Although you might have already heard of Search Engine Optimization and the wonders it can do for your business, it is great to know how best to maximize its benefits.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the use of various tactics and practices to improve the amount and quality of web traffic that your business receives.
SEO is vital as it improves your online visitors’ user experience on your site. It also builds on their trust in your company.
Typically, web users tend to place a lot of faith in search engines and rely a lot on the results displayed on the first page of their search results. That means you should welcome any methods to help your business appear among the initial results page and SEO does just that.
Some SEO practices also help convert your online visitors into clients by funnelling them to your physical shop or service.
In this write-up, we look at the proven and tested SEO methods that you should employ to grow your business.
Website
In this digital age, having a professionally done website is essential for contemporary businesses.
Besides having a visually appealing and information-packed site, optimizing it will result in more time spent on the site, which will, in turn, improve your website’s Google ranking.
Why do rankings matter? Well, whenever potential clients conduct a Google search using phrases or words connected to your trade or business, your website will be among the first to pop up on their results page.
Once you have your site, you can optimize it to rev up its performance even further. One of the simplest ways to do this is by ensuring it has a call to action button (CTA).
CTAs help convert your site visitors into clients by encouraging them to commit to purchasing your products.
Examples of CTAs include ‘add to cart’ and ’30-day free trial buttons. They are strategic ways to boost long term engagement with your visitors.
Besides CTAs, your website should also be designed to facilitate an easy user experience. It should have a friendly and navigable user interface and should also be optimized for mobile devices.
Keywords
Keywords are the mortar that holds your SEO efforts and strategies together. Keywords are the terms and phrases that online visitors search for when looking for anything online.
These are the search words that come to mind whenever you want to look for anything online. They are the phrases we key into the search bar on any search engine when looking for something.
Consequently, populating your site with the right keywords is crucial to your online visibility. When generating results, search engines will always prioritize those websites that seem to be carrying information related to the search query.
To know the proper keywords to use on your site, you need to conduct comprehensive keyword research. You can do this in various ways.
One of the more accessible and free methods is Google’s related searches bar. That is the information that appears at the bottom of your search results page whenever you conduct a search.
They are words that the Google algorithm has flagged as being closely associated with your search word, meaning people also search for those.
For instance, if you search for ‘tours and travel companies for Kenyan safari’, you will also get related terms displayed at the bottom of the results page, such as ‘the best tour and travel companies in Kenya’ ‘list of tours and travel companies in Kenya’ etc.
The use of long-tail keywords always yields better results compared to one-word phrases. However, as a rule, you should always aim to insert the keyword into your content as organically as possible.
Relevant, high-quality content
After keyword research, it is now time to put the phrases to good use.
To achieve this objective, it is necessary to publish relevant content about your industry.
That includes information that visitors to your site will find helpful and cement your reputation as an expert in your field of operation.
Content may take the form of informative blog articles that feature the keywords and explain some commonly researched queries that your prospective clients might have.
It may also feature educational videos about your products and services.
Always ensure that the information you provide is constantly updated and accurate.
Google tools
Another helpful SEO strategy involves using Google tools to monitor the relevance of your content and your website’s visibility.
Among the free yet most effective Google tools at your disposal is the Google mobile-friendly search test, which you can use to gauge whether your website is optimized for mobile or not.
The test gives you a snapshot of how your site looks on a mobile device. As mentioned earlier, optimizing your website for mobile results in higher web traffic as most consumers conduct most of their web searches on mobile devices.
You could also use the Google search my business feature to see how clients see you when searching online for your geographical location.
Comparison study
Conduct a study to see how search engines are displaying your business online.
You can easily do this by searching your business name online and seeing what pops up on the Search Results Page. What you find might surprise you.
You will know which areas you need to tweak to achieve an even more visible and appealing presence online from those results.
Also, conduct a comparison study by looking at your competitors’ sites and seeing what they are doing. Find out the frequently searched items within your niche market and how your rivals supply answers to those needs.
If possible, find out how you can address them better yourself and structure your content accordingly.
