Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your online content so that a search engine likes to show it as a top result for searches of a certain keyword. When it comes to SEO, there’s you, the search engine, and the searcher.

If you have a business, you likely spend a lot of your time trying to dig up the latest social media marketing tips. And for good reason.

There are now 4.2 billion active social media users—almost twice as many as there were just five years ago. Those users spend an average of 2 hours and 25 minutes on social channels every single day.

SEO and web design work together more seamlessly than many people might realize.

Their components should mingle and work together so well that, when executed correctly, your website visitors should not actually notice anything about what you have created; they should simply start navigating through your site.

How are your competitors using social media? While you don’t want to copy them, learning from what others have done is a great way to reduce your learning curve.

A competitive analysis can help you learn what’s working and what’s not for other businesses like yours.

But before you leap in feet first, remember: every good business strategy starts with a good plan. Yes, you can use social tools for free. But the time and effort involved still represent an investment in your business.

Without a plan, you have no clear goal for what you’re trying to achieve. That means there’s no way to know if you’re getting a return on that investment.