Have you heard people use the acronym "SEO" whilst talking about your website and wondered what they were talking about?! If so, read on to find out what SEO really means.
SEO: What it is and why you need it
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of improving a website's visibility and ranking in search engine results pages. This is done by optimizing the website's technical configuration, content relevance, and link popularity. When a user searches for a keyword or phrase, search engines like Google scan the web to find relevant websites. The websites that are ranked highest are the ones that are most likely to be clicked on by users.
Think about when a potential traveler goes to Google and types in, "Vacation rentals in Destin, FL," you'd want your website to show in these results, right? Well, that's where SEO comes in. The goal is typically to rank on the first page of Google results for search terms that mean the most to your target audience. So, SEO is as much about understanding the wants and needs of your audience as it is about the technical nature of how to configure your website.
Disclaimer:
CiiRUS is not an SEO specialist or a professional SEO company. We're happy to provide suggestions using the tools that CiiRUS offers, but we can't guarantee any specific results.
Reality Check:
It's important to be realistic about SEO. While boosting your SEO can help you improve your website's ranking in search engines, it's unlikely to get you to the #1 spot on Google. However, every effort counts, and even small improvements in your SEO can lead to more website traffic and leads.
How to optimize your website for SEO
CiiRUS offers various tools to help you with SEO which we'll get into in a few minutes. But before we do, let's start with the basics; keywords and listing content.
Using keywords in your listing content
Keywords are important for SEO because they help search engines understand what your content is about. If your website has the right keywords, it'll be more likely to appear in the search results for that keyword or phrase.
In CiiRUS, when you configure your listings be sure to enter keywords within your description by going to:
Owners & Listings
Listings
Listing Assistant
Navigate to "Descriptions" on the menu
Enter Listing Description
Here's some tips for using keywords in listing content to boost SEO:
Do your keyword research. Before you start writing your content, you need to do your keyword research to find out what keywords people are actually searching for. You can use a keyword research tool like Google Keyword Planner to help you with this.
Use your keywords throughout your content. Don't just stuff your keywords into your content. Instead, use them naturally throughout your content so that they flow smoothly. You should also use variations of your keywords so that your content is more likely to be found by users who are searching for different terms.
Use your keywords in your title tag and meta description. Your title tag and meta description are two of the most important parts of your listing content for SEO. Make sure to include your keywords in these two elements so that search engines can easily find your content.
Tools to boost your SEO
Meet with us to build and optimize your website. We can help you pick out a template, discuss content writing, and give you best practices for creating a fresh and modern site.
Enter meta tags and meta descriptions. These are short snippets of text that appear in search engine results pages. They can help users understand what your website is about and encourage them to click on your site.
Frequently add posts to your blog. Search engines value fresh and original content that provides useful information. By regularly adding new blog posts, you can keep your website's content fresh and relevant.
Keep on top of your website reviews. Reviews are user-generated content that can help your site rank higher for relevant keywords, increase your click-through rate, and enhance your authority and trustworthiness.
Click on the hyperlinks in the above list to learn more about each feature in CiiRUS.
All in all...
While SEO isn’t a magic bullet that will instantly get you to the top of Google, it’s still a worthwhile investment. By following best practices and putting in the effort, you can improve your website’s visibility and ranking in search engines, which can lead to increased traffic and leads.