When most people find your website through their browser’s search bar, being visible in the search engine results pages, or SERPs, is key to your business’s success. In the past, business owners may have cut corners to show up at the top of the results, but Google has cracked down on that behavior, so that only quality websites rise to the top. Of course, you can still take a few measures to help promote your website. The art of search engine optimization, or SEO, isn’t dead; it’s just reinvented itself.
Creating Quality Content
There’s no doubt about it, and Google certainly won’t let you forget: your website just isn’t going to do well if you don’t create content that helps the reader. You can no longer cut corners, stuff keywords or use other black-hat tactics to manipulate your search engine rank. In fact, marketers and website owners who did engage in that sort of behavior saw some serious backlash from the search engine in 2011 and 2012. To future-proof your website, you simply have to produce useful content, whether that’s a blog post, an infrographic or a tutorial is up to you, however Read Full Report. For retailers, adding unique item descriptions beyond those that the manufacturer provided is essential to having unique and helpful content.
Aside from content creation, keep content titling in mind, too. Strong titles get people to click on your website in the SERPs. A blog post with a boring title won’t generate clicks, even if the content is useful. Because your title makes up the URL of the page on your site, keep it short — 3 to 5 words — and incorporate keywords in a natural way.
Social Media Activity
Now, more than ever, being active on social media is necessary for good SEO. Not only does this provide a way for you to let your followers know when you’ve added content to your website, but Google is using your shares, likes and retweets to determine the popularity of that content. Furthermore, Google shows content shared on Google+ in search results when users are logged in, so if someone has you in their circles, your posts and photos can show up at the top of their screen. Bing does something similar with Facebook, too.
If you’ve got a profile at LinkedIn, you have another place to use keywords and link to your website because Google indexes that content; however, social media isn’t just about social networks. Don’t forget that your own blog is a place where you can link to your store or main website with natural links. You can also provide extra information to visitors from your blog, proving yourself an expert in your field.
Link Local and Link Often
For brick-and-mortar businesses, Google and other search engines provide a great method to provide information about your business and get clicks. If you haven’t already, claim your listing with Google Places. Upload photos and videos, update hours of operation and add a link to your website where searchers can find more information.
In fact, linking your own websites in every legitimate location is essential to search engine optimization. You might consider reaching out to local businesses and organizations and establishing relationships or asking them to link to your business as a reputable local company. It’s also worth researching if your neighborhood has directories that local consumers browse and adding your website to those.
How can THP Creative help?
Search Engine Optimization and/or making your website compatible with the current “best practices,” SEO might take more effort than you realized. You can depend on THP to lead you through this digital age. Our experience includes cutting edge Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques that will help you gain exposure. Our goal for you includes gaining higher rankings and we have the necessary skills and expertise needed to drive more traffic, convert more sales and increase your ROI.
Call us today to see how we can help you further: 770-483-5973
