You’ve likely been told that having a website is essential for a business in the 21st century. But why? Building a website that successfully serves your existing clients is a great way to hang your digital sign on the internet. Using existing customers as a test population also helps the basic structure of your website to emerge. But beyond our loyal customer base, who do we design websites for? Certainly, it’s new clients and new business. It’s a way for your business to expand its reach into new circles. In order for new business to find its way to you, you must be find-able and that means you must rank in online searches. And for that reason, you’ve probably also been told that you’ve got to optimize your website. Here’s why.
Let’s use the metaphor of the website as a sign on your ‘digital building.’ Once you’ve hung the sign, you’re open for business. However, not ranking in search results means that you’re largely invisible. It’s as if you’ve hung out your sign on a retail building tucked away in a quiet residential cul-de-sac. Adding basic SEO to your website, on the other hand, would be like your sign adorning a building in a bustling business district. It’s essentially making a smart real estate move. Can you see the benefits of optimizing your website for search engines?
The mighty algorithm
Basic optimization means that your website is favorable to the search engine algorithm and thus, ranks higher. That algorithm is famously mysterious and changes frequently. Through leaks, loose lips and trial and error, we do know a few certainties that boost favorability for websites.
Keywords, keywords, keywords
It’s statistically impossible to read an SEO article without spending time on keywords. Keywords, in regards to SEO, are words that describe your website’s function and content. Preliminary research should reveal what keywords are most prominent in your industry. In short, when someone starts a search, the words in the search bar are keywords. Imagine which keywords your future clients are using to search for you. If you’re a homebuilder in Athens, Georgia, a good start would be “new home athens GA.” From there, it can get progressively more technical than that. Proper divination and use are integral to good website optimization. Eventually, you’ll want to decipher how your keywords are being used and if they’re bringing the right customers to your page.
Invest in independent content
Having unique content on your site is a must. This doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel entirely, but make sure there are no instances of plagiarism, in the worst-case scenario. Beyond that, it’s good practice to ensure that your content isn’t cut and pasted or replicated accidentally from another site. This is penalized by the web crawlers endlessly searching out websites on the internet and cataloguing their integrity. If words aren’t your strong suit, find a competent copywriter with SEO experience to assist in beefing up your content.
Put forth fresh content
Once your website is up and functioning and optimized for search engines, you’re good to go, right? Not entirely! SEO is an ongoing process. One factor that weighs heavily is fresh content and that means that you should be consistently updating your site. That doesn’t mean a complete overhaul, by any means. But it does mean that you’re tweaking, making adjustments, publishing blogs or refreshing existing pages with new information on the regular.
Incorporate multimedia
Photo and video content are currently ranking higher when it comes to optimization. This can be attributed to many things, but it’s certainly content that users respond to and we know that the algorithm favors them. When adding images and video, take the time to properly describe them in the alt text. This is the text that appears when you hover over an image, and it’s also the text that the web crawlers read during their investigations.
These images can also include quick tutorials or easy infographics. Both avenues tend to get heavier interaction from users and are ultimately more “shareable” content, always a goal of the savvy digital marketer.
Don’t lose your end game
This brings us to another point regarding SEO: it’s not a dry formula to be applied. First and foremost, always prioritize user experience. Really great SEO should be applied behind the scenes with discrimination and appear ultimately invisible to the everyday user. Adding images and video to a website is an awesome way to boost SEO, but it’s also a really terrific way to make your site more dynamic and ultimately pleasing to the user on the other end. Making your website rank high for search engines is only part one, once you have a customer on your site, they have to be able to digest your content and follow your call to actions. All of this is leading up to either a sale or support for your customers, which is really the most important function of your site.
Call on AuDSEO
Here at AuDSEO, we’re constantly keeping every aspect of SEO in mind so that you don’t have to. Let us take care of all your SEO marketing needs while you attend to the important work of providing the best hearing health care.