When it comes to boosting web traffic, searching for an Omaha SEO company can be a challenge! As with any industry, there are great companies with lots of experience and there are sub-par companies with little experience and bad practices.

As one of many marketing companies in Omaha, NE we’ve been helping local businesses with their Omaha SEO strategies for nearly a decade!

What is good SEO?

SEO (search engine optimization) is the practice of increasing both the quantity and quality of your website traffic via organic search results. In other words, SEO has the ability to make your website more visible in search engines.

Most importantly, good SEO encourages the right traffic to find and visit your website. More traffic is only good if the visitors are interested in what your website offers.

For example, if you have a swimming pool website only attracting billiards (pool) players, you’re not generating the quality traffic you need for success. When SEO is done well, a website will organically attract relevant traffic to your business. Relevant traffic can eventually convert into customers.

A good “white hat” SEO strategy follows guidelines established by search engines (primarily Google), produces quality content and keeps the user at the forefront.

What is bad SEO?

Bad SEO is like the cheap knock-off pair of headphones you bought in an alley. They were cheap, worked one day and fell apart the next.

This shady strategy is referred to as “Black Hat” SEO and works hard at cheating the system to achieve higher search engine rankings. SEO is an extensive, ongoing and extremely competitive process, so attempting to find ways around it is understandable, but highly frowned upon. Remember - Google knows all!

Is bad SEO really that bad?

YES! “Black Hat” SEO puts your website at risk of a lower search engine ranking or being completely wiped out of search engine results entirely. That alone, makes any quick results simply not worth it. Search engines, like Google, are diligent in their SEO guidelines, and update them frequently to combat bad SEO practices. What might work one day will likely not work another.

How to identify bad SEO.

As a longtime Omaha SEO professional, it’s not uncommon for our business to remedy the “Black Hat” techniques carried out by other service providers.

If you’ve suspected* your SEO strategy isn’t quite what you thought it would be, here are two quick ways to identify poor practices.

1. Irrelevant Keywords
First, a reputable Omaha SEO company will work with your business to build a keyword strategy. Using relevant keywords is what will drive the right traffic to your business and build authority in your website!

Using irrelevant keywords with the intention of gaining any traffic possible, is a bad SEO strategy.

2. Duplicate Content
AKA plagiarism. The internet is a weird, large place with endless content. In the event you discover any of your website content has been stolen from other websites, put up the red flag.

Google rewards high quality, unique and current content, which is exactly what a good SEO company should be producing for your business.

Having an SEO strategy is an important part of your business's online presence. Reputable marketing companies in Omaha, NE (like Omaha Media Group, of course) will be diligent and ethical in the service they provide you, because in the end, your success is their success.

*Disclaimer: Always keep an open line of communication with the SEO professional you’re working with. A true expert will be able to explain the reasoning behind what they’re doing to grow your online traffic. If you suspect something phishy in your SEO strategy, contact your provider first for reasonable insight.