With over a billion websites in existence, you may be wondering how to get your business website noticed. Whether you’re an avid blogger or a small business owner, getting search engines like Google and Bing to notice you may seem like a daunting task.
But, standing out in a crowd of endless websites isn’t impossible. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing the amount of web traffic your site receives. SEO isn’t a stand-alone process, however. It encompasses numerous strategies and tactics designed to improve your website’s rankings on search engines.
If you’re ready to expand your business, grab a cup of coffee and a pen and paper, and begin building your bulletproof SEO plan.
Keywords, Keywords, Keywords
If there’s one thing to know about SEO, it’s keywords. Simply put, keywords are ideas, phrases, and words that define what your content is about. They are important because they tell Google what your page is about. For example, if you own a fish shop, you might want to rank for “bass.” With this in mind, you’ll want to use similar keywords, such as, “fishing,” “fish,” and “fishing pole.”
It’s important to remember not to overuse keywords, as incessant repetition can upset both users and Google. So, be sparing with your keywords, and use LSI keywords (related terms/synonyms) and other variants to lure in organic traffic. Doing so will help you rank well on Google while also increasing your website traffic and sales.
Get Authoritative!
When we say authoritative, we don’t mean turning into a ruthless ruler who doesn’t take no for an answer. For SEO purposes, authority refers to the credibility of your website. The New York Times has a lot of authority; MyAwesomeBlog.com… not so much. Your goal is to show Google your website is a trusted source of information.
To gain authority, you need to start building links. Link building should be included in every SEO plan. It’s the process of getting major websites like news sources or popular blogs to place your link on their website. This will show Google you’re trusted by others and will also direct traffic to your site as users click your link.
Think Local
The new wave crashing on the shores of digital marketing is local SEO. With more and more people using mobile devices, you want to pop up on location-based searches to bring customers right to your door. Local SEO aims to help your business get found when someone makes a search using geographic qualifiers such as zip code, city, state, or “near me.”
If you want your business to become the next big success story, you need to increase your localized presence. To do this, add your street address, city, state, and county to your list of keywords when you write blog posts or add new pages.
Produce Compelling Content
Poorly written content that fails to provide useful information will send visitors away. Conversely, overly complex content that’s hard to understand will leave people clicking the back button and hopping to a new page. Google calls this “pogo-sticking,” and it’s frowned upon by this search engine giant.
To rank well on Google, you need to produce content that engages readers, answers important questions and leaves them satisfied. This means using the right dose of keywords that reads naturally both to the reader and to Google, while providing value-adding information that actually answers a user’s query—which is no small feat.
If you find yourself wasting too much of your own time writing product pages or blog posts, you can outsource this workload by hiring a freelance writer who can improve your website’s content while you focus on other business needs.
Looks Matter
We hate to say it…but looks matter (at least when it comes to website design). Your website could have the best content on the web, but if you have poor web design, it’ll be forgotten about in a jiffy. If Google can’t read what’s on your web pages, it’s safe to assume users can’t either.
To enhance user experience, your site should boast fast load times, interactive elements, and readable text that keeps users on the page. Whether you run an e-commerce business or own a small jewelry shop, optimizing web design will make content accessible to both search engines and users.
Get Social
There’s plenty of debate around whether social signals factor into Google’s search algorithm. Marketers are still unsure about whether SEO and social media channels are connected. However, it should be noted that likes, shares, and views on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram do play some sort of factor in improving your brand’s presence. So, actively using social media can increase your web traffic, even though we’re still unsure as to how Google factors this into their latest algorithm.
With that said, social media is still a powerful tool to help boost your business, and utilizing social media marketing tools can help deliver content to reach a larger audience.
Takeaways
Improving your site’s ranking on Google and other search engines will take some blood, sweat, and tears. But, by incorporating these tactics into your SEO plan, your business will enjoy a substantial boost!