What do you think of when you read the words "meta description, alt text, indexing, and crawl?" If you didn't say "SEO," this post is for you.
Your startup is getting off the ground; you're hitting all the industry shows, sending press releases, and schmoozing with the VCs. But what are you doing about your website? As in, is it up yet? And if so, did you optimize it for SEO to ensure Google and the other search engines can find you quickly and know how to categorize your content for searchers?
Don't panic; most of these things can be fixed quickly with some knowledge of SEO basics for startups. Yes, SEO is a huge topic, and no, we don't aim to cover everything you need to know in this one blog post. We look to familiarize you with some basic terms and why you should get to know them better. These are some of the FAQs we always hear from startups; we hope you find the answers useful as you make your way into startup land!
So, What Exactly is SEO Anyway?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of undertaking activities to improve a website's ranking on search engine result pages (SERPs). In short, SEO combines on- and off-page actions to optimize your website, making it easier for internet searchers to locate. These SEO activities can be handled by an outside professional, an agency, or someone within your startup with a background in digital marketing or even a general background in IT.
What matters for all startups is that SEO is something to be aware of and consider when setting up a new website and while continuing to publish new content. SEO metrics should be established early and monitored regularly.
Is This Something We Need?
If your startup is going to have a website, then you need at least a rudimentary SEO strategy to be found online. This is true even if you're not an eCommerce business or your services don't relate to the online world. People will look online for information on your industry, product, or service. If you want these people to learn about you, SEO is how you do it.
OK, You Convinced Me; Where Should I Start?
In an ideal world, you should think about SEO from day one. Before setting up your website or posting to social media as your startup, choose an SEO-focused content management system (CMS), like Hubspot, or a CMS like WordPress that has a robust marketplace of SEO plugins.
Some technical items to check off immediately when building your site include ensuring load speed is optimized, that your site is mobile-friendly, and that your content pages can be optimized individually for better targeting.
The next thing you need to do is lay out your SEO strategy. Remember, SEO is a long game. Having a well-documented strategy is crucial for long-term success. At a bare minimum, your SEO strategy should include the following:
An editorial calendar that encompasses blog posts and social media content
Brand guidelines to ensure consistency of brand voice across channels
A chart of stakeholders and their responsibilities
Target audience profiles or buyer personas
What's the Difference Between On- and Off-page SEO?
Both on-page and off-page SEO share the common goal of boosting your site's visibility to the public on search engines like Google. The primary difference is where these activities take place.
On-Page SEO
On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing elements directly on your website to improve its ranking and visibility. These activities are within your direct control and include:
- Optimizing content pages with relevant keywords.
- Writing effective meta tags and meta descriptions.
- Using descriptive image alt text.
- Maintaining a regular posting schedule for new content.
Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO is the set of actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings within search engine results pages. The primary goal of off-page SEO is to build backlinks, which are links from other websites to yours. These activities include:
- Link-building through guest blog posts.
- Acquiring brand mentions in relevant industry publications.
- Maintaining an active and engaging social media presence on multiple platforms.
- Ensuring author bios and social media profiles link back to your site.
Do Keywords Still Matter for SEO?
Yes, keywords absolutely still matter for SEO. Keywords are the words and phrases that searchers enter into search engines, which serve as a primary way for search engines to understand what your website and startup are about.
When optimizing your site, it is crucial to include a mix of keyword types:
- Short-tail keywords: These are short phrases, typically 1-3 words long, that are broad in scope (e.g., "startup marketing").
- Long-tail keywords: These are longer, more specific phrases, often structured as questions or full sentences, that mimic natural language or voice search (e.g., "best SEO strategy for a new tech startup").
The foundation of any keyword strategy is research. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or Buzzsumo to discover what terms are trending in your industry and build a target keyword file for your content.
What Do "Crawling" and "Indexing" Mean?
Crawling is the process where a search engine, like Google, discovers new and updated web pages on the internet. Search engines "crawl" the web constantly, as thousands of new pages come online daily. This is how Google first finds your startup's website.
Once a page is crawled, it can be indexed. Indexing is the process where a search engine stores and organizes the information found during crawling. Think of it as the search engine adding your page to its massive library, or "index," so it can show your page to users in relevant search results.
Initially, your home page will be crawled and indexed. As you add new content like landing pages, pillar pages, and blog posts, those will be crawled and indexed as well. The more consistently you add high-quality, keyword-targeted content, the better your SEO performance will be.
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