SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. What is Search Engine Optimization? It's how your customers/readers/audience find your website via Google or Yahoo or Bing or any other search engine. Your SEO ranking is where you lie in the search results.
Here is a great video from Search Engine Land explaining SEO:
So, when someone searches for "discount tire" they get this:
Now, ads are different so let's ignore the first two listings. The first real search result is from discounttire.com. Seems like it makes sense right? Well it's not the website name that determines the SEO ranking. There are many more things that go into website SEO ranking. Here is the top 3 from Search Engine Journal.
1. Content
This isn't just any content, today Google and other search engines have found ways to analyze "comprehensive" and "relevant" content so it's vitally important that your content be written for YOUR audience.
- This includes lengthy and specific information. Your audience should be able to understand everything they need to from your article - from the basics to the details about your specific topic.
- Ensure it's written for your audience. If someone wants to read your article on the basics of waterpolo - don't write about the invention of the modern pool filtration system or the nuances of water polo cap fabrics.
- Give your audience something memorable. Whether it's an appropriate antidote or a different look at a popular topic, make them remember you!
2. Backlinks
Backlinks are links to your article from other web sources. How is it done? Get noticed. Get others to care about your well written article and they'll link to it when they provide their spin on the same topic. Hear it from the pro, Anna, who wrote a great article about link building that your should check out to get your start.
3. Mobile
In case you're just crawling from the rock house, the world is mobile! Google looks to mobile versions first in producing search results. So get mobile and get it right. If your website provider it's giving you great mobile services, get out!
However, if you're releasing an unfinished mobile version, don't bother. It can hurt your Google search ranking if you have a poorly built mobile website version. So do it right!
SEO is hard to understand and even harder to implement. So get help if you need it. Ask questions in our comments and we'll help you understand this space of website optimization.