Before we level up your SEO game, let’s first take a quick look at what SEO is.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. – Moz
SEO moves quickly because the internet moves fast. Your digital marketing strategy is not really complete unless you have SEO deeply implemented into it. You can use a digital marketing agency to implement the best tools into your business to increase SEO in the best way possible. An agency of experts will boost SEO and increase brand awareness.
When you are considering which SEO agency to work with, (and you really should work with one in your industry – for example, an SEO expert for dentists in the dental industry, or SEO for coffee shops etc.), there are things that you can do to deepen your own understanding of SEO and how it works.
How To Take Your SEO Game To The Next Level
Optimizing your website for the search engines will increase your chances of ranking in one of the top spots. Those top spots are the ones that are most likely to get the traffic and conversions too. Because, logically, to a consumer, the top results are the ones that are going to answer their question, or show them the product they are looking for.
While these tips will help you get started, you should consider finding the right SEO company to work with on a fuller SEO strategy.
Understand the Latest Techniques
This is a key factor in knowing what the right thing for your website is. The chances are high that you have already got a digital marketing plan in place. If you have done that right, it will include social media, content marketing, and you’re keenly watching your analytics too. But SEO is a continuous process, and algorithms are changing and updating all the time. Which means something that works one year might miss the mark the next.
A big part of SEO is being on point with techniques, tools, and best practices. Which is where SEO consultants step up to the plate.
Practice Patience
One of the things that many companies forget is that great SEO is the seed, and seeds take a while to bloom. Overnight results aren’t something you are likely to see in SEO, and you would be remiss in getting discouraged days after implementing SEO.
Optimizing a website to bring in those higher rankings takes time, and the biggest results are likely to be seen months down the line. You will see an increase in traffic over time, so it is easy to monitor the improvements. You’ll also start to see more conversions and generate more leads.
[Tweet “SEO is not an overnight success process. Optimizing your website takes time, with the biggest results likely seen months down the line.”]
Be Careful Not To Over Optimize
There is such a thing as being over-optimized. It is obvious when a company has decided to go down the route of keyword stuffing. In the end, this will be detrimental, and you will be penalized by Google for it. And, copy that is stuffed always reads poorly. Which brings us to the next few points.
Provide Valuable Content for Humans
The content that you publish should be outstanding. Not just in terms of hitting all of the keywords, but in terms of value for the reader. If you have a great website, but your content is shoddy, too short, or covering the same content over again, SEO will likely not help conversions. Writing for your reader is always better than writing for the search engines – because the search engines will recognize it.
Your keywords should be woven naturally into the text, and you can use a range of videos, images, links, and infographics to add to the story. If you are creating valuable content, you will find people want to share or interact with it.
Publish new content regularly, update your high ranking old content, and up your authority.
Research Keywords
If you have an idea for an article, use some online tools to help you work out which keywords are going to be the best ones to use. You can, of course, use the ever popular Google Keywords Tool. However there are other options that you can look into:
- Keyword Sheeter: pop a word in the box and hit ‘Sheet Keywords.’ It mines Google Autocomplete and will give you what people are looking for.
- Keywords Everywhere: an add-on for Chrome, which adds search volume and cost-per-click information.
- Answer the Public: aside from looking cool, it will give you details about what people are searching for, and presents its findings in image form, with a hand CSV download options.
Keyword research can lead you to produce your most valuable and high-traffic content ever. When combined with the know-how of an SEO expert, you will see an increase in organic search relatively quickly.
It is important to note that you can leverage keywords in local SEO too. You can head to your AdWords account, ‘search new keywords, and ad group ideas,’ enter the main product or service keywords, remove the default targeting and specify your location. Click ‘Get Ideas’, and presto – high impact local SEO.
Think ‘User First’
You might think your website is easy to navigate. But the chances are either you built it or worked with the company who did. You need to be sure that users can navigate their way around your website quickly and easily. A good navigation system, with the right links in the right places, will encourage people to stay on your website longer. They’ll stay because they want to, not because they couldn’t find what they were looking for.
Showcase your best products, services, or content in a sidebar. Or, post them somewhere visible to keep readers and customers clicking. It is a good idea to get strangers (to your site) to navigate thru to see if your site is in fact user-friendly. What is simple and obvious to you and your site designer might not be so obvious to people visiting your site.
[Tweet “It is a good idea to get strangers (to your site) to navigate thru to see if your site is in fact user-friendly. What is simple and obvious to you and your site designer might not be so obvious to people visiting your site.”]
Check for Speed
There are few things as annoying as a website that takes an age to load. The problem is, an ‘age’ in terms of your website is actually a matter of seconds. If your website takes more than 5 seconds to load, no matter how great it is, you’ll be labeled as slow by Google. Take some time working on the suggestions you will get from Google PageSpeed Insights, and increase the speed.
Bottom Line
While these tips will help you on your way to creating a high-traffic website, SEO is a skill. The right SEO consultant will be able to implement this list, in-depth, and so much more.
They will be the ones up to date with all of the algorithms, and changes that you need to implement ahead of time. A good SEO consultant is worth their weight in conversions and then some. Just remember, always follow best practices, create content worth talking about, and you’ll see improvements week in and week out.
Ciao,
Miss Kemya