If you answered yes, you should focus on search engine optimization.
The principles of search engine optimization apply in many search engines.
Search engine optimization continues to be a topic of discussion among digital marketers year after year, but what is it, how is it implemented, and why should it be focused on?
Search engines have become tireless knowledge banks in every home, providing answers (or at least attempting to find answers) to virtually anything. As surfers fire up search phrases, search engines sometimes act as doctors, parenting advisors, or recipe banks. In the jungle of search results that pop up on consumers' screens, it is crucial to be the service provider whose solutions are found on the first page of search results, and preferably among the top three results. An old joke among search engine optimizers says it all: the best place to hide is on the second page of Google.
Search engines, to the best of their ability, try to match demand and supply. Good search engines want to earn the user's trust and therefore do not want to direct them to poor information, but to the best possible. Even if no significant attention has been paid to the search engine optimization of your website so far, there is no need to worry: it's still a good starting point to push towards the top ranks of search results from the second page (or even further). At this point, search engine optimization comes into play.
What? - Search engine optimization is improving web content
Search engine optimization, or SEO, involves creating or modifying a company's website content so that the site ranks as high as possible in search engine results. SEO can only influence organic search results, not paid advertisements. Google's search algorithm is influenced by over 200 factors, and Google frequently makes changes to its algorithm, so there is no one absolute and only correct way to achieve top placements on the results page.
SEO was long considered a secretive task of the IT department, and it was believed that content producers had no opportunity to influence it. Today, the situation is somewhat different, and in many companies, search engine optimization is a natural part of the content production process.
Search engine optimization refers to the creation of user-friendly web content while also taking into account several technical aspects. SEO is generally divided into three topics:
- Website technical features (speed, responsiveness, code quality...)
- Website content (quality of text, length, interactivity...)
- Website reputation (linking, content sharing...)
When implementing search engine optimization, all these factors together mean better content, a better user experience, more visitors, more social shares, more external links – and, through these, better rankings in search results.
How? – Every content creator is a search engine optimizer
Every content producer who writes for the web should pay attention to the factors that affect search engine optimization. Not everyone needs to be an SEO professional, but understanding and implementing certain basics is important.
Although website content is accessed through search engines, it should not be created solely with search engines in mind. Search engines value natural, human-oriented text that is interesting, enjoyable, and shareable, with links. However, in naturally written text that includes content elements (videos, images, tables...), it is still necessary to consider some principles of search engine optimization.
What should you do for search engine optimization and where to start?
Keyword Research: The first step is to conduct keyword research to identify which search terms related to your industry people use to find information in search engines.
Situation Analysis: Based on the keyword research, conduct a situation analysis of your current search engine visibility.
Setting Goals for SEO: Set specific goals for your search engine optimization efforts and define the actions needed to achieve them.
Review and Measure Results: The results achieved should be regularly reviewed and measured, which will form the basis for defining new actions.
Search engine optimization is not a one-time project; content needs to be continuously measured and improved.
Many website templates nowadays are largely automated in terms of SEO. Writers may not need to make significant efforts to get the technical elements of an SEO-optimized page (title, h1 headings, meta descriptions) in place. This kind of possibly unconscious "search engine optimization" can sometimes work by chance, but almost always, to reach the top search positions, effort is required. So-called automated search engine optimization is sufficient for achieving the best search results only in very rare cases.
Content Producer – Know at least this about search engine optimization:
- Choose a Keyword for Each Web Content: Select a keyword that people actually use to search for information relevant to your field.
- Incorporate the Keyword Strategically: Include the keyword in your article's title, main headline, at least one subheading, one image caption, and throughout the body text.
- Unique Content and Keywords: Ensure that both the keyword and the related content are as unique as possible to avoid duplicate content on your pages.
- Add a Meta Description: Create a meta description that entices users to click on your search result.
- Include Forward-Leading Links: Add at least one forward-leading link in your article that is underlined within the text.
I also recommend focusing on the following:
- Write Long Texts: Keep the content long while staying on topic (preferably over 1000 words).
- Enrich Your Content: Enhance your content with videos, images, tables, polls, etc.
- Pay Attention to Social Shareability: Optimize content for easy sharing on social media platforms.
Why? - SEO brings more visitors to your pages
If you are not yet convinced why web texts should be optimized for search engines, consider these points:
The numerous keywords and phrases typed into search engines have one thing in common: the search is always driven by a need for information, products, or services. Optimized content has the advantage of serving the consumer at the perfect moment. If your business has a solution that fits the searched need, then it's a prime opportunity to seize.
As mentioned earlier, few people browse beyond the first page of search results. Companies on the top ranks are often perceived as leaders in their industry and are trusted more. Why give your competitors a clear advantage in an area where you can make a difference?
If your business organizes the "National Coin Toss Championships," wouldn't you want people searching for this phrase to land on your event's page rather than another source's? Similarly, the person searching hopes to find the official and original pages of the event. It's a win-win situation!
Once again... Much of search engine optimization is within the company's control, so it's definitely worth investing in the benefits it brings. It's better to try doing things somewhat correctly than not doing anything at all.
SEO Briefly:
- What is it? – SEO is improving web content.
- How is it done? – Everyone creating text for the web should optimize their content.
- Why is it done? – SEO brings more visitors and the right customers to your pages.
Keep in mind that about 15% of daily searches on Google are new—meaning new combinations of words, new ways of expressing things, new words, etc. This impressive figure requires marketers to deeply understand their customers' behaviors and language and to continuously respond to it. Even if some industry keywords are highly competitive, new keywords and phrases await eager optimizers to put them to use.
Finally, I challenge especially those who have not yet optimized their content to think about the five most important keywords in their industry and check the ranking of their own pages in search results for these keywords (preferably using an incognito window to prevent past visits from distorting results). Whether you are positively or negatively surprised, it's worth considering SEO as part of your digital marketing efforts moving forward.
Remember, the most important aspect of SEO is that the quality of the site's content is key! Platforms like WisePlatform offer an excellent base for producing high-quality, rich, and easily shareable web content, which is also easy to optimize for search engines.
Jose Laaksonen
Manager / WiseEvent
Jose Laaksonen is a seasoned professional in event production with a rich background in organizing exhibitions and producing concerts. He has managed a wide array of events, from traditional horse races to various cultural events including exhibitions and concerts. At WiseNetwork, he continues to leverage his extensive experience to enhance event management solutions.