Technology changes rapidly and searches engines are getting smarter and smarter. There is a reason why Google is the market leader in search engine results. They apply very smart and intelligent algorithms that make sure that Internet users receive the most useful and relevant search results within a blink of an eye.
Long are the times are gone where you could easily manipulate websites and web pages to be shown on the top of the results. It is astounding that a lot of business owners (including language schools) hold on to outdated strategies of the past and have unrealistic expectations when it comes to being ranked in search engine results.
First things first: what is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and what is the difference between Search Engine Marketing (SEM)?
There are two very different ways to be found in Search Engine results: paid advertising that gives you instant visibility, for example, using Google Adwords or Bing Ads – this is known as SEM, Search Engine Marketing and can be controlled by your marketing budget and gives you the most flexibility as you can rank instantly for any desired keywords you like to be shown.
On the other hand, you have SEO, Search Engine Optimization that is also known as organic – free – placement in the search engines. SEO is NOT instantly possible. And that is where a lot of business owners are confused. It is NOT possible to be ranked in the top 10 search results within a few days or weeks just because you have simply published a website or a webpage with a title like “Best Language School INSERT_YOUR_TOWN_HERE.”
This was maybe possible 10 years ago, where it was just enough to create a website with a few pages and never touch it again. In 2018 and beyond, Search Engines are now ingenious and evaluate the ranking and relevance of your language school website based on a lot of factors that are based on REAL USER experiences.
Here are a few factors that are very important to be ranked naturally high in search engines. All of those factors require an extensive amount of work and time commitment that is usually impossible to be done all by “yourself.”
Google and other search engines evaluate how up-to-date your website is, not by “keywords” alone. Your language school website might talk about what cultural experiences your language students can have by visiting and booking the next language travel with you. There are two parts of the content that you need to know…
