SEO is absolutely essential for a modern business. With Google changing its algorithms constantly, however, it can be tricky knowing what to do to make a site show up higher in searches. Here are a few essentials that are all but guaranteed to make a site show up higher on the Google search results page.

1.  A User-First Approach

Google's algorithms are increasingly focused on metrics like engagement and user experience over other aspects of a site. Their spiders, which crawl sites to evaluate their search friendliness, are now evaluating UI and UX fairly comprehensively. That means sites that don’t put the user first are dropping in their rankings.

An SEO agency in Houston can help design and change your site so it’s offering a better overall experience for its users. This will not only increase the site’s effectiveness with users. It will also help it rise in search results.

2.  The Right Keywords

It’s true, the Google algorithm has changed a lot in the past decade or two. But keywords still matter. That’s why any SEO approach needs to think about the right keywords at every step, from initial conception through an ongoing SEO strategy. Finding the right keywords and incorporating them into natural content and code will help Google flag a site geographically so it pushes the site higher for people in that area.

SEO strategies are multifaceted. The right SEO agency in Houston will ensure that keywords are part of every aspect of the plan.

3.  Accessibility

Sites that don’t think about usability tools like screen readers and closed captions are dooming themselves to worse Google search results. While there are best practices and expectations set out by state and federal regulators, making a site more accessible does more than keep it compliant. It helps reach other demographics and rise in the ranks of Google.

4.  Mobile-First Design Elements

Unless you are a true outlier, most people are accessing your site on their phones over their desktops. Therefore, you need to have a mobile-first web design approach to ensure they’re getting the best experience possible. But it isn’t just site users that prefer mobile, Google’s algorithms are now looking at things like speed and mobile-friendly design when evaluating sites. Your SEO agency in Houston will ensure that your site is operating at maximum efficiency to give your potential customers, and Google, a site that they like.

5.  New Content

Static pages drop off the first page of Google extremely fast. Not only do static pages often lose the interest of people, they also become less useful. The result is the rapid drop for static sites. Great SEO strategies for websites think about ways to ensure content is fresh on the site. This can be adding new items to the stores, a content strategy to pack in keywords and keep people clicking and other tactics that keep things exciting and new.

Your Choice for an SEO Agency in Houston

Here at BVM, our team of SEO experts will help your company develop and execute an SEO strategy that works. It’s what makes us the best and most comprehensive SEO agency in Houston.

When people think about search engine optimization (SEO), they often don’t think of it as essential for local businesses. It’s often thought instead as a game for companies that operate globally. The truth is, however, that SEO done right at the local level can be an essential way to find new customers and clients. The best SEO in Houston can connect with local people and get them investing in businesses in their city.

Here are a few ways in which the right approach to SEO can maximize local exposure and help local businesses grow.

SEO Gets You Higher in Search Results

Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way: SEO is the process of getting your site higher in relevant searches on Google and other major search engines. If you’re in the BBQ business and you use the best SEO in Houston, then when someone searches “BBQ Houston,” your business will come up higher than others. It lets you connect with people who are already looking for you.

SEO Increases Local Relevancy

SEO is not just for multinational companies trying to speak to everyone at once. It’s just as useful for companies focused on smaller, localized markets. In fact, the best SEO in Houston can make your business show up when it’s geographically relevant. That way, you’re advertising to people who can come to your store and use your services here instead of accidentally advertising to people who can’t.

Get a Site That Appeals to the Modern User

While Google and similar search engines make keywords an important part of their evaluations, there is an increased emphasis on images and video, which is increasingly how people navigate the internet. The right SEO tactics will increase the quality and experience of your site by adding relevant visual assets that are tagged for Google to love.

Optimize Your Customer’s Experience

Today’s search engine tactics go beyond keyword research and content calendars. They extend into how your site is designed, whether it’s mobile friendly, if it has a simple URL structure and so much more. All of these are carefully evaluated by search engine algorithms, awarding sites that are fast, easy to use and accessible.

SEO done with an experienced agency will improve your site and customer journey at every step, from when they first see your business through conversion. It starts with capturing their attention, but the true power of SEO is in how it makes every stage of the sales funnel better, more efficient and more enjoyable for the user.

How To Get The Best SEO In Houston

If you are serious about rising the local ranks of Google search, then you will need the best SEO in Houston delivered with the help of experts. BVM helps businesses of all sizes develop and implement search engine results campaigns that drive up their rankings and increase their popularity.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an absolute must when it comes to marketing any website. Without the proper SEO tactics being used, a website just isn’t going to get the visibility on search engines it needs to get the traffic it deserves. In fact, 70%-80% of online interactions with customers often come from search engines for websites, so it's important that you get on the first page, as only a single digit percentage of users actually go past the first page of results.

For SEO today, backlinking has taken a hit to trust, due to some shady paid backlink practices of the past. However, with a reliable and trustworthy SEO company in Houston like BVM to back you up, then backlinking can be the key to success on search engines.

What is Backlinking?

In short, backlinking is other websites linking to your website. This is often done because a website, like a blog, is interested in the content you have posted and share it, or analyse it on their own website, linking back to yours. It can also be done through guest posts on other websites, or just working on marketing and networking skills and doing link shares with reputable websites. However it is done, as long as it is legit and organic it can help boost rankings on search engines like Google.

Are Backlinks Still Important for SEO?

Yes, backlinks are still very important for SEO. Google has internal builds where they have tested removing backlink ranking and found that the search results were heavily affected in a negative way. Backlinks help build up the trust of your website in the eyes of the Google search algorithm, as long as the websites linking back are trusted themselves. An SEO company will use their connections and networking to get you access to trusted backlink providers.

How is a Backlink Source Trusted?

Sites that are backlinking to your website are considered trusted if they are following the rules of SEO, and not taking part in any shady practices. This often means websites that have a lot of poor or duplicate content, will not be trusted. Also, sites known for doing paid backlinks, having low domain authority and rank on Google, or manipulating search engine algorithms will also be considered untrusted.

How to Find Trusted Backlink Providers?

There are a few different methods you can take in order to find yourself a trusted backlink provider. First of all, if you have hired a trustworthy and experienced SEO company in Houston, they will do all the backlink networking for you, as they will have contacts with various websites already that can provide places for putting guest posts and other backlink styles.

Natural link building is a relatively passive method of gaining backlinks: provide interesting content, and other websites will want to link to it in their own blog posts when creating content for themselves. Social media sharing is the most common form of natural link building these days.

Influence outreach is another strategy; finding reputable websites and reaching out with email marketing to them to convince them to feature your content on their site.

Guest posts are the other most common method, writing guest posts for other websites, submitting them, and putting a link back to your website on those posts. Websites focused on quality content such as professional blogs will love to use unique content from you, for an exchange of linking back.

SEO Company in Houston

If you want the hassle taken out of building up backlinking to your website, then contact BVM, an SEO company in Houston, today. We can help build up your website trust ranking and provide you with SEO services such as backlinking to help to boost website traffic.