Search (SEO) – Three Easy Steps

Ranking high in Google search results can have an enormous impact on the success of your business.

You can either take advantage of the expertise of a Search Engine Optimization company or if you have the time, there are some changes you can make to your website yourself.

  Step 1: Keyword research

What keywords do you think your customers will type in to search for your products or services? The keyword can be a single word (eg “optimize”), but multiple keywords or keyword phrases are usually preferred because they are more specific and are more likely to be what your customers are searching for.

Write whatever comes to your mind. Brainstorm with your team. Think of alternative words. Consider geographic phrases if they are important to your client (eg, "Hornsby house cleaning"). Also, get some insights from your competitors' websites. Try to make a list of 20 to 30 key phrases.

Choose the two keyword phrases that you think will be searched for the most. But also remember that the more competition for a keyword, the harder it is to achieve higher rankings. If you want to rank high in Google for the keyword “insurance,” you have a very long journey ahead. So, try your best to choose two open sentences that are most relevant to your business but are neither vague nor competitive. It's a good idea if each phrase contains two or three words (for example, "wedding catering services")

Once you've identified the top two keyword phrases, the next step shows you how to make some improvements to your homepage.

  Second Step: Web Copy

Web copy refers to all the words or texts on your website. Since content is king in the world of search engines, keyword phrases must be placed strategically on your web page to convince Google that your content is relevant to those keywords. The more prominent they are, the better. (Keep in mind that while search engines are important, customers come first, so make sure your copy reads well, too.)

Here's how to increase the relevance of each keyword:

•  Put your keywords in the titles, preferably at the beginning of the title
• Include keywords at the top of the page.
•  Bold or italic keywords where applicable.
•  Instead of having a link to another page that says "Click here to read more", rephrase it to include your keywords.

Also, an important tip is to include these keywords in the HTML Title Tag. Use your content management system to make these changes yourself, or perhaps ask your web developer to do it if you're not sure how to do it.

Once you've fine-tuned your homepage, consider adding new content, such as detailed descriptions of what you offer, frequently asked questions, and informative articles about your products and services. (If you don't want to write them yourself, they can be found for free on the Internet - search for "article directory").

It's also good to keep in mind that search engines can only read text, not images. Web developers often include words in images to look better for website visitors or use Flash for animation, but this is a major hindrance to search engines.

Step 3: Bonding

Search engines consider every link from another website to your website (not from your own website) as a vote on the popularity of your business and will improve your rankings.

But the quality of the links, not the quantity, is crucial. Other sites should be relevant to your industry, and preferably highly regarded. Ten Quality Links counts over 500 links from random websites. In the same way, your personal business network can have a huge impact on the success of your business, and so can the internet you build online.

Think of all the relevant websites that could link to you, such as non-compete companies, industry bodies, and organizations. Write a friendly email to each describing the benefit their visitors will have in knowing your business, and ask them to create a link to your website. Most people won't respond the first time, so a follow-up phone call is usually required.

How do I monitor my results?

Monitor your Google rankings over the next few months by typing your chosen keywords into the search box, and recording your ranking. Also, look at your hosting reports to understand the search terms visitors use to find your website.

The above process can also be repeated for every page of your website. Remember to keep your content up to date, and constantly increase the number of links back to your website.

When you see your ranking go up, you should see a corresponding increase in web traffic and a significant increase in sales inquiries. Make sure you record the source of customer inquiries, so you can measure the success of your marketing efforts.

Remember, if you measure it, you can improve it.

We wish you a beautiful day and fruitful marketing.

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