SEO, or search engine optimization, can be the difference between driving in traffic and seeing little results for your business website. To keep up with the changes in Google’s algorithm updates, it’s important to make sure your website is being optimized appropriately. In this blog post, we’ll cover 7 ways you can increase your website’s SEO and help your business rank higher in Google searches.
1. Have a mobile responsive website
Having a mobile-responsive website means that users will be able to view and use your website on multiple devices and platforms, from smartphones and tablets to desktop computers. If you’re not planning on having a mobile-friendly site, you should; after all, nearly 57% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices. A responsive design helps with the user experience and in turn, boosts your website’s visibility SEO-wise. Google has stated that they now consider mobile friendliness as part of their ranking algorithm, which makes it even more important for websites to be optimized for mobile viewing.
2. Use the right keywords
Words mean things! In fact, words mean everything! Crafting an effective headline is key to improving your website’s SEO. Search engines like Google use keywords in headlines to figure out what topics a piece of content is about. Some keywords hold more search volume than others. Using a database like Google Search Console allows you to see what other people are searching for, giving you better insight on what keywords to use. You can lace keywords throughout body copy and web pages. However, don’t stuff all your keywords into your webpage/blog title; search engines hate that. It’s a fine balance, but you can always experiment to see what works best for your site.
3. Add ‘suggested for you’ and ‘how to’ section
Adding more pages to relevant sections (especially in website optimization) will help Google know that your site is a valuable resource on its topic. Ideally, you should add one page from each category: homepage, articles, images and more. Note: WordPress will not let you edit categories directly; however, you can choose new ones for existing posts. For example, if you have a post about website optimization tips, add it under ‘Website Optimization’. If it’s about improving conversions with web design changes, place it under ‘Conversion Rate Optimization’. You may need to create new pages before you can add them as suggested content. This helps Google understand your website better.
4. Create content relevant for your audience
Be sure that every piece of content you create is relevant and valuable to your target audience. If it’s not, make revisions or remove it completely. When creating content, consider things like search terms, titles and descriptions. If you can nail these three things in each piece of content you produce, users will be able to find what they’re looking for with ease. With time and effort, search engines will learn which pages on your site are most popular and rank them accordingly. The end result? More traffic from Google and other important search engines.
5. Use and effective internal linking structure
This is a common misconception when it comes to website optimization. In fact, creating more links doesn’t necessarily improve search engine rankings and lead generation; instead, what matters most is creating unique and relevant content for each individual page on your site. While it may seem counterintuitive, you should actually avoid linking from one page to another as much as possible. Links are naturally powerful tools for improving website optimization, but too many will dilute their effectiveness—and create an unappealing user experience in the process. Instead of relying on internal links, focus on adding value with new and useful information that users can easily find through Google searches.
6. Run online ad campaigns like Google Ads
Everyone wants leads, clicks, and increased conversions, but those things don’t magically happen. You have to work for them. You can do that by running online ad campaigns that target potential customers on popular sites like Facebook and Google. Once you know what keywords are associated with your products or services, use AdWords and Facebook Ads Manager to display relevant ads based on those terms. That will help drive more traffic—and ultimately more sales—to your website. For example, if you run a restaurant and want to attract new customers, set up an ad campaign in which your business appears when people search for restaurants near me. Or if you run a clothing store, set up an ad campaign that targets people who search for casual Friday outfits. The point is: Use these tools strategically to get in front of as many prospects as possible. And keep testing!
7. Have clear calls-to-action (CTA)
No matter how much content you have, if there’s nothing prompting your readers to take action, they’ll likely bounce right off your page. You want as many of them as possible to engage with you in some way (subscribe, email you for more information, purchase) so it makes sense that search engines consider that a factor in deciding what ranks higher in search results. In order for those CTAs—call-to-actions—to be effective, however, they must be clear and simple. Use clear language like Subscribe Now or Learn More instead of something vague like Get My Free Ebook. The clearer your call-to-action is, the better chance you have at boosting engagement from potential customers.
How to Get Started
While these tips are just a brief introduction to improving your SEO, there is so much more that can be done! You may know that implementing an SEO strategy will not bring overnight results. But as you closely monitor and evolve your strategy, you will see positive changes in the long run. Contact the SEO experts at Social Spice Media to set yourself up for SEO success! Call 805-482-8312 or fill out our contact form to get started.
