Whether you realize it or not, SEO is more simple that you make it out to be. It sounds absurd, but the process of buying and customizing a watch can teach you how to do SEO.
I’m a watch junkie and while buying a watch the other day I noticed some similarities. Just like everything there is usually a process you have to learn and implement. In this post I will draw parallels between the two.
What are the steps to proper SEO?
identifying what your site is about and doing keyword researchcreating the content and promoting it so it ranks wellmonitoring your rankingsStep 1: What is your site about?
You need to find one or two keywords that you can optimize your home page and blog posts for. Google makes this process incredibly easy to do. Create a free AdWords account and begin using the Google Keyword Tool. This tool will allow you to begin the keyword research process.
Pay attention the data that is returned to you. On the left sidebar Google will provide you with 3 check boxes: broad, exact, or phrase. I suggest you optimize for exact searches. When your content ranks well for exact phrases, you’ll get traffic from the broad and phrase keywords.
Step 2: Create the content, optimize, and promote
You’re writing for people, but you want Google to index your stuff for the keywords your targeting. You’d be surprised to see what kind of blogs people come up with. After you’ve written a piece, ask yourself this valuable question, “Is this valuable?”
Go back to your website and fill out the Meta Information and include your desired keywords. With the exception of the home page, each blog post should be targeting one keyword phrase. This process is what helps both Google and people know what your site is about.
Simply writing the post isn’t the end of the journey. Your responsibility is to now promote your blog post. You can do that in three main ways: email your list about the new post, promote on your social media sites, and build backlinks to the post. Backlinks are the most important.
Google looks at backlinks like we look at a popular kid at school. The popular kid has friends. The best ranking websites have lots of backlinks. It’s what helps them see that your content is valuable and worthwhile.
Step 3: Monitor your rankings
Every week I suggest checking in to see where you stand in the rankings. Keep in mind that SEO does time. The reason being is that the GoogleBot scans the internet every 45 days. You may not see the results of your work for a while. It doesn’t hurt to check.
How do you check? Google Webmaster’s Tools can show you where you stand in the rankings. You can also browse via incognito window and manually enter your search terms and go through the pages until you find your site.
Buying and customizing your own watch
There are three simple steps: choose a face, choose a strap, visualize your creation. ModifyWatches is the place I go to customize my own watch. That way I can have more control over what I wear on my wrist.
After I’ve found the face I want, it’s now time to choose a strap. The straps are my favorite part of the whole process. Some days I want to match my shoes, pants, or shirt.
The next step is to visualize the creation. At this point, it’s not too late to go back and pick a different face or strap.
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