Using SEO to Improve your Website Strategy

By Jill Baker
NP Strategy

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing both the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through search engines. SEO impacts user experience and performance in organic search results.

Optimizing SEO is important because it increases visibility, therefore increasing the number of users that will see your work. You don’t need to be an SEO expert to increase visibility. Here are a few tips to improve SEO:

Use keywords and key phrases

These are the words and phrases used to describe your brand. Choose words or phrases that are relevant to your industry. Think of terms that your target audience would search if they Googled your services, industry, or competitors.

Add links and backlinks

Include links to the website whenever possible. Search engines use links from outside sites to determine the content’s value. Be sure to add links to social media posts. A backlink is a link created when one website links to another. Backlinks are also called “inbound links” or “incoming links.” Backlinks represent a “vote of confidence” from one website to another. For example, Midlands Biz hyperlinked Nexsen Pruet website in the press release it published. Midlands Biz linking to Nexsen Pruet is a backlink connecting the two websites.

Save images with titles

When using images, save each image with a relevant title. Don’t keep the file name as a jumbled mix of letters and numbers. Instead, rename the title to explain what it is. For example, save the image file as “Using-SEO-to-Improve-your-Strategy.jpg.” Descriptive file names will improve SEO.

Taking the time to improve SEO will benefit your overall strategy. These tips will help increase engagement and website visibility.

Jill Baker is a Project Coordinator working with a variety of clients in the public sector and non-profits. She recently earned a master of mass communications degree with a focus in strategic communications management from the University of South Carolina.