How is your SEO working for you? If your
response is, "What is SEO?" Then we're off to a bumpy start. Search
Engine Optimization or SEO refers to how well your website content copy
attracts a search engine.
The goal is to get as close to number one status on
that first search page as possible. To accomplish that you need to make some
specific choices with regard to your SEO campaign.
Top on the list of important
SEO concerns should be:
- Finding the right keywords specifically geared for your business.
- Writing alternate title tags and Meta descriptions for all of your web site pages. Yes, all!
- Fold the perfect keywords into all your titles, subheads and links. Yes, all!
- Develop a plan to attract back-links to drive traffic to your site. Here's a hint: link out to other sites that have similar content.
- Develop a social media plan to share your content and increase link-building.
- Stay on top of your analytics to make current adjustments.
A strong SEO campaign isn't about
programming technology. Instead, it should be about focusing on the following
areas:
Informative
Content
The foundation of all your website copy
should be to inform your customers. That's what search engines will be on the
prowl for because they want to inform their customers. There shouldn't be a
scatter shot approach to your content. Instead, plot out an editorial calendar
for each month. This can help you focus on informative themes and allow you to
set consistent deadlines for updating that content.
Tracking
Traffic
If it looks like that your online marketing
strategy isn't attracting traffic, change it. That's why you're following your
analytics! A simple test is to play the role of customer. Type in your target
keywords and see what comes up. Why is one website above another? What are they
offering their customers? Can you do the same?
Don't
Stuff Your Content
There are plenty of so-called SEO experts
trolling around who promise to optimize your content. Merely stuffing keywords
into a couple of paragraphs is an attempt to fool the search engines. It's not
going to work. SEO isn't about technology as much as it is about quality. Along
with content, give you customers the chance to post positive reviews. Often
those reviews are what pops up first.
Your
website is your storefront. If you had an actual brick and mortar business
you'd greet your customers as they come in the door, ask them what they are
looking for and volunteer to help them find that. Now transfer that attitude to
your web business. That's what will make for a successful SEO campaign.
