Few things are more frustrating as a small business owner than taking the time (and money) to write and build a website but not get any visitors.
That’s where SEO comes in.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is essentially the way to make search engines (particularly Google) like your website. The more they like you, the more your site will show up when people are searching for your services.
Read on to learn five SEO tips to improve your SEO efforts.
1. Do Your Keyword Research
One of the first things any search engine optimization project needs is a list of keywords to work from. Keyword research can lead you down myriad rabbit holes, so it’s important to have a plan before you start.
There are a number of paid tools out there to help you do keyword research, such as Moz and SEMRush, but your best bet starting out is to just look at your Google Analytics data.
Some of the things you want to keep in mind for keyword research data are:
- Search volume: How many searches are being done on this term?
- Competition: How many other sites are ranking for these words?
- Keyword difficulty: How hard is it to rank for this keyword?
Once you identify your keywords, you’ll need to start using them naturally on your website. The days of keyword stuffing are over, so you’ll want to use them sparingly. Try them in your H2 headers and once or twice every 500 words or so.
2. Get Those Backlinks
Another thing that Google looks at when determining where your site will rank in searches is how many other credible websites link to yours.
Links from other sites that point to your site are external links, while the links on your site that link to other places on your site are internal links. Both of these are important for building credibility, which helps boost your SEO.
3. Refresh Your Content
Check Google Analytics to see which pages on your website get the most views via search results and social media. For now, start with the top five pages that aren’t your homepage.
Is there something you can add to these pages? For example, have there been new studies or research done on your topic? Can you add a few more list items to your listicle blog?
One of the things Google likes to see is new, refreshed content on websites. Once you get through the top five pages, you can continue to repeat this process as often as possible.
4. Make It Mobile
If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, it’s not SEO-friendly, either. 56% of internet users do their web browsing on a mobile device, making it extremely important to give them a great user experience on your site.
The good news is that most software sites are built on (like WordPress or Squarespace) have very easy-to-use tools to create mobile versions of sites.
5. Be On The Lookout For New SEO Tips
As you may have noticed, SEO is a neverending learning experience. Once you think you’ve got it down pat, Google changes their algorithm, and presto! All of the SEO tips you thought you knew are irrelevant.
One of the best things you can do is find a handful of blogs or podcasts about SEO or content marketing that really speak to you. They’ll be a great source of information that’s easy to understand when major changes happen.
You’re Ready To Go With SEO!
SEO is an absolutely crucial part of any marketing strategy. After all, what good is a website if no one can find it?
We hope these SEO tips were helpful to you. We know this all can be a lot to take in and to keep up with, and we’d love to help you! Contact us today to get started.