By , Andrew Raso
Published May 17, 2016
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the kind of techie, jargon-filled field that can give those outside the industry a feeling of dread. It can sound overwhelming and difficult, and it might be enough to turn you off SEO consulting for good. But it shouldn’t.
SEO is just what it sounds like -- optimizing your website so that a search engine like Google ranks it favorably. In North America, SEO is pretty much synonymous with “SEO for Google.”
Google is by far the most popular search engine used. It is also notoriously hush-hush about exactly how their SEO strategy works (even if it’s very transparent in other areas). We assume other search engines, including Bing and Yahoo, use very similar SEO strategies as Google.
Unfortunately, SEO can never be fully mastered because it’s an evolving set of best practices.
That said, one of the most important aspects of good SEO -- and this will always be the case -- is content. This may include website text, images and videos.
Related: 10 Questions to Ask When Hiring an SEO Firm
If you hear your SEO consultant say, “We'll use LSI keywords to suit recent algorithm changes and get you to the top of the organic rankings,” your instinct might be to nod your head and go with the flow.
But what does that really mean?
In that jargon-filled sentence alone, there are four phrases that can be tough to understand. Let’s break them down:
Related: Here's What Really Matters for SEO in 2016
You can probably guess that your keywords and key phrases will change over time. These are called keyword variables. For example, a variable of “Houston dog grooming” might be “Dog grooming Houston,” “Houston dog groomer” or “Sugar Land groomer.”
Keyword variables can change quickly -- even throughout the day -- or slowly, depending on your industry, the keyword/key phrase and trends affecting your business.
That’s one of the reasons you’re never finished with SEO, and why it’s so helpful to have an SEO expert taking care of this constantly shifting landscape for you.
The speed of your website is another important SEO factor that your consultant should bring up. If he doesn’t, it’s time to look elsewhere.
Google’s goal is to connect people typing in queries like “Houston dog groomer” to the best possible match. The best matches don’t just have great content, but also load quickly and look beautiful.
Many factors determine the speed of a website. Some are in your control, and others, like the Wi-Fi connection of your visitor, are not. You can speed up your website by reducing clutter on your site, such as pop-ups and invisible text your web designer may have left behind.
Related: 7 Red Flags Your SEO Firm is Going to Rip You Off
To optimize the speed of your site, a skilled SEO consultant will analyze your site and determine what might be slowing it down.
Here are a few other pieces of SEO jargon that might come up in this conversation that are actually pretty simple to understand:
It’s possible that an SEO consultant might toss a lot of tech jargon your way, but they should be more than happy to explain terms clearly and speak in laymen’s terms if you ask. That’s their job! They’re the SEO experts, not you.
If you’re feeling lost, tell them you’re new to SEO. If they don’t change their lingo pronto, they’re not the right SEO consultant for you.
What other tech jargon terms have you heard SEO consultants tossing around? Leave yours in a comment below and I’ll translate:
Images: DeanInfoTech.com, IEEE-ICSET.org
https://www.foxnews.com/us/decoding-seo-understand-what-your-consultant-is-telling-you