When you are a business owner, one of the best ways to gain new customers is to leverage the power of the internet. Over the past five years, most businesses have been forced to modernize and devote the proper amount of attention to their online presence.
One way many businesses establish themselves is through paid advertising. While this can be an effective method and provide a temporary boost, there are no long-term ramifications to this form of marketing. Paid advertising platforms can also put a substantial amount of strain on your budget.
The most effective way to gain a steady influx of high-intent traffic is by leveraging the power of SEO. SEO is short for search engine optimization. This term is defined as a website owner’s process to make their page rank higher on search engines. Google is the most popular search engine, so it’s only natural for the most attention to be placed on their ranking system.
The Google Algorithm
Google uses a unique algorithm that ranks websites based on a number of factors. In previous years, search engines were dominated by corporations and big business websites that offered little to no value in their field of expertise. Google realized that this ranking system wasn’t providing search engine users the value they were seeking.
The algorithm was changed to provide users with more relevant options pertaining to their search inquiries. Currently, independently created blogs and websites known as authority sites dominate the search engine rankings. These sites provide vital information regarding a specific niche; therefore, Google puts attention on these sites by ranking them on the first one or two pages.
A business can benefit immensely by using this formula and plugging it into their business website. If you own a business and have an established website, the next section provides tips regarding ways to rank your website higher on Google.
Ranking Your Business Website Higher
The following tips are some of the most efficient ways a business owner can rank their website higher on Google. These tips are in no order of importance; however, you should consider trying all of them at least once until you have a better feel for what works best.
1. Create a Blog
Creating a blog is the single most important step a business can take to rank their website higher on Google. For example, if you own a business that specializes in automotive repair, your blog could be focused on maintenance tips for car owners.
Start by creating a long-form article that will serve to provide readers with a comprehensive guide on the most important topics regarding your business. This article should be at least 2,000 words in length and is known as pillar content. These articles will be the bread and butter of your blog content, and eventually, you should have three or four of them.
Focus on making your blog posts keyword-optimized so they rank higher for high-intent search phrases. You can use certain programs and software that give you valuable insight regarding high-traffic keywords.
For example, a popular search term among car owners is, “how often should I change my oil?” You could create a blog post around these types of search terms, making the posts rich in relevant terms regarding oil changes.
This formula can be plugged into any niche or industry and is extremely effective. The most important thing to remember is to make your content valuable and post regularly.
2. Leverage Social Media
Many business owners make the mistake of neglecting their social media accounts, assuming they have no effect on search engine rankings. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Aside from the fact that social media allows you to engage with your customer base directly, Google pays attention to this engagement. When your readers begin sharing your posts and blog shares or liking and commenting, these are known as social signals.
The more social signals your account has, the more valuable Google considers your page. This has a tremendous effect on how high you rank.
Additionally, platforms like Twitter have a direct connection to keyword searches on Google. Use Twitter to create keyword-heavy posts that will rank when users search for various terms. Pinterest works in this same manner.
3. Focus on Video Content
If there’s one thing that’s been proven true over the last year or so, it’s that Google loves video content. Google prefers video content over most other forms, assumingly because video content can provide more value than written tutorials or listicles.
Whenever possible, post video content on your website that’s relevant to your industry. Name these videos using keywords that Google would find relevant on the search engine. These videos will show up on the “videos” tab for the search engine and on the main section near the top.
Speaking of giving the videos relevant titles actually brings us to our next tip. You should never neglect your on-page SEO.
4. On-Page SEO
Your on-page SEO is the first layer of information Google recognizes when the bots crawl your pages. On-page SEO consists of keyword usage on your website content, meta titles and descriptions, and alt-text for images and videos.
Whatever your keyword focus is for a particular content page, this theme must remain uniform across all elements of that page. For example, if your primary keyword for a page is “oil changes,” all photos should have “oil changes” somewhere in the alt-text. Your meta-title should start with “oil changes.” This term should also be in your meta-description.
Your slug is how the URL will look on the meta description when your website pops up on the rankings. The slug should read something like “oil-changes.” Your permalink should also be exactly the same or similar.
5. Consider Outsourcing
The last and final tip is to consider outsourcing your SEO and content needs. As a business owner, it’s probable that you’re already incredibly busy. It can be hard to take the time to regularly update the website’s blog and focus on social media.
Outsourcing your content allows you to pass simple instructions on to your creator, and they will make sure your voice is uniform across all platforms. This frees up more time, and you can be confident in the fact that the proper amount of attention is placed on the ranking of your website.
There are several platforms and different companies that provide content creation and SEO services. Shop around a little and do some research, and it shouldn’t be hard to find the service that is best suited for your company.
Taking on Google and attempting to rank high on its search engine can be an incredibly overwhelming task. However, it doesn’t have to be as difficult as it seems.
By staying organized and focused on the important dynamics, you can begin to get your website noticed. Regular updating and providing value to your customers and readers go a long way.
Remember, if all else fails, don’t be afraid to outsource. Paying a few extra dollars to receive regular and valuable content is worth it. When you compare the business you stand to lose by neglecting your content; it could be money well spent.