In this technological age, it’s not surprising that at least 71% of clicks go to the results that exist on the first page of a search engine.
If search engine placement wasn’t a priority for your business before, you might need to rethink your digital marketing strategy.
A business can thrive or falter based on its internet presence and the best way to be seen is by improving your search engine placement, or SEO. This isn’t something that should be taken lightly and is not as simple as it seems.
High-quality SEO can mean high traffic to your website and can turn into a large number of consumers, but how is it that a company can climb the SEO ladder and become a relevant and viable company on the internet?
We’ve created a guide with eight tips and action steps on how to increase SEO and begin to start improving your company or business’s online presence.
1. Content Is the Guiding Force
Posting content on your website that is relevant to your product or business is the first step in improving SEO. This content should not be a lot of fluff sentences that are just there to fill in a word count, but quality articles that are written thoughtfully and with information that has meaning and worth to the topic.
Content should also be published frequently. You can not expect a high SEO if you only post once every six months. Your website will look relevant and fresh if the content in it is updated regularly.
2. The Length of Content
Long form blog posts and articles are the way to go in terms of how to improve SEO. Search engines see longer posts as more likely to be useful and so they will also be more likely to rank it higher.
Short posts can still have a high ranking, but if you’re building a website and business, it could benefit you to post longer blogs whenever possible.
3. Keyword Placement
One of the best ways to make your content relevant and more accessible to the public is the strategic use of primary and secondary keywords. The search engines will use these keywords to locate relatable information.
Keywords that are placed too frequently in the article will be seen by the search engines as overstuffing and actually lower your SEO so be sure to keep the use of the keywords natural and balanced.
4. Including Links
A great way to improve your search engine placement is by including both internal and external links that are related to your website and product.
A great way to include links is working them into the text of your article. Instead of embedding a link in words like “click here”, try using it inside the actual text of an article.
It’s important to note that your links should be both internal and external. This means you should link back to pages on your own website as well as other sites that have web traffic and validity.
Links can help both your page and the page you are linking to in terms of SEO so its a win-win situation.
5. Guest Posting
Guest posting on a more heavily trafficked website can be instrumental in bringing in more readership to your own. It can label your business with more authority and also allow you to reach an audience you might not normally be able to reach.
It’s also useful for your SEO in a more removed way because guest posting can allow you to connect with other small business owners you might not have had previous access to. When you partner with other similar businesses you have the chance to gain more power as a legitimate company.
It has its challenges and limitations regarding the scope of the topics you can write about. The audience also isn’t guaranteed to be useful in creating more customers, but it will help your rankings in terms of SEO and ultimately that is an important tool.
6. Using Video
If this is something that can be used in one of your posts, it should be.
This media generation is much more apt to watching then spending time reading, and if your post includes a video that the reader can share, you have a chance of reaching more people.
Videos can provide dynamic content to your post that allows it to stand out from the rest while being a tool to help engage the audience further.
Also, if the audience is staying on the page longer to watch a video, your SEO ranking will improve.
7. Website Themes and Formats
This is going back to the construction of your website, but it’s important to note that SEO rankings will be improved if the website has an easy and accessible format and theme.
Most website platforms will offer “SEO-friendly” themes and layouts, and this just means that the coding is clean and optimized specifically for search engine use.
When you’re building a website, pick a theme or format that caters to search engines, and they, in turn, will cater to you.
8. Images are Useful
Just like videos, images are extremely helpful in boosting your rankings on the search engines, but can also be a hindrance if not done correctly.
They are visually appealing and can make your post easier to read, creating more traffic. However, if their quality is not stellar and the size is too large, they can slow down the site and lower SEO.
Make sure your images are high quality and do not affect the accessibility of the site. It’s also a good idea to give the images descriptions with keywords or tags.
The Importance of Search Engine Placement
Creating a website that is highly accessible, relevant and well-trafficked is an important if not necessary tool in the wellbeing of your company or business.
SEO rankings are the best way of ensuring that your website sees the audience it needs to be relevant in the marketplace. If you want your company to thrive, search engine placement needs to be a priority.
For more tips and information on improving your online presence and website skills, visit our blog.
