New to SEO, looking for advice.

[AlexElks]

Good day.

I am fairy new to SEO and a lot of things about how google ranking works is very confusing to me. For example i do not understand why websites that are not optimized score 1st positions.

Currently i am working on optimizing  http://logiunvarti.lv/ for google.lv. I would like to ask if i am going in the right direction as far as on-page optimization and any kind of suggestion would be very welcome.

Another roadblock i have reached is link building. Latvia is not a big country and most of the websites on similar topic as my are either competitors and are have low domain authority, dead for years, or simply ignore emails. Would social media be a decent alternative?

I feel like i am missing a crucial point on SEO in for my country.  I would be extremely grateful for any advice or if possible to contact me on skype for a better explanation on my problem.

[donsilvernail]

Hello,

I assume from the images on your site that you install and repair windows?

I would start a social media campaign. Promote your blog and website pages on Twitter Google + or Facebook. Use Moz Followerwonk to find influencers on Twitter that you may be able to reach out to.

Non optimized websites may rank higher simply because there is not enough competition or they may have a huge link profile but their content is soft. I have seen this but it is becoming more rare. When you are doing investigative research on a competitor use OSE to see how many links are pointed at the site. You can also use this to see if there is a link opportunity for yourself. Just remember not all links are created equal. If a competitor has 80 links it does not mean you should copy their profile. Maybe only a few are relevant to you and your website or business philosophy and culture.

Keep blogging regularly and using social channels to distribute your content. If competition is light in your country you can seize the opportunity to become a thought leader and own the rankings if you try. Put together a strategy for content and stick to it!

[AlexElks]

Thank you for the response!

Yes the site is about plastic window, door manufacture, install and repair.

Its interesting that using OSE on one of the sites   ( like this one http://www.kapu-pieminekļi.lv/) it shows only one link, and yet the site still ranks 1st for the keyword "kapu pieminekļi".

Question about blogs and social media. How often should i generally add new content to the blog? Which of the 3 social media its preferred to focus on? And how long does it usually take to see an effect on ranking?

[donsilvernail]

AlexElks,

There is no set amount of time you should add content just be consistent with your strategy. I produce content for my blog once a week, however I want to start expanding the terms I rank for. I am starting to produce a strategy that I may post 2-3 times a week. Make sure your content is great and informative.

You should focus on the social media channel that you find most of your customers use. I however always post my blog posts to Google +. There is a real SEO benefit to posting here. Content is indexed much faster and there are other benefits if you pursue building this channel.

Try OSE with that link without the www. and see what happens. Also do searches in private browsing mode. This will give you a better idea of what is really ranking for those keywords. Google tends to return local search results based on IP address. Could be this site ranks #1 because of where you are searching it from.

[TimHolmes]

First port of call is the Beginners guide to SEO from Moz.... it genuinely gives you the best starting point. Along with lots more great articles here in the Learn SEO and Search marketing section of Moz.

Also see if the recent Webinar on how to perform a Website SEO audit from Moz is available yet, it will help you gain some real insight into numerous measurable facets of your site and its outreach.

Finally keep coming back to the Q&A section of Moz, there are lots of real people giving real and genuinely great insight into lots of topics.

Good luck

Tim