Running a small business means operating with profit margins that are sometimes razor thin. Against this backdrop, you cannot waste time and money on SEO practices that are not going to bring in paying clients. If you have tried SEO without much success, here are some things that you should try.
Don’t Forget That Content Trumps Keywords
In the old days of SEO, it was not uncommon for website designers to create website copy filled with various keywords. The thinking-and it was correct at the time-was that the search engines would reward this practice by granting the website a higher ranking on the search results.
As search engines have continued to refine their search algorithms, this practice no longer works. In fact, some search engines will actually penalize a website if it appears that the site is simply a list of keywords without too much relevant content thrown in the mix.
Rather than trying to stuff your page full of keywords, make sure that you have good content on your page. Remember, search engine companies want consumers to find the results to be useful to them.
This means that if your site has good, relevant, applicable information on it, it will likely be ranked higher than a competitor’s site that relies too heavily on keyword stuffing.
Additional Resources:
- Content is King – WebConfs.com (useful article)
- SEO Company Los Angeles – McKremie (helpful company)
More is Not Necessarily Better
When generating copy for your site, keep in mind that the number of words is not nearly as important as what those words say. A web search engine won’t reward you for using 1,000 words to say what you could have said in 250.
Just make sure that your content is relevant to the average consumer searching, and you’ll be just fine without adding all the “fluff” content.
Mobile Responsiveness is Crucial
As more and more consumers turn to browsing the Internet with their phones, it is imperative that your website be able to reconfigure itself to be mobile-friendly. If you have ever tried to browse a non-mobile responsive site with your phone, you know how tedious it can be.
Search engines will reward those sites that have the capability of automatically reconfiguring themselves to match the screens of mobile devices. Remember, the search engines want people to find their site useful, so they are going to reward things that enhance the end user experience.
More Links Equal Better Rankings
Just like the content of your site matters, so too do the number of links that you have. The more your site links to other (relevant) sites, the better you will do on the search engine results.
The opposite is true, as well: if other sites link to you, it will show the search engines that your website is a higher quality, and will result in better search engine results for you.
Use Both Organic and Pay-Per-Click Strategies
Although they would probably not admit it, there definitely seems to be a trend with search engine companies to reward those businesses that pay to advertise with them.
This is not to say that utilizing a paid search result strategy will trump everything else you do: on the contrary, you still need quality content that is relevant and useful.
However, all other things being equal, it does seem that companies who pay to advertise will garner better search results with any given search engine.
So talk to a PPC professional who can help you set up a paid advertising campaign. You may very well find the extra dollars to be worth it.
Keep Up with the Changes
In the rapidly changing world of online advertising, about the only thing that is constant is change. So check back here often for the latest news and tips on Internet marketing.
