With constant changes in the digital marketing world, one thing that has remained true is the impact SEO can have on your brand’s success. If done correctly in a consistent manner, SEO can work wonders for your business allowing it to be shown front and center for those who are looking for it. In reality, most people who search for something on Google will never leave the first page. This is why a well-planned SEO strategy needs to be in place before you can expect any positive results. According to Drive Traffic Media, an Orange County SEO expert, there is more to the process than simply finding the right keywords.

Below are 5 things you should know to help increase your visibility on the search engine results page. 

Optimize Your URL 

It turns out search engines and humans aren’t so different after all. If a URL is easy for a human to read, then it’s also easy for the search engine to read. Keeping your URL of a landing page simple with words that relate to what it is you are showing on the page can make a huge difference. You should include keywords and hyphens that way you have a better chance of showing up on the search results. 

Another thing to keep in mind is, the shorter the better. Shorter URLs tend to perform better than longer ones. Anything under 50-60 characters should be fine, making it easier for users to remember or copy and paste. 

Keyword-Optimize Your Images

If used correctly, images could help boost your SEO ranking and overall organic traffic. Using the right keywords in your images can help users find your content while searching for those exact keywords. Naming your photos with relevant and concise descriptions can make all the difference in being seen or not. But remember not to overuse keywords as it will result in keyword stuffing and can appear as spam.   

(Quality) Consistency is Key 

Producing quality content consistently is easier said than done, but it is a big factor in improving your SEO. Search engines have the “freshness factor” which basically gives newer content more attention over older content. You’ve probably seen this with breaking news, anything that is trending, and even sports events. Putting out content that is fresh and unique will help keep your page relevant and give your page a better chance at ranking high in the search results. Remember not to simply put out content just to put something out there. Generating content that will help and engage the user is the goal. The better quality your work is, the more people will engage with it, and in essence will result in a higher ranking.   

It’s About Quality, Not Quantity (Link building)

Just like you should produce great content, you should also link out to pages that provide excellent value. The quality of these links is more important than the quantity of links you have. One excellent link is better than a number of poor quality links. If you continuously link to quality sites that provide value to the user then you will also appear as credible as the sites you are sending them to. This is a win-win by providing your audience with additional value and having the possibility of getting links back to your own page which will help your ranking.    

It’s A Marathon Not A Race 

Everyone wants instant results, but greatness takes some time to achieve. With SEO, organic traffic comes from the search engines seeing you as high quality and credible. Getting those natural links back to your website may take some time, but we are looking for long-term success, not just short term. 

As stated previously, consistency is key. SEO is all about doing a bunch of little things well and doing them constantly. These tips from an Orange County SEO expert particularly Drive Traffic Media are good to remember to help your brand succeed in the long run and hopefully end up on the first page of Google. Focus on the quality of the content you are putting out there, something that will bring value to whoever is viewing it. That is how you optimize your brand.