Search engine optimization (SEO) is complex, and there is a lot that goes into it. Optimizing a website takes more than just sprinkling keywords into the content on your website, and when you are newer to the world of digital marketing, there may be questions you have about SEO that you do not know if you can ask. Here are some of these questions to help those struggling with certain aspects of SEO.

What is a meta description, and why is it important?

There is a little bit of text underneath the link that tells you about the page when you conduct a search, this is the meta description. A meta description is also a place where you can place your SEO keywords to help crawlers learn about your page’s contents. It also needs to be written compellingly so that people will be interested in clicking on the link.

What is the difference between paid and organic results?

Paid search results are ads that appear at the top or on the side of a page when you do a Google search. They usually have “Ad” written above or next to them to make it clear what they are.

Organic search results are what appear based on your search below the ads. These are the results that are found on your own without being a paid ad.

What is the difference between inbound, external, and internal links?

Inbound links are links to your website that are on other websites. Internal links are links on your page that lead you to another page on your site. External links are included in your website’s content that links to a website that is not yours. This is commonly used to cite sources in content, and while it may not seem like a good idea to include links that take people off your site, it actually can help boost your SEO.

All three of these link types are important for your SEO to be more effective.

How do I find out what pages are indexed?

Go to the search engine you want to check and type in site:www.websitename.com, and you will see what pages have been indexed.

What is the difference between crawled and indexed?

When a search engine looks at the content on your site, it is crawling it. While the search engine is crawling your site, it is also indexing the content that appears in the search engine results. Not all of your content will be indexed; search engines will select the content to index when it crawls the site.

Should my domain name have keywords?

Do not throw keywords into your domain name just because you want to optimize for that keyword; this can hurt your SEO. If your company’s name is a keyword, that is fine, but stuffing your domain name with keywords can hinder your SEO efforts.

How many keywords should I use on each page?

If you look this question up on Google, you will find anywhere from two to five uses is good, depending on the site you are clicking on. The problem with this is that there is no magic number; you cannot just put your keyword on your page five times and call it good. If you just aim for that number, you may be forcing the keywords into the content, which is a tactic called “keyword stuffing.”

In the early days of SEO, keyword stuffing was a widely used practice, but now search engines will penalize you for keyword stuffing. This practice also makes your content sound repetitive, and that can lead readers to other websites that are not just repeating the same keywords over and over.

Put your keywords in your content when needed, but only if it sounds natural, do not aim for an arbitrary number.

How many internal links should I use on each page?

Using at least one on a page is good for your SEO. In fact, some SEO tools, like Yoast, will always recommend at least one internal link. However, as with keywords, do not overdo it with your links; only include them when they will improve your readers’ experience.

What is anchor text?

Simply put, this is anchor text. Anchor text is the clickable link in the text of an article or blog post. It helps search engines understand the content of the topic on the page. You can use it to link both internally and externally; it is best used in both ways in content but be careful not to overdo it, or it might make your site look like spam. As with many things in the SEO world, use it in moderation.

Why should I use alt text on my images?

There are a few reasons you should include alt text on your site. Search engines read text, not images, so including the alt text will tell a search engine what the image is. Additionally, alt text can be used to describe images to the visually impaired.

How long will it take before I see results from SEO?

This is another instance that does not have a magic number. There are too many factors that go into SEO to determine the speed of your SEO, including your domain authority and the amount and quality of the content on your site.

If you have a large website, you might begin seeing results soon, since larger sites are generally crawled more often. A smaller site gets crawled less often, so it can take much longer. It might take a few weeks or months to see results.

Should I hire a professional for my SEO needs?

Hiring an SEO expert can be a great help for your organization, but hiring the wrong SEO professional can end up harming your SEO. Seattle Digital Marketing is a trusted firm experienced in SEO that can help you boost your site in the rankings. Contact Seattle Digital Marketing today to get started!