Investing in search engine optimization is the best way to increase the visibility of your website on the internet. When your site appears on the first page of search results, customers are more likely to buy from your business.
Lately, more people are using the internet to find local businesses. This is why SEO is a must-have strategy for every ambitious businessperson. According to the Local Search Association, 87% of prospective shoppers use search engines to find products and services near them.
In the past, you needed to hire a professional to oversee your SEO strategy. Their work involved building a website and finding ways to drive more traffic to it. This has since changed, mostly because the internet has an abundance of specialized tools and tips on how to do SEO yourself and get amazing results.
The following are some of the steps you should follow if you want your business to become visible online.
Invest in Keyword Research and Use Keywords Correctly
Keywords are the phrases that people type into search engines when looking for a particular product or service online. The internet has several tools that can help you identify the keywords used by customers in your area of specialization.
One such tool is the Google Keyword Planner. Although it was intended for running paid ad campaigns, it is also useful for finding keywords that you can use on your site. Once you type keywords that are relevant to your niche, the tool will show how frequently they are used, as well as the amount of competition.
Another platform that is useful for keyword research is Google Trends, as it shows the most popular search terms on the search engine at the time. For example, if you sell electronics, you could type ‘smart TVs’ to see how many people have searched for the term over the past 24 hours, one week, or any other length of time you prefer. This information can help you create content on smart TVs, such as an article about ‘Smart TVs under $300’, ‘latest Smart TVs’, and so forth.
While keywords are useful, they can hurt your website if misused. Google may penalize you if you force keywords into your content to gain a higher rank on search results. Make sure that you use the keywords naturally in your headlines, meta descriptions, image tags, and so forth.
Lastly, if your business targets local customers, remember to include location-relevant keywords in your content. For example, if you deliver foods to homes, include the estates that are served by your company. This is known as local SEO.
Go Local
Besides using local-relevant keywords, you can make it easier for locals to find your business online by listing it in a local search directory such as Google Maps, Yelp, Bing Places for Business, and Local.com, and so on. It is also worth noting that getting listed on these platforms improves your rank on search results.
Make sure that you give detailed information when listing your business on search directories. Your description should include the name of your business, its physical address, hours of operation, and contact information (phone and website). The more details you provide, the higher you rank. Remember to include relevant keywords too.
Additionally, it is advisable to use a consistent format in your listings across various directories. This means that if your address is 3678 Wilson Boulevard on Google Maps, it should be the same across other search directories.
Make it Mobile-First
More than half of internet users access search engines using mobile devices. Moreover, Google uses mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor, meaning that if your website is not optimized for smaller screens, you will rank lower.
Making a website responsive to various devices is no longer effective. If you want to rank high, you should prioritize mobile users since they make up the majority of online traffic.
Conclusion
SEO is always evolving, so it is crucial to keep an eye on the latest best practices to avoid being left behind. Some of the platforms that provide this information include Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Watch, and Moz.com. You can also get useful SEO tools from these websites.
