Over 90% of user experiences start with a search engine. The company at the top of Google® search results has a 33% chance of being clicked. Beyond that, 75% of users acknowledge they never even look at the second page of search results.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a great way to find customers. You probably have a website, but that alone is not enough. People searching for a product or service you offer need to be able to find you. Follow these nine tips and you may soon find yourself at the top of everyone’s search results.
1. Google, Google, Google!
Google offers a number of free services to help prospective customers find your business. Establish accounts with Google Business Profile®, Google Maps®, Google Analytics®, Google Trends®, Google Search Console®, Google PageSpeed Insights®, and Google News®. Start a “news” section on your website and update it regularly. (You do have to subscribe to a paid Google account to become a Google News partner.)
2. Essential Keywords
Sprinkle keywords throughout your site, including infographics and photo captions. Make sure the keywords flow with what you’re writing. Simple keyword stuffing (randomly placing and frequently repeating keywords) will hurt your SEO results. Algorithms now recognize keyword stuffing, to your detriment. The good news is that these algorithms now recognize synonyms, so you can use them as well.
3. Time Matters
Check how long it takes your page to load. If it’s too slow, your prospective customers will give up and look elsewhere. Research shows 40% of visitors will abandon websites that take more than three seconds to load. Of those visitors, 80% will never return to the offending website. If your site is slow to load, remove unused plugins and reduce the size of images on your site.
4. Optimization Matters
Mobile devices are far more popular than desktops, laptops, or other traditional means of connecting to the internet. Over 60% of Google searches originate on mobile phones! Optimization applies to more than just search engines, though. Infographics, photographs, and other visuals are excellent ways of adding interest to your site. Just make sure they’re optimized or compressed so they don’t hinder your loading speed.
5. Break It Up
You may have pages and pages of valuable information to share with your readers, but they’re less likely to read it as one long page. Break it up with appropriate headings so users can scroll directly to what they want to read. It’s more visually appealing, too. Include relevant photographs and infographics for even more visual appeal.
6. Blog to Victory
An easy and effective way to improve your SEO is to add a blog to your website. Keep it relevant and update it regularly. This will help visitors recognize your expertise in your field. It also does wonders for your SEO!
7. Contact Connection
Little irritates users more than finding a company they want to patronize and being unable to communicate with them because of missing or incorrect contact information. Check your contact information on every site you use and keep it current. Make sure your hours and location are correct as well.
8. Share Everywhere
When users share your links on social media, they not only spread the word about your business; they also boost your SEO. Encourage sharing in everything you post. Include the sharing icons to make sharing easier. This also bolsters the public perception that you’re an authority in your subject area. Be sure to include links to all your posts on all your company’s social media accounts as well.
9. Stake Your Claims
Be prepared to support whatever assertions you make and confirm those sources are credible. Include links to the sources you used. This not only verifies your claim, but also enhances your credibility. Be sure to include links to other pages in your website that relate to the information. Routinely check all the links you’ve included to guarantee they’re functioning properly.
Get Started
SEO strategies are here to stay, so get started with these strategies and watch your conversions soar. Take action now to ensure you’re easy for customers to find. For help with SEO, blogging, or any marketing plans, contact The Profit Link today.