If you’re a small business owner, then you need to be aware of organic SEO!
Organic SEO is the process of optimizing your website so that you can rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
One of the main benefits of organic SEO is that it’s free. That means you don’t have to pay for any additional traffic to your website, potentially increasing your revenue.
Essentially, there are two main types of organic SEO: on-page SEO and off-page SEO. On-page SEO refers to the changes you make on your website itself, such as updating the content and including relevant keywords in the text.
Meanwhile, off-page SEO involves building backlinks and promoting your website on other platforms, such as social media and forums.
So let’s dive deeper into each one.
What Is On-page SEO?
On-page SEO refers to optimizing your website’s internal factors to increase its rankings in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Some of the primary SEO tactics used in on-page optimization are:
SEO Title And Meta Description
These are the blue links that show up when you search your favorite search engine. The title tag should be 60 characters or less, and the meta description should be between 150 and 160 characters.
Optimizing title tags and meta descriptions is key. You can do this by working your target keyword(s) into both.
Header Tags
Header tags help search engines understand the hierarchy of your content. The most important header tag is the H1 tag, which is typically reserved for the title of your web page. In addition, you can have multiple H2 and H3 tags, which are generally used for subtitles. Include your target keyword(s) in your header tags.
Keyword Density
Keyword density is how many times a keyword appears on a web page divided by the total number of words on that page. A good rule of thumb is to use your target keyword(s) 1-1.5% of the time. Any more than that, and you run the risk of keyword stuffing, which will hurt your ranking. Yes, on-page SEO is essential when it comes to on-page ranking factors.
Image Optimization
Whenever you include images on your website, include target keywords in the file name and fill out the alternate text field with a brief image description. Resize all images to precisely the dimensions needed for your web page as well—this ensures a much better user experience.
Bonus Tip: Leverage image compression tools for your website such as Shortpixel or Optimole; These WordPress plugins automatically compress any images you upload to your media library, taking the thinking out of the process.
Internal Linking
Essentially, internal linking is the process of interlinking different pages on your website.
By adding internal links to other relevant pages, you can help people navigate your site more easily, as well as provide search engines with an easy way to crawl and index your content. In addition, this helps to improve your website’s domain authority in the eyes of these search engines since it shows that you have a deep understanding of the topics you cover.
Internal linking also helps guide visitors through the different sections of your site, encouraging them to explore and discover more about what you have to offer. Overall, internal linking is a powerful tool for any website owner looking to improve their on-page SEO and grow their business!
Page Speed
Search engines want users to have a positive experience, so they prefer websites that load quickly. Use SEO tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to see how you can improve your page speed.
Mobile-Friendliness
With more and more people using smartphones to access the internet, your website simply must be mobile-friendly. Google has a separate search index for mobile devices, so if your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re potentially missing out on a lot of traffic.
The Benefits of On-Page SEO
On-page SEO can be a bit of a mystery for those just starting out. But it doesn’t have to be! On-page SEO simply refers to optimizing your web pages in order to rank higher in search engine results. And there are plenty of benefits that come along with that.
Some of the main benefits of on-page SEO include:
Increased Traffic
Higher ranking pages in SERPs mean more people will see your website. And the more people that see your website, the more traffic you’re likely to get. And more traffic means more customers and more sales.
Better User Experience (UX)
You’re also making your website more user-friendly when you optimize your website for on-page SEO. This means that visitors are more likely to stick around on your website, thus improving the likelihood of converting them into paying customers.
Improved Brand Visibility
Ranking higher in SERPs can also help improve your brand’s visibility. When people see your web pages at the top of the search results, they’ll be more likely to remember your brand next time they’re looking for products or services like yours.
What Is Off-page SEO?
Off-page SEO refers to the act of optimizing your website’s external factors in order to increase its rankings in SERPs. Some effective off-page SEO tactics include:
Backlinks
A backlink is simply when another website links to yours. The more backlinks you have on authority sites, the higher your website will rank in SERPs.
Citations
Citations are any time another website mentions your company name, address, and phone number—in the world of SEO, we call that a NAP (Name / Address / Phone). Doesn’t necessarily have to be a link back to you. Links are great, but it’s not always the only thing that’s beneficial.
Social signals
Social signals refer to things like likes, shares, and comments on social media. When people interact with your content on social media, it boosts your ranking on search engines.
The Benefits of Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO can also seem a bit mysterious to beginners in the world of search engine optimization, but it is actually quite simple. At its core, off-page SEO is all about building links and garnering positive mentions on other websites. This can be an excellent way to boost your website’s visibility and help you climb up the search engine rankings.
Some of the main benefits of off-page SEO include:
Increased traffic and brand awareness
Off-page SEO helps drive new visitors to your site, increasing your chances of converting them into customers or clients. It also allows you to build your reputation as an authority in your field, reaching more people and expanding your online reach.
Improved rankings
By creating high-quality links and gaining positive brand mentions from relevant sites and blogs, you can effectively increase your ranking on search engines like Google. This will improve visibility for potential users and increase the trustworthiness of your brand as determined by algorithm systems.
How To Choose Between On-page SEO And Off-page SEO
There are many different options to consider when it comes to choosing strategies for optimizing your website for search engines.
On the one hand, you have on-page SEO, which focuses on optimizing individual web pages and pieces of content within your site. This can include things like increasing word count and incorporating keywords into titles and headings.
On the other hand, off-page SEO focuses on methods like backlinking and other link-building activities.
Both approaches can effectively boost your site’s rankings, but deciding between them can be tough.
In general, you will tend to see better search results from off-page SEO if you already have a well-established website with plenty of traffic.
If you’re just starting out or don’t yet have enough credibility with Google and other search engines, then on-page SEO may be the better choice for you at this stage in your business’ development.
However, if you are willing to put in the time and effort needed to build high-quality backlinks over time, then off-page SEO could undoubtedly pay off for you in the long run.
So, in the end, it all comes down to your individual goals and needs as a business owner – do some research, carefully weigh the pros and cons, and decide what is suitable for your website.
Which one is more important for your website’s success
Both on-page and off-page SEO are essential for your website’s success. However, which one you should focus on depends on your website’s goals.
If you’re aiming to rank higher on SERPs, then on-page SEO is likely more important for you.
However, if you’re more focused on brand building and generating social media buzz, then off-page SEO might be better.
Ultimately, it all comes down to what’s most important to your business and what will help you achieve your specific goals.
Final Thoughts On Organic SEO
As you can likely see, both on-page and off-page SEO are critical components of your organic SEO strategy.
Timing which approach to use and when is the key to minimizing expenses while maximizing results—an aspect we all can rejoice around.
As I always say—hold on, the coach in me is about to surface—as a small business owner, you should know enough about this topic to manage others doing it for you. Do you want to learn more about on-page SEO or off-page SEO? A great place to start is to dig deeper into our blog for more articles on search engine optimization.
Here’s to your success!
