Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical to any website that wants to be found on search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. But, did you know that some SEO techniques will actually hurt your rankings? Or worse, could get your site labeled as spam or de-indexed (removed) altogether?

SEO “best practices” are constantly changing as search engines like Google continue to evolve their algorithms to show the most relevant results to their users. There was once a time when websites could cheat the system, in a way, by stuffing their site full of rich keywords or exchanging links with other sites. Several years ago, search engines started cracking down on sites that were using techniques like those and the game changed. Well, the game continues to change today (and tomorrow), and there are still far too many SEO companies that promise to make your site number one on Google by using strategies that can actually hurt your site in the long run.

So, what CAN you do to improve your search engine rankings?

The short answer is actually really simple: you should have a well-designed and easy to navigate website, with relevant, engaging, high-quality content that your customers are searching for.

Here are a few basic principles, direct from Google:

• Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines.
• Don’t deceive your users.
• Avoid tricks intended to improve search engine rankings. A good rule of thumb is whether you’d feel comfortable explaining what you’ve done to a website that competes with you, or to a Google employee. Another useful test is to ask, “Does this help my users? Would I do this if search engines didn’t exist?”
• Think about what makes your website unique, valuable, or engaging. Make your website stand out from others in your field.

For more, start with this helpful article from Google: Steps to a Google-friendly site

Clear Image offers SEO services to help you improve your website content and flow so that more customers can find your business. Contact us today to get started.