As an online copywriter, I am a multi-faceted nerd. In addition to my grammar, spelling, and word-usage nerdiness, I also go gaga for SEO content. For those who don’t know, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it just means “doing whatever it takes to be on the first page of Google/Yahoo Search/Bing when someone searches for my organization.”

SEO was easy ten years ago. If a consumer searched for “pedicure Atlanta,” all the businesses who put those two words on their page were at the top of the search list. As you can imagine, this made the content on websites incredibly repetitive and boring. The engineers behind search engines soon figured this out, and the rules have been changing ever since.

Today, in order to climb to the top of the SEO ladder, your organization must be part of an online conversation. People must link to your site from other sites or from social media. They must find the things that you post interesting and compelling.

Now, words mean more than ever. The big SEO companies use copywriters and designers to produce memes, blog posts, social media posts, and other content to get consumers to link back to the client’s website. With each click to the main site, the company has another potential customer, and higher SEO ratings.

Example of Internet Meme, thanks Ryan Gosling!

SEO is more than ensuring your customers can find you on Google. It’s about making a connection with your market, engaging them in a conversation that relates to both of you. Your consumers are online and looking for a conversation. Engage with them, and build lifelong connections and loyal customers.