is by using Google Search Console. This should be done on a monthly basis.

3. Off-Site SEO

Off-page SEO relates to your website’s reputation and authority.

It includes techniques to help strengthen the influence and relationship your website has with other websites. This helps search engines see that it’s an ideal search result because it’s from a reputable, reliable, trusted source.

Most off-site SEO relates to high-quality backlinks. A large volume of links pointing to your site from relevant, authoritative sites shows search engines that your site is valuable and established. You can gain these trust signals through a variety of link-building and guest-posting tactics.

When creating a link-building plan you must avoid black hat tactics at all costs, such as buying backlinks and link exchanges.

Another important off-site SEO factor is online reviews. The more positive reviews a website has, the more trustworthy it will be for search engines. The most important reviews are the ones on your Google My Business page, but reviews on other sites such as Yelp and Facebook also contribute to strengthening your site reputation.

You Need All Three Types

To create an SEO plan that leads to real results, you need to include all three types. Focusing on just one group of ranking factors won’t do. In order to give your site the best chance at showing up in searches, you need to use these different types of SEO in conjunction with each other, and also monitor and tweak on an ongoing basis.

In conclusion, your SEO plan needs to include keyword-based content, user experience improvements, and reputation and authority building for a well-rounded optimization plan.

For more inbound marketing information specific to the promo business, visit the Resources section of ActionMarketingCo.com.

This article was originally published on Action Marketing and has been updated for publication here.