How to Get Found in Google as a Startup

So you’ve decided to take the plunge and look into search engine optimisation (SEO), a strategy that digital marketers the world over use to assist businesses in being found on the web. The problem is that in a field filled with ever-changing rules and varying advice from “guru” to “guru”, it can be difficult to know where to even start.

The reality is, however, that you have little choice but to integrate SEO into your marketing. The internet is home to too much content for you to hope that prospects will simply stumble upon your website. Here we will look at how to apply effective SEO so that your website can be found and your business reaps the rewards.

1. Choose your keywords

Even beginners understand the importance of choosing the right keywords. How we approach researching and optimising these keywords has evolved over the years. Since Google introduced the RankBrain and Hummingbird algorithms, we understand just how important it is to emphasise the context of keywords in a search query, along with the purpose behind that query. That context is how Google understands the difference between Apple the computer and Apple the fruit.

2. Audit your site

This is where it starts to get technical and where you may be exposed to more advanced terminology for the first time. You will need to assess your site for things like page speed, which is highly important for the user experience. Other things you’ll need to check are the existence on your site of a robots.txt file, which tells search engines which pages to crawl, and a sitemap, which search engines use to locate and prioritize your pages. This is often where a business owner will bring in a professional. Companies such as growthsupermarket.com exist to ensure that you’re doing everything correctly and not wasting resources you don’t have. They help you find the best tools, not just for the site audit, but for keyword research and every other aspect of SEO. They can only help, however, if you know which audience you’re targetting, so that’s always the first thing.

3. Create content

Here’s where you put all of that work on keyword research to good use. Whether you’re creating content for your homepage, blog, or a landing page, you should always think of your target audience. That means that your content should provide value. It needs to either answer a question, explain information, or solve a problem. Freelancing sites such as upwork.com also allow you to easily outsource this to writers with expertise in various niches.

4. Build links

Off-site SEO is all about building links. You need high-profile and targeted websites talking about you. More specifically, you need them linking to you. Backlinking is a crucial part of the SEO process. Great content alone isn’t enough as most of it won’t be discovered without being backed up with promotion. You can use a tool such as pitchbox.com to curate your list of influencers and bloggers in your field and acquire their contact details. You would need to write valuable pieces of content for high-profile blogs and include a backlink. This ensures that any links back to your site are integrated in a human and natural way.

SEO is a marathon rather than a sprint. However, now you know the basics, you can at least make an inroad. Just be sure to continue testing and optimizing, in order to get more eyeballs on to your website.