Everyone with any connection to owning, building or operating a website is familiar with the term “SEO,” and for good reason: The way a website handles SEO affects the site’s discoverability, and therefore, its profitability.
SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” Much like the Holy Grail, everyone seeks perfect SEO, but the pathway to the prize is arcane at best; inscrutable at worst. Sometimes, specialized knowledge in coding and site development are required, but almost anyone can become an “SEO expert” with a little time and experience. It’s not an overnight process, but it’s doable.
Here are a few basics to get you started.
Three questions lie at the heart of SEO:
Can Google access all areas of my website?
Can Google understand what I offer, how and to whom?
Can the people who visit my site find what they’re looking for quickly and easily, and does it meet their expectations/needs?
The first question is answered by the site’s technological framework. It’s a developer issue. If you use a pre-built back end (like WordPress), most of the technology-related SEO has already been accomplished before you do a thing. Just don’t screw it up. If you’re going to hand-code a site, make sure you — or the designer you hire — is up on the latest Google gripes.
The second question relates to content — all content with which consumers will interact. That may include video, images, text and audio. When people search for specific kinds of content, Google wants to be able to show them exactly what they’re looking for. If you’ve got it — and Google can find it — you’re ahead of some competitors.
In an image-heavy industry like adult, don’t forget how big an influence text can have on search engines. Make sure every image carries a default tag and a description. Otherwise, all Google sees is a blank spot. Adding consumer-visible text can be helpful, too. Consider adding a blog, do-it-yourself section, written Q&As with performers, or other appropriate copy to give Google something else to play with.
The third question is arguably the most important of the three, because it encompasses user experience. UX is an enormous factor in Google’s search algorithm, and it likely will grow in importance. Providing a good user experience is complicated, but if you start with what you’d expect to find at a website like yours, you’ll be on the right track. Make sure you give your users what you promised they’d find, and do it in a way that’s easy for them to navigate. Fancy bells and whistles are nice, but if they don’t enhance the UX, they’re worthless. Sometimes, simpler is better.
This is just an overview of SEO basics. In practice, SEO can be extremely complex. In a highly competitive industry like adult, SEO can make or break a website’s success, but with a little knowledge and practice, it’s not beyond the do-it-yourselfer’s reach.
