Search engine algorithms come and go, but one thing stays the same: You need a good SEO strategy for your site in order to be found – by search engines and by customers. Not sure your site has what it takes SEO-wise? Here are a few tips to guide your way toward more effective SEO:
- Start from square one. The first and maybe most critical rule: Make sure your website is designed specifically for SEO. Yes, you can retrofit, and if you already have a big site that you really like, that may be the way to go. But if you’re open to a complete redesign from the ground up, you can really maximize your site’s SEO potential.
- Optimize your URLs. Make sure your URLs are structured properly so they can be easily found. That means they need to be relevant to what’s on the page and they should also use keywords when possible. Google has a lot to say on the subject of URLs. (Too technical? Hiring an SEO company lets you focus on your business and your content without worrying about the “tecchy” side.)
- Make sure your site is mobile-friendly. Google has decided to penalize sites that don’t perform well on mobile platforms, so if yours isn’t mobile-friendly, it could be hurting you more than you think.
- Choose your keywords carefully. Even a basic tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner can help you find the terms your customers are using to locate your site – and your competitors’. Once you find them, don’t just stuff them in; use them thoughtfully in content that’s relevant to your audience.
- Use keywords in your links. For instance, when your blog or social post talks about your product or uses one of your site’s keywords, embed it in a link rather than linking meaningless directives like “click here.”
- Get Social. Employing great SEO strategies on your own site is a good start, but in today’s increasingly social world, you need to think beyond the borders of your pages to make sure you’re engaging as many people as possible – and to increase the number of places and ways search engines can find your company. The best way to do that is to make sure you have an active presence on at least one social media platform.
- Use it or lose it. Just like blogs, you need to use social consistently, and make sure your content reflects your brand. Be responsive to readers who make comments, and try to create content that’s engaging. You can also post “teasers” to lead back to longer content on your site.
Making sure your site has the best SEO is no easy task, but it’s vital to your business’ success. Make it easy on yourself: Visit our website, www.somolocal.com, and learn how we can help your site increase its visibility for a healthier bottom line.
