Creating a website can be exciting, but there’s more to it than just choosing a design and adding some content.
One of the most crucial aspects of a successful website is making sure people can find it. That’s where SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, comes in.
Many people mistakenly think SEO is something you tack on after the website is built, but the truth is that an effective SEO strategy should be integrated into your website’s planning, design, and structure from the very beginning.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of enhancing your website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs), like Google, to drive more organic traffic. When potential customers search for something related to your business, the goal is for your website to rank as high as possible, increasing the likelihood of them clicking through to your site.
SEO involves a variety of techniques, starting with keyword research, which helps identify the search terms your target audience is using. Once you have these insights, on-page optimization comes into play, refining elements like meta tags, content, and headers to ensure the site is easy for both users and search engines to navigate. Additionally, off-page SEO strategies – such as building high-quality backlinks from reputable sites – are crucial for establishing your website’s authority and trustworthiness.
These combined efforts not only improve rankings but also help search engines understand your content, ensuring it’s delivered to the right audience and boosting your site’s overall visibility.
Building a Website With SEO in Mind
Imagine building a house without thinking about the plumbing or wiring – it’s possible to add them later, but it would require a lot of tearing down and rebuilding. In the same way, a website should be structured and coded with SEO as a key consideration from the start. This begins with keyword research.
Keyword research is the foundation of a good SEO strategy. It involves identifying the words and phrases your target audience is using to search for products or services like yours. These keywords help inform the structure of your website – how pages are organized, what content is prioritized, and even how URLs are formatted.
For instance, if you’re creating a website for a local bakery, you might think your main keyword is “bakery.” But through research, you might discover that phrases like “gluten-free bakery near me” or “artisan bread in [your city]” have less competition and still attract a significant amount of search traffic.
By incorporating these keywords into your site’s architecture – through headings, meta descriptions, and URL slugs – you give your website a better chance of ranking higher in search results.
Why Keyword Research is Crucial
Keyword research doesn’t just tell you what people are searching for – it also gives you insight into how competitive your niche is.
Some keywords will be very competitive, making it difficult to rank, while others might be less competitive and offer a better opportunity for visibility. Understanding search intent – the reason behind a search – also helps you create content that meets your audience’s needs.
In fact, over 90 percent of online experiences begin with a search engine, according to FinalSite. This shows how critical it is to ensure that your website is built with SEO in mind from the very beginning. Otherwise, you risk losing out on a large portion of your potential audience.
Updating Existing Website SEO: A Lengthy Process
If you already have a website and want to update it with an SEO strategy, it’s definitely possible, but it’s often just as much, if not more, work than building an SEO-optimized site from scratch.
Think of it like upgrading an old car. Sure, you can swap out the engine and replace outdated parts, but eventually, you may find yourself reworking so many elements that it would have been easier to start with a newer model.
Updating a website to reflect an SEO strategy often involves reworking the site’s structure, rewriting content, and tweaking the code – all of which takes time and effort.
That’s why it’s so important to have SEO built into the project from the very beginning, rather than treating it as an afterthought.
From Hit or Miss to Success
At Redideo Studio, we’ve been building websites for almost 20 years. In the early days, we focused primarily on the design and functionality of the site, without giving much thought to keyword research before starting projects. While we occasionally saw good rankings, it was often hit or miss, depending on luck rather than strategy.
Now, keyword research is a fundamental part of our process from the very beginning. By thoroughly researching what potential customers are searching for, we ensure that each site is optimized to attract the right audience. This approach not only improves search engine rankings but also drives more qualified traffic, leading to significantly better results and a much higher success rate.
Don’t Build Without a Blueprint
Incorporating SEO into your website from the very beginning is essential for its long-term success.
Without basic SEO strategies in place, your website will struggle to be discovered online, no matter how well it’s designed. SEO isn’t something you can simply “add on” later – it needs to be an integral part of the planning and design process.
Whether you’re building a new website or looking to improve the SEO of an existing one, we can help! Contact us today to start building a solid SEO foundation that ensures your website thrives in search engine results.
About The Author
With 25+ years in digital media and marketing, Daniel Travers is the visionary owner of San Diego’s Redideo Studio. His expertise spans digital marketing, website design, video production, social media, and creative services.
He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photo New Media from the Kansas City Art Institute, along with an Associate of Applied Science in Graphic Communications from St. Louis Community College.
Daniel’s collaborative work includes renowned brands such as iHeartMedia, Disney, Hyundai, KIA, and more.
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