We’ve all used search engines before; Google, Yahoo, Bing – these are some of the most valuable tools of our world today, let alone the world of commerce. But, when it comes to search engines, “first come, first served” is the law of the land.
The first results to pop up are the first to grab people’s attention. But, what can you do to make sure that your website makes it to the first search engine results page? That’s the golden question which we’re going to answer in the following article.
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Keyword Frequency
Relevance and quality are two of the major factors that contribute to getting exposure. You can achieve relevance by making sure that certain keywords appear frequently on your website. Putting these keywords in big, bold print can also go long way.
Not only should you try including them in your headings as much as possible, but you should also sprinkle them all over the body of your content. With that said, you should also try to not overdo it either. Your content still needs to be palatable and easy to read so you want to avoid coming across as too “salesy”.
Paying your Way to the Top
You must’ve noticed those ads that show up right below the search tab. They always sit at the very top before the ‘organic’ results appear. These ads gain the most credibility because not everyone has the moolah to get paid ads on Google.
If your business has some surplus, why not reinvest into it by bidding for those all-important keywords? So important are they, in fact, that even if you decide to pay your way to the top, relevance by way of keywords is still considered. Some keywords cost more than others so be careful how you navigate your budget.
Going Mobile
Like we mentioned earlier, search engines are adapting to the times. Technology simply doesn’t stay the same and the Googles and Bings of the world know this all too well. Everything is becoming more and more portable and so it goes with the internet.
Let’s face it; search ranking metrics are not the same as 10 or 20 years ago. The World Wide Web is now mobile, and what that means for your business is that it has to cater to an entire universe of potential customers.
Making your site compatible with mobile phones will work magic for your business and websites that aren’t accessible by cell phone stand to lose a lot of potential customers.
To take advantage of all the traffic offered by going mobile by studying your target market first. Are they the type of people who use cell phones for everything? If you’re dealing with young people, for example, you’ll definitely need to go mobile-friendly, even going as far as making an app that they can install. You should also make sure that your website can deal with different screen sizes.
Tailor-Made Permalinks
Permalinks are those URLs that are permanent and specific to the content on your website. It would do you good to have keywords within these links so as to rank higher than other websites.
For instance, if you have a financial services website, you might want to include that phrase somewhere in the URL, thus letting the algorithm know what you’re all about (relevance).
Description is Everything
Now that you’ve identified your keywords, it’s time to put them to work. Whatever product or service you’re advertising, it needs a description so the customers get a better idea of what they’re getting into.
Originality is key in this respect. If your description is copied and pasted, your website is unlikely to get the time of day. Search engines don’t promote plagiarism. If your description is different from others, your brand will gain legitimacy, your audience will pay attention and your target market will feel you’re offering something unique, even if it’s the same product or service as any other company.
Being distinct from your competitors is important, as I’m sure you already know. A creativity-infused description will only make you stand out even more.
Content is King
If you want to dominate certain keywords, you’ll have to churn out content like a machine. The more content you produce, laden with keywords; the greater your chances are at the search engine putting you first. From the very first page that pops up, to the individual pages for each of your products or services, it should all have the keywords.
Find different angles for this, using the keywords in various ways and means. As a financial services provider for example, you could have articles about financial literacy, debt management or investment strategies, sneaking in your products and services wherever you can, but sparingly so.
Nice and Easy
People don’t like to complicate things, especially shoppers. If something takes too long or requires too much effort, they simply won’t be involved with it. Online shopping is gaining popularity because of its convenience so making your website as simple as possible is crucial.
It shouldn’t take too many clicks to get to your products or services; the attention span of internet users is like that of a goldfish. Once you have their attention, you better not lose it. The more minimalistic your site architecture is; the better. This will also make it easier to update in future.
The Long Haul
Your local SEO strategy is not a one-day thing. To get to the top of a Google search page takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Consider this an ongoing process that needs you to make regular updates. As the digital space continues to develop, search engines are constantly tweaking the criteria for ranking websites and as such, your website will need to adapt to these changes.
How you go about SEO will determine whether your business is a well-oiled machine or not. Updating your strategy will help you keep your current clientele while allowing you to gain traffic to your site without so much as lifting a finger.
Follow these strategies to the letter and your website will soon crash from all the traffic going through it. Happy strategizing!