SEO is Essential for Australian Businesses
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is essential for any Australian business seeking to promote its website on Google – Australia’s dominant search engine. Set up properly, SEO increases a business’s chances of ranking well on a Google search engine results page (SERP) and receiving “free” or “organic” search traffic. SEO is a business investment worth serious consideration.
How long does SEO take to work?
Unlike Google Ads – a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising service – SEO isn’t a quick fix. It usually takes months to work and should be viewed as a long-term investment.
Is SEO guaranteed to work?
The honest answer is “no.” However, SEO does work in many cases over time. SEO is like planting a garden: it takes time, patience, and sensible investment (don’t overinvest).
What does SEO involve?
There are four basic tactics used by SEO practitioners in Australia.
Writing website content that contains keywords
Writing quality website content and adding appropriate keywords (the words and phrases people commonly search for on Google) is arguably the cornerstone of effective SEO. In general, Google rewards content that’s informative, relevant, well-structured, readable, and original. Google tends to ignore duplicated, plagiarised, and spammy content.
Tips for writing Google-friendly website content
Aim for 500+ words per SEO-optimised page.
Don’t engage in keyword stuffing (Google can penalise websites that overuse keywords).
Keep sentences and paragraphs relatively short (concise content reads better on mobile devices).
Structure the writing with HTML headings (H1-H6).
Insert internal and external hyperlinks where appropriate.
Use simple rather than complex language (makes Google’s job of understanding your website easier).
Creating backlinks
Backlinks are external links from other websites to your website. From an SEO perspective, Google values backlinks from genuine and reputable websites. Backlinks aren’t hard to create if you have social media accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc): simply list your website address on your profile (just make sure the website address is clickable). Online directories are another avenue for backlinks.
Tips for acquiring backlinks
As a general rule, don’t sign up to link farms or buy backlinks in bulk (Google isn’t a fan of these tactics).
If you decide to buy backlinks, you need to carefully consider the backlink provider’s methodology and website list.
Consider writing articles and guest posts on reputable websites and publishing platforms, such as Medium.
Optimising a website
Optimising a website for SEO success may require the services of a web developer or designer. A website that’s optimised (at a basic level) will have an SSL certificate, meta tags, a sitemap, compressed images (for faster loading), alt text, structured data, and be mobile friendly. Optimised websites usually rank higher on Google, especially if the website content is good.
Creating a Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free service that enables a business to create an online profile for public viewing. A Google Business Profile usually appears on a Google search engine results page (SERP) when somebody searches for the business and / or Google Maps. Given Google’s focus on localisation, a Google Business Profile can enhance SEO results.
Google Ads (PPC) versus SEO
Most people are familiar with Google Ads – the “Sponsored” search results on Google. These advertisements provide instant exposure on Google and generate “clicks” (usually to a website). Google Ads is often used in tandem with SEO by Australian businesses. In other words, Google Ads and SEO are complementary rather than competing marketing tactics.
Final Thoughts
SEO is essential for Australian businesses committed to growing their online presence. As mentioned above, SEO takes time to work and should be looked upon as a long-term investment. If you’re interested in exploring your SEO options, Smart Words (an SEO content writer in Canberra) can assist. To access the Smart Words page on this site, please click here.
"Seeking Value is Smart"
The content on this page was written by Smart Words - www.smartwords.com.au