We are contacted by many potential clients that have great ideas but lack overall planning for their products or services when it comes to the basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The adage of building it and they will come has not been successful for quite some time. Companies spend a great deal of time and resources to enact their digital strategy and online presence. It is often in these basic steps that many organizations fail to produce a quality online revenue stream. At Growthogy, we can increase conversions and consumer engagement, but it is often a surprise to clients how much time we must spend on SEO to get them the desired results. We decided to write this article to discuss some of the basics of SEO to help some of the do-it-yourselfers that are just starting to build an online brand.
What Is Search Engine Optimization?
Search Engine Optimization is a process of choosing the most appropriate targeted keywords and phrases that relate to your site. Keywords can ensure that your site ranks highly in search engines which allows consumers to search for specific phrases and find your website. SEO involves planning out content, images, and link building in regard to your site. The most popular search engines are Google and Bing. Search engines continue to evolve, and the changing of ranking algorithms make SEO a difficult task for beginners. A search engine may use hundreds of factors while ranking sites that continually changes the weight of certain ranking factors.
If you are unable to do the research and choose keywords and work on your own search engine ranking, you may want to hire someone such as Growthogy to work with you on these issues. Search engine marketing and promotion companies will look at your site and make recommendations to increase your search engine ranking and website traffic. If you wish, they will also provide ongoing consultation and reporting to monitor your website and make recommendations for editing and improvements to keep your site traffic flow and your search engine ranking high.
SEO Planning
Focus On More Than Just the Homepage, Keywords, and Titles
Search engine optimization and better rankings cannot keep your customer on your site or make a purchase. This is referred to as the click-through rate (CTR). The click-through rate is the ratio of users who click on specific links versus total users who view a page. Many companies use CTR as a measure of success for their digital strategy. A more engaging website will ensure that consumers get interested in your products or services and stay on your website. The best strategies offer a buyer journey that is engaging and ultimately leads to a sale.
Use Keywords in Page Titles
It is recommended to use keywords in page titles. The actual text you use in the title tag is one of the most important factors in how a search engine may decide to rank your web page. In addition, all major web crawlers will use the text of your title tag as the text they use for the title of your page in your listings.
If you have designed your website as a series of websites or linked pages and not just a single Home Page, you must bear in mind that each page of your website must be search engine optimized. The title of each page i.e. the keywords you use on that page and the phrases you use in the content will draw traffic to your site. The unique combination of these words and phrases and the content will draw customers using different search engine terms and techniques, so be sure you capture all the keywords and phrases you need for each product, service, or information page.
The most common mistake made by small business owners when they first design their website is to place their business name or organization name in every title of every page. Most of your prospective customers do not bother to know the name of your organization until after they have looked at your site and decided it is worth bookmarking. So, while you want your business name in the title of the home page, it is probably a waste of valuable keywords and space to put it in the title line of every page on your site. Putting keywords in the title will help optimize your site and rank higher in search engine listings.
Understanding Your Target Customer
If you design a website you think will attract clients, but you don’t really know who your customers are and what they want to buy, it is unlikely you are making much revenue. Your digital strategy is an extension or replacement of a brick and mortar storefront. Static websites are a thing of the past. In order for visitors to become customers, there must be a buyer journey and increased engagement.
You can send an email to your existing clients and ask them to complete a survey or even while they are browsing on your website. Ask them about their choices. Why do they like your products? Do you discount prices or offer coupons? Are your prices consistently lower than others? Is your shipping price cheaper? Do you respond faster to client questions? Are your product descriptions better? Your return policies and guarantees better than your competitor’s? You can ask your customer to complete a simple contact form with name, address, age, gender, etc. when they purchase a product.
Does your website give enough contact information?
When you sell from a website, your customer can purchase your products 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your customers can also be located all over the world. Always provide contact information, preferably on all pertinent pages of your website, complete with a mailing address, telephone number, and an email address that reaches you. People may need to contact you about sales, general information, or technical problems on your site.
Tips to Increase Ranking and Website Traffic
It is worth cataloging the basic principles to be enforced to increase website traffic and search engine rankings.
• Create a website with valuable content, products, or services.
• Add primary and secondary keywords within the first paragraph, but utilize evenly throughout the page.
• Research and use the right keywords/phrases to attract your target market.
• Use keywords in the correct places. Such as Title, META tags, Headers, etc.
• Keep your site design simple and easy to navigate on all devices to find your products and services.
• Keep track of changes in search engine algorithms and modify your web pages accordingly. Use online tools and utilities to keep track of how your website is ranking.
• Monitor your competitors and the top-ranked websites to gain insight into your niche regarding content and keywords.
• Use reports and logs to see where your traffic is coming from. Analyze keywords, visitor locations, incoming sources, and links from other sites.
• Give visitors ways to remember you by offering newsletters, free reports, coupons, etc.
• Demonstrate your industry expertise by writing blogs on your site.
• Use simple payment and shipment methods that offer customers a simple and easy experience.
• Hire a professional for difficult tasks. If it seems costly, it is a lot less expensive than spending your money on a website no one visits.
• Do not look at your website as a static brochure. Treat it as a dynamic, ever-changing sales tool and location, just like your brick and mortar store.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have an understanding of the basics of Search Engine Optimization. SEO is an extremely important part of an organization’s digital strategy. SEO, marketing, and customer engagement are the driving forces behind sales and revenue. If you want to increase your return on investment (ROI) and an effective digital strategy, Growthogy is here to help. You will definitely gain an advantage when you choose to work with us.
