1. The SEO Race: Are You Ready?<br />SEO is like a race. This is not because the goal is to be the fastest or the first person to make it to the finish line. In fact, quite the opposite is true. SEO is like running a race because it takes commitment (time) and strength (knowledge) to do it well. Business owners and website operators know that this is a race that they need to take part in to find success online. So tie up your laces and get ready, because the SEO race is one that doesn’t end. <br />SEO Race Step 1: Train<br />The outcome of a race depends on how much the runner prepared for it. In order to train for the SEO race it’s important to have a solid foundation, which is the website itself. An SEO campaign will only result in increased sales and conversions if the website being optimized is of good quality. Just as there is no point in running a race without engaging in proper training, there is no point in putting lots of effort into optimizing a site that is poorly designed and provides a bad user experience. The website structure and navigation should make it easy for a visitor to convert. Strategically placed call to actions should be included on every page. <br />SEO Race Step 2: Stretch and Mentally Prepare<br />A runner’s mindset goes a long way in determining how well they run. The SEO equivalent is doing proper research. The first step is to understand the business goals that a company wants to achieve through its website. This is mostly done by researching the audience and their behavior online. Keyword research is an important component of the process. Missing out on important keywords and keyword phrases can negatively affect an SEO campaign and result in missed sales opportunities. It’s also important to research the competition and use competitor information strategically. <br />SEO Race Step 3: Stay Hydrated<br />Without fluids and essential nutrients in the body, the runner will surely fail. The essential nutrient of an SEO campaign is a well optimized website. Targeted keywords should be incorporated naturally into the content of every page of the site in addition to being included in meta tags, URLs and anchor text links. <br />SEO Race Step 4: The Home Stretch<br />Link building is like the home stretch of a race because it happens last. The research and on-site development and optimization should be done before participating in any link building activities. A website with many relevant inbound links is viewed favorably by the search engines. Link building activities such as document sharing, directory submission, press release distribution, blogging and blog commenting, and video marketing should be done on a consistent basis to build trust amongst a target audience and with the search engines. <br />Sometimes it feels like a race will never end. Well, the SEO race actually doesn’t. The Internet landscape and the search engine algorithms are always changing so it’s important to keep up with trends and continue to make optimization improvements. The SEO race is ongoing, so it’s never too late to jump in and get started. <br />About the Author: <br />Brick Marketing is a Boston SEO company. For more information please call 877-295-0620 or visit http://www.brickmarketing.com. <br /> <br />