Search Engine Optimization is a host of activities directed towards getting your website to rank on the first page of search queries organically without directly paying a search engine for ads. SEO is a process. However, there are a few ways to make it go quicker.
It’s easy to think that SEO is limited to website page optimization, but the truth is that there’s much more to it than that. Email marketing campaigns, Google Ads, excellent social media management, and an online directory presence, such as Yelp, will also help your SEO.
For local brick and mortar businesses, offline activities such as organizing events, joining networking groups, chamber of commerce memberships, and offering the customer experience, are known as offline optimizations and just as important, if not more important.
Here are just a few ideas for you to implement right away to help increase your SEO optimization.
Reclaim your Google My Business (GMB) page to pinpoint your location on Google Maps as it’s an excellent way to get new business within your community and reach tourists. Some other directories you need to be on are Yelp, TripAdvisor (for restaurants and tourism), Yellow Pages, Foursquare, etc.
Make sure your content looks professional and feels personal to your ideal client. Make sure images are relevant to the content and look professional.
Write headlines to capture attention. How-to content is very popular. Using numbers in titles lets people know that the article will be easy to read and includes helpful information. For example, Five Easy Steps to Win at Work.
Make sure all of your content is fresh and up-to-date. Write new content, never copy anything. Go back and rewrite old blog posts. You never know what might show up in the search query, and you want to make sure the content is helpful and relevant today.
For example, let’s say you’re a social media expert and write content to help others improve their Instagram platform. Instagram, and social media in general, changes constantly. A blog article from two years ago may contain information that is no longer relevant today but may show up in search results based on the query. Spend some time each week going through old blog articles.
Create content that people want to share with their friends and family. And make sure you have share buttons on your website that are easy to find.
Well-crafted content will help you rank higher—quality over quantity. Create a positive experience for your audience, both digitally and in real life.
