The Most Important SEO Component

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is really a complex field that changes almost daily so if

SEO and Social Media

you’re a little confused, don’t worry almost everyone else is too. The key thing to remember is that SEO is crucial in today’s computer driven world, and here’s why.
The three big search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo) are where most commercial traffic finds websites. If these search engines cannot find your website then almost no one else can find you as well. By optimizing your site to “play nice” with the major search engines you’re more likely to get found by them and by potential customers. In a nutshell, that’s why SEO is important.
Why is SEO such a complex field? Well, it’s basically because the search engines are continually improving and changing the way they determine a site’s validity and value to the public. And unfortunately, because once a new SEO technique (such as keyword optimization) is discovered then spammers abuse it and make it less valuable to the legitimate public. This means that what was once the “secret” to SEO is probably no longer as valuable as it once was; i.e. someone shared the secret.
So that brings us to the latest secret in SEO, what’s the most important thing you should be doing today to increase your website’s visibility and page rank on the search engines.
Let’s preface this by saying: right now, today, keywords that aren’t abused but used legitimately still bring a lot of clout to your website. Keywords should be carefully researched, used in the URL if possible, in any sub or root domain names, and throughout your content at about a 3-4% ratio. Keywords and content are still king BUT that is changing.
Maybe not tomorrow, but in the not-too-distant future, keywords will lose their grip on the SEO world as social media takes over. The search engines, according to SEOmoz.org, have discovered that one way to determine a site’s validity and value is by reviewing how the public feels about the site. This means if you “like” a site on Facebook or “digg” it on Digg, or “+” it on Google +1, etc. that site becomes a little more authoritative in the search engine’s eyes.
What does this mean to you and your business? It means if you’re not already employing a social media strategy then you should give that some heavy consideration. At the very least, you should add social media buttons to your website that allow people to “like” and “follow” your website. If you’re still confused or you’re ready to follow the latest SEO guidelines, contact Tingalls Graphic Design and we’d be happy to add social media buttons to your website or help you incorporate legitimate SEO techniques.