When it comes to SEO, there are so many different methods that you can use to augment your website. Everything from blog posts to updated meta descriptions will help show your site to more consumers, but what techniques should you be using to help your site? This guide will take you through some of the most common techniques used to increase SEO for your website.
1. What are people looking for?
Without the knowledge of what people are actually searching for, it’s not possible to effectively optimize your website. It is best to begin optimizing for terms that are common with your business. For example, a contractor would optimize for house building and not car sales. The easiest method is to type in a keyword that is related to your business and see what Google shows you. Google will autocomplete searches with the most common topics searched. Optimizing for auto-complete searches is a great way to bring in more customers that are searching for a topic that is close to what your business has to offer. Starting with common words is smart as it will not be overwhelming, and you will be targeting consumers that are interested in what you have to offer.
2. Links are important
One of the main factors in Google rankings is links. Links are sites that link to your site. These are of utter importance as they create a sense of trust between your website and Google. When a site links to yours, it is signaling to Google that it trusts your site. Google will, in turn, be more likely to show your site in search results. Sites with more trust are seen as more relevant and are more likely to be shown to consumers.
Links may seem hard to come by, but they are easier to obtain than you may think. The easiest way is to create your own content. Content that relates to a heavily searched topic will be more likely to be linked on other sites than content that is extremely specific. It is key to have an equal mix of general and specific content to optimize for both search results and engagement for your main audience. Another great way to obtain links is to write testimonials for companies with which you have worked before. This is a win-win situation as the company for which you write the review has another recommendation and you get to use the link on your website for optimization.
3. Content is your friend
Content is one of the main factors in optimizing your website. New and engaging content will help to show Google that your website is both active and relevant. Content that has 300 words or more is best suited for your site, as it is more likely to be seen. Ranking on the first page is more difficult and requires longer content, typically 1000 words or more. This helps to show Google that your site is an authority on your topic.
Creating content in different categories is also a great method for optimization. Many people think that content only consists of words; however, it also includes videos, social media posts and more. Videos are easily shareable and easier to consume. Repurpose old content to use it to your advantage. Content that is already on your site may be outdated as trends change every few months, if not more often. Changing your old content into new mediums is a great option also. Converting old words into an e-book or downloadable presentation on your site will spark new life and get it ranking again in search results.
4. Meta descriptions and headlines are key
The meta description and headline are the first things a user sees when they come across a search result on Google. While the meta description may not be the largest factor in SEO, it is still quite important. The meta description is what you will use to draw users onto your site. The metric used most commonly with your meta description is click-through rate. This is a percentage of people that have come to your site out of the total number of people that saw your website in a Google search result. Your meta description is key to improving your CTR as the more characters out of 100 your description is, the more likely it is to be clicked on. Including your keyword in your meta description will also help to let Google know what your page is about. The meta description for your pages needs to be catchy enough for people to click on but also needs to contain relevant information for search engines. Creating an equal balance can be intimidating, but using common terms that include both information and attention-grabbing text will help bring people to your site.
Our Thoughts
SEO may seem daunting, but the key is to focus on one area first, then move to the many others as to not get overwhelmed. It is important to know what methods will work best for optimizing your website. Some sites may work better with updated blogs, while some may work more effectively with more links. This all depends on the type of site and the site’s main purpose. Links are great for building trust and making your site an authority. Having longer content will help your page be seen on the first page of search results. However, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that your meta description is the first thing people see when your site is shown on Google. Make sure to write a description that is both catchy and informative. SEO may
seem impossible, but if done correctly, your website will be seen by more people than ever before. Let the experts determine the best course of action for your site’s optimization. Schedule a consultation today.