Bring your website back to life with help from Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
I'm sure you've seen the meme that says the best place to hide a dead body is on the second page of Google search results. While it's funny, it's also true. Most research indicates that 95 percent of all search traffic comes from the first page. That number should amaze and scare you. If your site isn't on page one, there’s a good chance that no one is finding you. Google has made you a ghost... you need SEO!
A little bit of search engine optimization (SEO) can go a long way towards boosting your organic search traffic. If you need to bring your website back to life, here are ten tips for improving your SEO:
- Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. This step is crucial because if you don't understand your customer and where he or she is coming from, it's going to affect the rest of your SEO efforts. You need to know who your target audience is, what they like, and how they search. Speak to them in a voice that they can relate to – and give them content they actually want.
- Consider your keywords. Google Keyword Planner is a quick and easy way to find the right keywords for your business. Place keywords in your page titles, sub-headers, alt tags, meta description tags, and URLs. For shorter content, keep specific keyword mentions to two to three times. If you have a page with more content, you can go up to four to six. Also remember that long-tail keywords are helpful because they are less competitive.
- Make content a priority. Google loves good content. You need to speak directly to your audience while being thorough and original. Figure out a way to produce new content for your site consistently – either through blogs or new pages. Answering frequently asked questions is a terrific way to build up solid content. Think outside the word-box, too; videos and graphics can draw customers in and encourage them to hang around. Great content will also lower your bounce rate, which Google tracks, too.
- Build up your links. Both internal and external links are fantastic for your site. Internal links are easy, but you probably need to develop a strategy for building up your external ones. You can reach out to business partners and bloggers, or contribute to sites that are relevant to your industry. You can even use software to track mentions of you on the internet, and then request a link every time someone talks about you. As you build up good links, make sure you do routine housekeeping to remove the ones that no longer work.
- Have a mobile-friendly, speedy site. Google really wants your website to be mobile-friendly, and it will reward you (in ranking) if it is. It also hates slow sites, so make sure your site functions well and doesn't take too long to load.
- Amp up your social media game. Get followers on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and other social media sites. Google pays attention to how active you are in these areas.
- Encourage customers to review you on Google. Everyone loves reviews, and Google is no exception.
- Utilize local listings. Make sure all of your locations have local listings on sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. Search engines are focusing more and more on local results, so make sure your presence is known.
- Stay on top of analytics. Google Analytics allows you to track conversions and geographic data, as well as referrers and bounce rates. By knowing where people are coming from, what they are doing, and how long they are lingering, you can make better decisions on where to focus your SEO time and energy.
- Stalk your competitors. I'm not saying that you physically need to follow them, but you should do some research to see where they are showing up in search engine results – and why. If you know their SEO strategies, you can adjust yours accordingly.
If your website has been declared “DOA” by Google, we can help. We personalize SEO strategies based on the needs of our clients and their industries. Give yourself new life by contacting Conveyance today.