• Home
  • Why a Website?
  • What Is SEO?
    • Social Media
      • Social Audit
  • What is PPC?
  • Tools
    • Referrals
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • About AVB
    • Podcasts & Guest Spots
    • Schedule w/ Me
    • Testimonials
      • Leave a Testimonial

A Visual Business

You are here: Home / blog / SEO Tips to Help You Understand & Utilize for your Biz

SEO Tips to Help You Understand & Utilize for your Biz

in blog, blogging, search engine optimization on 09/21/16

Be sure you are optimizing your website to show up in searchRecently I wrote a blog about the difference between search engine optimization and a website that is search engine friendly. It is so often that people don’t understand what search engine optimization is or they feel that their website is already optimized for search engines when in fact their website is search engine friendly meaning ready for you, the website owner, to update your website and do the SEO work. Reminder, search engine optimization is optimizing your website FOR the search engines and the consumer by creating a value-packed and user-friendly website. The consumer should be your first goal with the search engines next. That may sound easy enough and while it is, or may be, is still confusing to many and underutilized.

So I wanted to write this post to help explain what search engine optimization is and what you, the business owner can do to optimize your website to give you better chances for your website to be seen by the search engines.  Because remember, the more search engine friendly your website is the better chances of having more pages cached by the search engine spiders. The more pages that are cached, the better chances your site is available to consumers when they do a search for keywords (that you use on your site) in the search engine results page.  Keep in mind that when you optimized for the search engines, you are optimizing for them all, Google, Yahoo!, Bing, Ask.com and etc.

Here are some things YOU can do to with respect to SEO

Search engine optimization is basically having keyword rich content and meta tags so that the search engines can find out what your website is about.

  • Keyword rich content is not meant to be spammy content that is stuffed with only keywords but having valuable content that is user-friendly as well as keyword rich. The more content you have, the better due to keyword density, because you want to have a variety of keywords but not only keywords on your page
  • Meta tags such as title tags and the meta description are what show up in the search engine snippet. You want to make sure that you put the most important keywords first and make sure that it is natural.
    • Natural content and meta tags are more important than having keywords that may not be natural Utilize all aspects of SEO to be found in search enginesbecause remember, it is meant for the consumer. So if you have a sentence like – Contact a business coach Florida for help, consider how that reads. I get you want to put in your location for local help but it just sounds like crap, find another way. Ie – Contact a business coach for help with your Florida business. Remember, the consumer is the ultimate point of direction.
  • Header tags or h1, h2, h3, are tags that make the website prettier and easier for the consumer to follow or skim. They just aren’t going to read the whole blog or page. Make it easier for them to skim because they help point to what the next paragraph is about.  Header tags give some spacing and different style or formatting to the text.  If they have keywords in them it is easier for the search engines to determine what is most important about that paragraph or section and depending where it is on the page, top middle or bottom, it shares the importance even more.
  • Links are beneficial if they are internal or external because you are providing additional information to the consumer. Usually you are pointing them to a product that they can buy based on the content or more information about pieces in your blog. I have several internal links within each of my blogs sharing other blogs on certain topics as well as sharing my services, which is the ultimate goal.
  • Alt tags – hopefully you are using images on your blogs and on your website. Be sure when you save an image to your website media library, you are naming the image appropriately – explaining what the image specifically is. Then, add the alt text, otherwise known as alternative text, which tells text readers (for those that are visually impaired) what that image is.  This is also for the search engines to determine what that picture is about since they don’t read images or pdfs. This gives a great opportunity for you to optimize your images as far as keywords are concerned.
    • You will also want to be sure that your images are optimized as far as size is concerned and I’m not meaning the number pixels say 400×400 but the ultimate size that the image is after you’re done. Overly large images will cause the site to slow down which is a negative impact on your website, load speed.
SEO is necessary for your website, so you can be found in search engines. You CAN do it or outsource! #seo Click To Tweet

Hopefully this has been beneficial as the things that you can do to optimize your website and why it is highly SEO helps your website drive more traffic, eyes and visibilitynecessary for
you to do so. If you create your website and set it and forget it, the chances of you being found in search are highly unlikely.

Small business owners have it hard enough with all the extra work we have to do to compete with the big box companies so why not make it easier on yourself to compete with all other businesses as well as big box companies by optimizing your website and making sure it runs smoothly for your consumer and search engines.

Should you have any questions about search engine optimization, blogs for your website, image optimization, or any other online marketing needs please contact me and I will be happy to help.

~Kristen

69 Comments

About Kristen Day

Kristen is a small business owner and thus dedicated to other small business owners by helping them improve their online presence with having a professional and mobile responsive website, then implementing search engine optimization and pay per click advertising all of which are necessary 'evils' in the digital marketing sphere but enables small business owners the opportunity to compete with larger companies. When not in the digital arena, you can find her hanging with her girlfriends, husband, drinking a margarita or shooting competition (not in that order).

Subscribe for Your Free Report!

10 INSANELY Easy SEO Tips YOU Can Do Right Now

« Why You Need to Add Text & URL to your Blog Images
Simple Videos for Granting Access to your Social, Website & Analytics »

Comments

  1. Susan Mary Malone says

    09/21/2016 at 10:18 AM

    What a great explanation, Kristen! I have to confess–all this stuff is kinda by me. Lol. Thankfully I have a great seo person, and she does all this. But it’s helpful for me to understand why! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/21/2016 at 6:02 PM

      I would agree 100% Susan… regardless of whether you do it or have someone do it… you need to know it. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Renee groskreutz says

    09/21/2016 at 11:45 AM

    Yes. yes. This is exactly what bloggers need to know today. Also, I love that you put in the part about resizing the images. I know that this is a pain the butt and takes time but it is so worth it.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/21/2016 at 6:02 PM

      YES Renee… SUCH A PIA… but so very necessary! And thank you!

      Reply
  3. Lori English says

    09/21/2016 at 11:53 AM

    Kristen,

    Great article and exactly what I needed about Meta tags and Seo. I appreciate the good tips and I am sure this is valuable to many others that blog and are in buissness.

    Lori English

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/21/2016 at 6:03 PM

      Why thank you Lori! Glad you are seeing the value.

      Reply
  4. Jennifer Quisenberry says

    09/21/2016 at 1:48 PM

    I found that when I started making good use of the h2 and h3 tags that my numbers went up quite a bit. It really does make a difference, and it’s soooo much easier to read.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/21/2016 at 6:04 PM

      Consumers first… search engine next… but you have found that out as well… So glad that you found a way to kick up your blogs. YAY, you rock Jennifer.

      Reply
  5. Sabrina quairoli says

    09/21/2016 at 5:08 PM

    Great explaination! Is there a way to see find large image files on the websites easily?

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/21/2016 at 6:06 PM

      Check out my blog on optimizing images, Sabrina… I have suggested a plugin to help. I’m sure you also have them on your computer, that might be faster than looking at the dimensions on WP

      Reply
  6. Tamuria says

    09/21/2016 at 5:27 PM

    Your explanations are always so easy to understand Kristen. I’m getting much better about SEO these days but think I still have a lot to learn. I’m thankful for your posts and the tips you give.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/21/2016 at 6:06 PM

      Why thank you Tami… so glad that you are finding them useful! YAY!

      Reply
  7. Reba Linker says

    09/21/2016 at 7:42 PM

    Terrific post, Kristen! I especially appreciated your explanation of making content keyword-rich without sounding awkward or sales-y.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/22/2016 at 9:19 AM

      Thank you Reba… nothing like stuffing the heck out of your posts and not making it valuable for the consumer!

      Reply
  8. Rachel Lavern says

    09/21/2016 at 10:59 PM

    So many of us want to be found, but no one want to do the work to make that happen. Oh wait, we have you.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/22/2016 at 9:20 AM

      PREACH IT Rachel.. and so true.. and while you have me, not as many are taking advantage of the tips and doing the work or outsourcing, sadly it isn’t a priority!

      Reply
  9. Fiona lucas says

    09/22/2016 at 9:46 AM

    You have made this very easy to understand. Great post. Will share with my community.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/22/2016 at 12:34 PM

      I appreciate that Fiona.. and thank you, hope you found the value.

      Reply
  10. Beverley Golden says

    09/22/2016 at 11:58 AM

    I’ve been learning as I go, Kristen and I am on top of most of the things you have ‘taught’ all of us who read your blogs. Thank you. I could do more to optimize my photos…I think, so that is something I will focus on as my next blog adventure. I’m still not sure if I need a program to optimize photos, (which I read on someone else’s blog this week), or if I can do it within my blog. Thanks for always sharing wonderful info that we all can understand and do ourselves, if we choose too.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/22/2016 at 12:36 PM

      Actually Beverley, I shared how to optimize your photos OFF and On your site (if you have WP for the latter) in a blog 2 weeks ago and it was referenced in my blog this week. That is something you can do going forward and the WP plugin can help some with the past.

      Reply
  11. Alene Geed says

    09/22/2016 at 1:20 PM

    there is so much here to absorb. I will need to read this post again I think. In particular I did not know how important ALT text was! I have just been avoiding that step when posting or adding product. Thanks so much for these tips!

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/22/2016 at 4:09 PM

      I have a post on alt tags (likely several) and how you can update them all a little faster than going into each blog. Do a search on my website for alt tags Alene.

      Reply
  12. Teresa says

    09/22/2016 at 2:28 PM

    Thank you Kristen for giving such valuable information and I am saving this to my pocket list onlne! I know all you say is important and learning so much. Thank you for all your expertise.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/22/2016 at 4:09 PM

      Thanks so much Teresa… glad to provide this info to all!

      Reply
  13. Sonya says

    09/22/2016 at 3:31 PM

    It’s a good job we have you to tell us the difference! It’s all a bit baffling to most.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/22/2016 at 4:08 PM

      Why thank you Sonya! I appreciate it!

      Reply
  14. Roslyn Tanner Evans says

    09/22/2016 at 4:40 PM

    Even thou I have others who do this for me, I love reading your explanations.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/22/2016 at 7:47 PM

      Why thank you Roz… at least you can keep up by understanding what they are doing.

      Reply
  15. Robin says

    09/22/2016 at 6:42 PM

    You do such a good job explaining things. What I have learned is I need to know enough to be able to “check” any help I might be using. Doing it myself is the best way, and someday I will be able to effectively outsource.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/22/2016 at 7:50 PM

      Why thank you Robin… I really appreciate that and thank you!

      Reply
  16. Brenda Niemeyer says

    09/22/2016 at 7:46 PM

    Great post, Kristen. I think I am getting close to being ready to outsource SEO. I’ve done some of it on my site, but can you send me a PM with a cost estimate for working on my coaching website?

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/22/2016 at 7:51 PM

      Hey there Brenda, I would love to quote you. I’ll actually send you a proposal with some suggestions and talking points… that will give you an idea for the future.

      Reply
  17. Joan M Harrington says

    09/23/2016 at 4:30 PM

    Hi Kristen 🙂

    This post has been so beneficial to me because I have always known how important SEO is to being found on the search engines 🙂 These are excellent tips to ensure we are doing it right!

    Thank you for sharing your value!

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/25/2016 at 6:02 PM

      Thank you Joan.. they are so important. I hope you will be able to incorporate these tips and your followers too.

      Reply
  18. suzii says

    09/25/2016 at 5:38 AM

    Great article with simple steps that people can take. I use Yaost SEO and it’s brilliant (although not as indepth as having a dedicated SEO Manager)

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/25/2016 at 6:03 PM

      It is in depth, Suzii, but only as good as the material that is put in… so be sure you check out my blog on Yoast too!

      Reply
  19. Jackie Harder says

    09/26/2016 at 3:57 PM

    Aw geez…you reminded me that I didn’t have any H tags in my copy this week. Dang. On well. BTW, I spoke to a woman today who had an “aha” moment regarding keywords. Being a Realtor, she’s all about descriptive adjectives. At a conference last week, she (and other attendees) were told “forget about the colorful language — go with descriptions that PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR.” (Emphasis added) Happy to say, she got it.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/26/2016 at 7:57 PM

      That is great news Jackie… glad some folks are starting to “get it”

      Reply
  20. Karen Grosz says

    09/26/2016 at 6:37 PM

    Only recently have I figured out header tags. Now I am working on my meta tags. That seems to be the most difficult for me. It is always a work in progress. Thanks for the reminder on SEO.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      09/26/2016 at 7:59 PM

      Keep it simple and natural Karen and you will get it!

      Reply
  21. Joyce Hansen says

    09/27/2016 at 12:14 PM

    I know as bloggers we want to get all our good information out there. I’m sure many of us didn;t anticipate having to deal with search engine optimization. But, you give excellent reasons why it’s needed and clearly explain all the different parts. The point is what good is our information if we don’t put it in a form that the readers are going to want to read it? Thanks for everything that you put out.

    Reply
  22. GARRETH says

    10/05/2016 at 8:13 PM

    This is absolutely great. Thanks for this good info and advice now It’s all cleared to mI will recommend this article if someone ask me about SEO optimization.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      10/08/2016 at 3:14 PM

      Please do Garreth and thank you!

      Reply
  23. Sammy Blackmore says

    10/05/2016 at 11:52 PM

    Before, I only use the bold formatting if I want to highlight subheadings. But soon learned to use the h2 and h3 tags because of its SEO value.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      10/08/2016 at 3:16 PM

      YESSSSS Sammy, the h tags have double value, not only does it look nice, but it gives you Google juice! lol

      Reply
  24. Jenna says

    11/25/2016 at 11:37 AM

    So much good info and advice. I’m still a bit lost with all the logistics of it all but any advice is helpful.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      11/25/2016 at 9:38 PM

      Follow me Jenna and you will start to understand it… trust me!

      Reply
  25. Chloe says

    11/25/2016 at 3:02 PM

    I really needed to read this as I struggle with understanding what so many of the terminologies mean. Thank-you so much for breaking it down for me!

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      11/25/2016 at 9:38 PM

      This is what I do Chloe, so stick with me kid and it will begin to make more sense.

      Reply
  26. Emma says

    11/25/2016 at 4:50 PM

    Ive completely ignored this with my blog so far but now I’ve migrated to self-hosting and downloaded yoast I’m determined to learn – thanks for all the great tips. Ill bookmark this for reference!

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      11/25/2016 at 9:39 PM

      Awesome Emma, I even wrote one about Yoast too.

      Reply
  27. Marissa says

    11/25/2016 at 10:32 PM

    Great info! Thank you! I did not know about alt tags.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      11/28/2016 at 7:37 AM

      Awesome, now you do Marissa!

      Reply
  28. Jimmy and Tina says

    11/26/2016 at 10:19 AM

    Thank you for this post, It took months for me to wrap my head around some of the optimization techniques. The header tags was my biggest mistakes and have improved a lot. Now I have been working on getting my rich keywords to work for me. Great post and very helpful!

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      11/28/2016 at 7:37 AM

      So glad to hear that you are finally getting the tags understanding Jimmy & Tina!

      Reply
  29. Indrani says

    11/26/2016 at 10:27 AM

    I think it is a bit of talent there getting it right.
    Thanks for explaining both versions. I am so confused often that I end up writing what ver comes to heart,

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      11/28/2016 at 7:36 AM

      Writing from the heart isn’t bad… it’s just ensuring you are adding the SEO components Indrani.

      Reply
  30. Leticia says

    11/27/2016 at 3:08 PM

    You explain this so well that it’s a lot easier to follow, really interesting ☺️ Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      11/28/2016 at 7:35 AM

      You are quite welcome Leticia and thank you!

      Reply
  31. Pamela Arsena says

    11/28/2016 at 7:51 AM

    People spend so much time with design and often forget SEO. Then they wonder why their blog does not get visits. SEO is easy if you take the time to learn it.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      11/28/2016 at 8:15 AM

      Yes Pamela, it is very time consuming but well worth it.

      Reply
  32. Lashawn says

    11/28/2016 at 7:53 AM

    I have been wanting this type of info for quite a while but was too embarrassed to ask. Thx.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      11/28/2016 at 8:14 AM

      Girl.. I’ve got you Lashawn, I have tons of this stuff!

      Reply
  33. Meghan says

    11/28/2016 at 8:15 AM

    You always make the complex subject of SEO so much easier to understand! I love your point about thinking about your customer first and SEO second. Often I find that optimizing my blog for search engines makes it less appealing. So, I try to find middle ground.

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      11/28/2016 at 8:24 AM

      Excellent point and thanks Meghan, glad to help.

      Reply
  34. Natasha says

    11/30/2016 at 9:21 PM

    I am still trying to figure out to work the Seo

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      12/01/2016 at 9:36 AM

      You got the tips right here for ya Natasha!

      Reply
  35. Hra says

    12/01/2016 at 7:08 AM

    Very useful post as always!! Nice job 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristen Wilson says

      12/01/2016 at 9:37 AM

      Very insightful response Hra, thank you.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search My Site

AVB Blog Categories

4 FREE SEO TIPS YOU CAN DO

Get 4 Easy Peasy SEO Tips you can do right now!

Managed Hosting for your WordPress Website

Siteground Hosting

Back Up your Business Data

Back Blaze backups

Join My Mailing List!

Get updates on SEO, PPC, website readability and small business in our monthly email! (double opt in so look for the email)

Don't forget to look for the confirmation email to double opt in for my email list.

Buy SEO Title & Meta Description eBook

Learn how to optimize your SEO Title & Meta Description

Known for SEO

Top Seo Agency in League City

Known for PPC Advertising

Top Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Agency in League City

Follow AVB!

A Visual Business on FacebookFollow Kristen on TwitterFollow AVB on Pinterest
Connect with Kristen on Linked In Follow AVB on Instagram

Learn About My Other Business

WTF Kristen

Managed Hosting for your WordPress Website

Create Images Quickly & Easily w/ Get Stencil

Get Stencil

Stock Photo Subscription Service

Depositphotos

Learn About My Other Business

Copyright © 2023 · A Visual Business