What do you think of when you see the letters S-E-O? Do you think of a man in a hockey mask, carrying a chainsaw, chasing you through your home? Or, maybe the neighbor’s Rottweiler “joining” you for your morning run? If so, you’re not alone. Many website/blogsite owners are afraid of SEO, even more than a trip to the dentist; while the actual phrase “Search Engine Optimization” will send them back to bed to pull the covers over their heads.

Fear not! As usual, the team at YOMT is here to help you overcome your fear and optimize your website to the max!

Is your website optimized?
Do you have a list of effective keywords for your content?
Has traffic to your website stopped growing?

What is SEO?

First things first – and let’s keep it simple. SEO is not some kind of mysterious, online magic that can only be performed by uber-geeks. On the contrary, Search Engine Optimization is a set of techniques and strategies that are used by successful websites to generate interest from the search engines, helping them to direct visitors to your website. Basically, if the search engines are the traffic cops pointing folks in the right direction, then SEO is the map that they use to safely and efficiently lead those folks to you.

Now that you know the purpose of SEO, you can begin to understand the value as well.

Many people seem to believe that Google and the other search engines are like God; all seeing, all knowing, and all loving. Well, while the first two may be true, Google, Bing, and Yahoo will only “love” you, and by that we mean send prospects to you, if you give them a reason to. In other words, when your site is properly optimized, you give the search engines a reason to point people in your direction – and show you some love.

So, what does all of that mean? It means you need to develop a list of high-value phrases (also known as keywords) to drive your content. Then those phrases and their synonyms need to be plugged into the Meta data for your pages and posts, as well as all images and videos.

In other words, you need to learn a bit about organic SEO.

What is Organic SEO?

In short, organic SEO is a strategy of using targeted phrases to direct the search engines toward your content. The techniques for doing this vary, from “on-page” to “off-page” SEO.

On-page SEO involves using assorted keyword phrases within the content you publish, such as titles, headers, images, and the page URLs. We will also focus attention on your “Meta data”, the information that exists “behind the scenes” of each page, but which the search engines use to identify and rank your content.

Of course, variations of your targeted phrases will also be used within the text you create, as well.

Off-page SEO focuses on increasing the authority of your website through the act of getting links from other websites; a completely different strategy.

How does SEO help me?

OK, you’re asking now, what’s the payoff for having all of this work? Again, let’s keep it simple:

• Improve your ranking in the Search Results (SERPs)
• Improve your Google Page Rank
• Increase traffic to your website
• Enhance brand awareness at your website
• Build your online reputation
• Make more sales

In an increasingly competitive online marketplace, it has become ever more important to use every tool available to make yourself seen and heard. Ignoring website optimization out of fear or confusion is no longer an option.

Besides, if it’s simply more than you can handle, the SEO Team at YOMT can get it done for you!

Done-for-You SEO from YOMT

Now that you know that we don’t fear SEO around here – in fact, WE LOVE IT – here is what our SEO Team is able to provide for you:

• SEO Evaluation of your website – Is the content on your website pages and posts properly optimized?
• Keyword Research, basic and advanced – Are you using the most effective keywords in your content; keywords that will maximize your ROI?
• Optimization of Existing Pages and Content – Are your Meta Data properly optimized; including Meta Titles, Meta Descriptions, and Meta Tags on each and every website page and blog post?
• Copywriting of Optimized Content – Do you need help creating timely, effective content that is optimized for the search engines?
• Coaching and Training in Do-It-Yourself SEO – Are you brave enough to learn the basics of SEO, so you can do-it-yourself and save money?

OMG, you’re thinking: Keyword Research? Meta Data? Optimized Content? Do they really want me to understand all that techie stuff – seriously? No way! We’re here to tell you that WE understand it and can handle all of it for you!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of search engine optimization, and are still afraid of SEO, get in touch with the YOMT Team today.