SEO

What is SEO?

Successful content creation does not end with an article, message, video or visual material only, since our goal is to get someone to notice it after publication, look at it, so the message of the publication would be conveyed to the user. In the ideal scenario, the post will be so good that it will be shared, the more people involved, the better. At this point in the chain between the content consumer and the content itself, the term SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, appears. SEO is a large-scale scope of functions that can improve digital content - attract a higher quality audience and expand it numerically, increase brand awareness, attract local customers and develop customer trust. All this is possible to achieve with the right knowledge and the right experience. SEO helps the Google Search Engine to understand the context of the homepage and orderly arrange it by topic: what is your website about? What does it provide to the user? What does it contain and will its contents match what you are looking for? To understand how this can be done, you need to look deeper, to find a way that the Google Search Engine could work for you.

How is the website SEO ranking assessed?

The Google Search Engine has its own algorithm, and its algorithms are constantly evolving, so it is our job to track them and adjust our methods according to the development flow. Most internet searches started with Google. The job of Google Search Engine is to sort through the millions of available websites in its index, returning the most relevant results in less than a second. Several factors are considered in this process: the words that were included in the search, their relevance to the websites and the usability of the websites, the reliability of the sources, your location and settings. The basic nature of the query is also of great importance. For example, if what you're looking for is related to recent events and topics that are regularly updated, then websites and articles that are more recent will be preferred. Our job is to adapt all these factors to your brand website and needs. 
However, that's not all that SEO contains. The technical part includes the “behind-the-scenes” work that plays a role in how highly Google will rank your website. Factors such as website speed, links available on the website and how valid they are, accessibility and mobile accessibility need to be considered here. Each factor can affect Google's ability to promote sessions. Additional work goes into the textual content of the website and its “arrangement” step by step in order to improve the user experience. It is necessary to do proper keyword search that would have a wide search volume. As a result of search, it is necessary to make sure that the content of the website will correspond to what the user is looking for. The website should also display working links from one page to another that would connect its content. Also, including links requires a balance between reliable and relevant off-page links and on-page links. This helps to raise the reputation of the website in the Google Search Engine. Finally, its content must be organized and structured in a way that is transparent and relevant. As mentioned, location also plays a role in website optimization, especially when working with local businesses. Local SEO involves making sure that the business name can be found in Google searches related to the city or area in which the business is located. For example, if the represented company is a restaurant in Riga, it would appear in relevant queries about the possibility to eat in Riga, as well as simply being in this location.

At what point is it possible to observe SEO results? 

There are many different strategies for website optimization, and it's impossible to predict exactly when you'll see changes. It could take longer in highly competitive industries than in less competitive ones. After the initial optimization, it is necessary to regularly observe SEO performance indicators and possible changes in the Google algorithm, making appropriate adjustments accordingly.
For the agency to apply the most suitable SEO process for the customer, it is first necessary to get acquainted with the company, its content and goals, as well as to conduct a discussion. Optimization is a long-term and detail-oriented process, so it is necessary to know everything about what you will be working with. This also includes competitive research in order to be able to adjust and compare the situation. Gaps in existing website SEO are identified and ways to fix them are found. Once the insight is done, a more detailed plan and process for the work is created. As it develops, all progress is recorded. As a successful SEO result, it will be possible to observe a higher and better number of visits to the website. In addition to this, SEO will serve as free advertising in the future by being at the top of Google Search Engine queries.

What is On-Site SEO optimization?

The SEO process is divided into two parts: On-Site and Off-Site SEO optimization. On-Site SEO optimization, as the name suggests, takes place on the website itself. Google's algorithm, after entering a search query, examines all the resources available on the Internet. As a result of successful On-Site SEO optimization, the search engine will be able to quickly and easily read and understand the context of the website content. In addition, it helps the users to quickly and clearly understand what the website they reached is about and whether it corresponds to their search query. The website is adjusted so that the Google Search Engine can view the website as the user would view it, showing it accordingly in relevant searches at the top of the page. This, in turn, will drive more traffic to your website, serving as good free advertising. The results of On-Site SEO will not be immediately visible, but it is a valuable long-term investment in the development of the website.

What factors should be considered?

There are various factors to consider when doing On-Site SEO optimization. The URL structure, title and meta description of the homepage should be looked at. This includes the link, or the final address, a short description and the title of the website, which appears in the search results on Google. In this way, the user experience is improved by providing a clear insight into whether the website will be available for what you are looking for. The content and layout of the website itself is also optimized. Can the users clearly see the information they were looking for? If the content is unclear, chaotic, or the necessary information is at the bottom of the page, there is a greater chance that the user will go back to the search results, which in turn can reduce the value and relevance of the website according to the principle of the Google algorithm.

Content optimization.

After that, you need to get on with content optimization. To appear as high as possible in Google's search results, you need to catch the user's attention and keep it - if a user clicks on an article and spends a very short time on the website before switching back to other results, that website will rank lower. To avoid this, the layout of the content needs to be thoughtfully structured. Contextual keywords are selected based on possible queries and are targeted to different parts of the website. This helps the search engine to ensure that the website will contain content relevant to the query. At the top of the homepage, the introduction should be short and concise. Avoid being overly verbose and convince the user that the article will really provide the information they need. For example, recipe pages often have a relatively long introduction before the recipe itself and the instructions, explaining how the recipe came about, what it is for, etc. This, for the most part, does not interest the user, and there is a risk that the visitor will return to the search results. The text provided should be as unique as possible, since copied texts or texts resembling those provided by other websites can reduce the website's position in queries. 
Within the content, another thing that convinces the Google algorithm about the trustworthiness of the website is the included links. Links can be both internal and external, i.e. links to another page on the same website and links to other websites. Internal links help the user navigate through the website more easily, find other useful information and better understand what is there. Without internal links, there is a greater chance that the user will leave the website to search for information elsewhere, which, again, will lower the website's ranking in Google. External links connect one website to another. This can help users find yours on other platforms, while through linking to other trusted websites it is possible to raise your website’s rank. Another detail to look at is how mobile-friendly the website is. A mobile-friendly website is essential since more than 50% of visitors access websites from mobile devices. If smartphone and tablet users cannot access your website, your rank in Google search results will decrease. Finally, page loading speed is also important. Nowadays, every second counts, and a slow website speed can not only make the page look unreliable but also lose visitors quickly. 
In On-Site website SEO optimization, the agency's job is to study all these aspects in detail and find the best solutions for each individual customer. This also includes competitor and market research, which is crucial in competing for a spot at the top of the search page. From suggestions for text layout and content to technical details that the programmer takes care of, it is necessary to identify existing problems or potential improvements and record them. In general, On-Site SEO is like the structure of a house and everything inside. 

What is Off-Site SEO optimization? 

If On-Site SEO can be considered the foundations of a house, then external SEO is what is visible from the outside. This type of optimization is necessary to raise the website's reputation and visibility in Google. Basically, external SEO determines how highly Google Search Engine ranks your business based on how other organizations and individual entrepreneurs perceive your brand. External SEO includes everything that happens outside the website itself, and it can be distinguished from On-Site SEO by the fact that, in this case, it is not possible to have full control and make direct changes. It includes branding, link building, content marketing, social media, testimonials and more. Its improving and developing has several benefits. For example, your business website will appear higher in Google search results, it can be used as a reference on other websites, and your website will get more visitors, who in turn can become paying customers. This has a positive impact on the business, both by increasing the level of recognition and by expanding the target audience and sales revenue.

What is a link network?

One of the most important Off-Site SEO optimization factors is the creation of a link network. Backlinks and other off-site references are part of the foundation of Google's ranking algorithm. They can be divided into three categories. Natural backlinks build effortlessly. For example, if a recipe uses your company's products in a recipe page, and the author of the article links to your website. Manually built links are created by getting a recognized website or even a content creator to mention/include your website in their content. Self-referred links are created by tagging yourself as a reference on other blogs. Google Search Engine uses backlinks as an indication of the quality of linked content, so a website with many high-quality backlinks is usually better than another similar website with fewer backlinks. It is also necessary to make sure that these links are relevant to the topic of your website and fit naturally into the content, as well as the recentness of the links and the article.

SEO content marketing

Another important part of Off-SiteSEO is content marketing. Although content marketing is part of On-Site SEO optimization, any content published outside of your website is also content marketing. In this case, the goal is to get users to share your content, or content that mentions your brand. Digital advertising campaigns can also be considered SEO because they drive traffic to your website, and as people share your content, your brand awareness grows. Posts on social media, invitations to comment and encourage engagement with posts, introducing other website users to your brand and building its identity - this is content marketing. Social media also serves as a customer service platform. If customers have any short questions or problems, the first place they can try to find out and solve them is social media platforms, where it will be possible to get an answer quickly. Today, it's important for a business to be active on social media, because a brand's lack of social media presence or inactive presence can cast doubt on the company's legitimacy. 

Off-Site SEO can also be enhanced by digital content creator marketing. By finding a content creator with a follower demographic that matches your target audience, it's possible to merge these groups and introduce new potential customers to what your business has to offer. Good content creator advertising can also be seen as cultivating feedback. Reviews are also an important part of Off-Site SEO. Often, potential customers first look at the company's product reviews on Google to form an idea of the brand's reliability, and the lack of reviews can raise suspicions.

What is the goal of Off-Site SEO optimization? 

In Off-Site SEO optimization, the main goal is to raise brand awareness in a positive way. Each brand requires a unique approach. In this aspect of SEO, the agency investigates the company's “style” and values: how formal the content of publications should be, how often publications are needed, what type of publications and on which platforms. A detailed and agreed schedule is drawn up. Off-Site SEO activity is dynamically analyzed with conclusions drawn and reports generated. In order to have a successful optimization, it is necessary to identify the existing problems. Off-Site SEO development is a long-term process, and its optimization involves many different factors that can change over time. However, the regularly invested efforts will pay off sooner or later, attracting a regular and growing number of visitors and potential customers.