Hello, fellow non-SEO savvy reader.

There’s a lot of hubbub out there in the world about this SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, and what it means to your business. Most of this all surrounds your web presence, notably your business’s website, and how attractive it is to Google’s search engine algorithm so you can rank high as you can when a homeowner searches for the type of work you do.

Yes, it’s all very much like a high school dance where everyone is trying to lock in Google for the night’s final slow song (the coveted top ranking link), but there can only be one.

“I choose you, http://www.rescuerooter-seattle.com/Plumber, as my final dance. You’re welcome.”

So how does it all work? How does Google decide who and what should rank on the first page? Is this all like the Wizard of Oz where there’s just an old man hiding behind a curtain pulling a bunch of strings?Kind of.

AND ON THE SECOND DAY, THERE WAS MOZ

A forest is dense. A desert is vast. A cloud of fog is mysterious.

Put all those things together, add in some coding language, and you have the first iterations of Google’s search algorithm (*a set of rules for solving a problem in a finite number of steps, as for finding the greatest common divisor, or in Google’s case, the most relevant / trustworthy web page).

Rand Fishkin, the founder of Moz, set out to solve what makes this algorithm rank one page higher than another more than 11 years ago. The product of his effort was at first a highly successful blog, and that humble beginning has now morphed into one of Seattle’s most relevant tech firms that is rated worldwide.

So what did Rand’s early excavations yield? The following are a few of the main factors that Google takes into account when digesting a search query:

• What words are used?
• What geographical location is the request originating from (if measurable)?
• Is there special punctuation like quotation marks to focus the search around a certain word or phrase?
• What keywords stand out in the query? (more on these later)
• How often due words in the query match with available pages that also feature those keywords?
• How relevant are those pages that feature the keywords to the searched topic?
• Is a page featuring the keywords coming from a trustworthy source?

Once Google has worked through all these factors (and a few more intricate steps that are secrets of the sausage) it will spit out the results.

THE PRESENT, AND YOUR FUTURE

The algorithm has gone through some changes over the years to account for a changing Internet (like including social media relevance to a page’s value – a page from Porch for example is now “vouched for” by all our Facebook community members – they’re real so we’re real and relevant).

The results page also looks different than the past as paid placement exists on the top and side of the page while the truly organic results are still prominently featured on the main page, just a little lower.

Let’s look a little closer at how these two types of result come about.

ADWORDS

Adwords are Google’s auction house. You choose a word and…ya know what? Kiko Correa, Porch’s in-house expert on AdWords, is going to take it from here…(“The bullpen door opens and right-hander Kiko Correa runs onto the field to the Foo Fighter’s ‘Hero’. Let’s see what he can do with the middle of the order here in the top of the ninth folks.”)K.C. – AdWords is Google’s “paid search” advertising platform. Paid search ads are units that mimic any platform’s organic result, paid for by advertisers toward a target audience. In this case that means a headline and 70 characters of ad text that link directly to a page on your website (like those listings on the right side of the page above).

AdWords’ ads target users by using keywords to match your ads to actual searches. SEO is a long term process, and AdWords can be a great way to fill in the gaps and place your ad on searches vital to your business that you don’t yet rank for. It can also be used as a tool to augment key searches you’re already doing well for and own more real estate on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page).

Something to keep in mind with AdWords is that your campaigns are only as good as their targeting. Thankfully there are plenty of targeting tools within AdWords to help make sure you’re targeting the right people (homeowners), in the right areas (your community), for the searches that best align with your business (“local electrician?”).

(“Three up, three down to close the game out tonight by Kiko Correa! Drive home safe everybody.”)

ORGANIC RESULTS

For savvy marketers and business owners, to be at the top or near the top of the organic search is like wearing the championship belt for that topic. For instance, a real point of pride around the Porch office is that we have gotten our site to rank #2 in the organic search results for “Seattle Plumber”. This is important because then hopefully that searcher will book one of our pros.

Much of our blog programs (advice + pro), web design, and PR efforts are all geared towards making our content and pages rank as high as they can according to Google’s current algorithm. Everything from keyword placement on pages, the creation of engaging content, and happy customers and pros talking about us online help with this.

So what can you do to rank higher? For starters, focus on a few major concepts brought to us by Moz’s Eric Enge on their insight blog.LINKSSome come in, some go out. The more you have associated with your website, especially ones that come from established, trustworthy entities on the Internet, the better. Linking to your Porch profile will definitely help with this as we’re seen as a trustworthy source.

ON PAGE CONTENT 

Make sure your skills and profession are located high in your page, and you include words associated with your trade in a healthy fashion without completely throwing out style. Pages that have massive paragraphs of the word “electrician” followed by a phone number are going to get sussed out quickly by Google as irrelevant.

OPC is also where a blog can come in to help. They’re a great way to create / share links, solidify yourself as an expert on your profession, and network with businesses, associations, and other pros, which will all help your site’s importance to a searching party as they click and share your content.

SOCIAL MEDIA

If you’re not on, it’s time to get on, no matter how silly you think the whole thing is. Facebook isn’t just for looking up people anymore; it’s a place where everyone is searching for everything, so having a basic page with a few photos, a link to your site, and a phone number is a must.

Twitter is a little more nuanced, but all those industry leaders I just mentioned are definitely on there. At minimum it’s a great source for news and trends, and the more you interact the better it will be for your online weight.

On a headier level, check out this graph from Searchmetrics where they found social media linking to be the most major consistent influence to ranking within Google’s algorithm. If you’re going to approach SEO even semi-seriously, having an active social media presence is essential.

USER ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUR SITE

Google measures how long someone visits your page, and considers a trip less than 30 seconds a “bounce”. The more people who come and go quickly, the less weight they’ll assign to your page. This is why it’s important to have plenty of photos and interesting content included on your page so even if the viewer doesn’t make a phone call or send an email, at least they spent enough time on-page to show Google your site is a place worth stopping by.

BECOME A TRUSTED INTERNET INTERVIEW

Get yourself out there. Comment on other people’s blogs. Offer up yourself for interviews with industry leading publications. Write guest posts for other sites. All these will help improve your authority and relevance in Google’s eyes.

The last one is something we encourage with our contributor program. Businesses and their marketing point person understand that by being featured on Porch’s pro blog, their pages will rank higher due to the links we provide them on our site and through social media.

SEARCH OUT MAJOR INFLUENCERS

Industry leaders’ names carry weight online because they’re vetted as being established, trustworthy sources on a topic. If you can get them to give a quote about your business or link to you via their site or social media, that can be a big win.

WHAT IF I HAVEN’T TOUCHED MY WEBSITE IN YEARS (OR DON’T EVEN HAVE ONE?)

Good news! There are plenty of great options out there for cheap that will provide a solid foundation for your new SEO ninja skills. Once the basics are in place, build out your content with keywords and the other weapons mentioned above to ratchet up your organic search value.

Should you choose to ignore the powerful influence of SEO in today’s online world, you might still land a lead every now and then via the web, but it will be a tough road if you’re banking on drumming up business through online channels. One thing is for sure though: if you ignore modern SEO tactics, there won’t be much sympathy from your competition, let alone labor friendly Willy Wonka.