Top 5 SEO Tips
Make the most of your website and start generating more business. With a few small changes you can make a BIG difference.
Over 70% of people use Google as their primary search engine. When your customers put a few “key words” into Google they want to find your business. Make it easy for them and you’ll reap the rewards.
Did you know 62 percent of people searching online look only at the first page?! And 90 percent will only look at the first three pages.*
Wondering how to rank better with search engines? ReadyGo Media can help. Want to try a few tricks on your own?
Here’s 5 hot tips that will give you a great start:
1. Fresh is Best
In response to social media (blogs, twitter, etc.), Google adjusted its ranking process (algorithms) to favor current content. This is called “real-time-search” and it attempts to make results as timely and relevant as possible. Current unique content rises to the top.
2. Inbound Linking
Develop relationships with other complementary popular businesses that will put a link to your website on their website. A good initial goal to aim for is 25 inbound links.
Competitor Analysis
What keywords is your competitor using to optimize? Who is linking to your competitor and should you be too?
Directory Submission
Get listed in the top directories and other relevant industry directories.
3. Optimize Your Title Tag
The title tag is the bar above the location of the website address. Sometimes it says “Index” or a company name and is an important part of search engine optimization. 74 percent** of searches are local so consider including your location. Use this area in the same way your customers would enter a search for your business. Don’t use: “XYZ Law, San Francisco” Do use: “San Francisco XYZ Law.”
Further, include key services in your title tag. For example, your title tag may look like “San Francisco Divorce Attorney, San Franscisco Prenup Lawyer, XYZ Law San Francisco.” Notice the company name is at the end. When it comes to organic search for new customers this is least important.
The top local search listing engines:
- Google Local Business Center
- Yahoo Local
- Bing Local Listing Center
- Best of the Web Local
The number of people who sought local information on a mobile device grew 51% from March 08-March 09.
4. Cross Linking
Create internal hyperlinks that drive your website visitors back to main pages of your content.
5. Harness the Power of Keywords
Identify keywords and phrases by researching the competition, your website and by using SEO tools. The easiest way to get started is to provide unique compelling regularly updated content. Include your top keywords yet ensure your text is written for the reader first and the engines second.
Google doesn’t bother with “keyword meta tags” anymore but may still use the description tag. Many argue keyword meta tags are still a useful especially considering other engines. So, they are still commonly implemented.
Here’s a fun tool to get you started with keywords. See how your website keyword density measures up today!
SEO Strategy
SEO is an ongoing process where the best results are realized with a solid strategy. It takes time for search engines to recognize your changes. More traffic and a longer term to compare information equals better results.
SEO companies generally work with a minimum time commitment of 3-12 months.
By actively measuring your successes you can adjust your tactics and continually improve. Relying on search engine rank alone is not effective because results are personalized. For example, someone in LA will retrieve different results than someone in San Francisco even if they search the same words.
Success can be measured with sophisticated analytics tools, inbound links and even by good ol’ emails, phone calls and sales.
Get Found Online ReadyGo Media Website
ReadyGo Media websites all include search engine optimization.
SEO results made fast and easy. Our websites use WordPress which is naturally great for SEO. Further, we install an SEO tool into all our websites and provide training on how you can use it.
Features include:
- Advanced Canonical URLs
- Fine tune Page Navigational Links
- Built-in API so other plugins/themes can access and extend functionality
- SEO Integration for WP e-Commerce sites
- Nonce Security
- Support for CMS-style WordPress installations
- Automatically optimizes your titles for search engines
- Generates META tags automatically
- Avoids the typical duplicate content found on WordPress blogs
- For beginners, you don’t even have to look at the options, it works out-of-the-box.
- For advanced users, you can fine-tune everything
- You can override any title and set any META description and any META keywords you want.
This doesn’t replace carefully researched strategies. ReadyGo Media also offers powerful SEO packages for you to start growing your business and getting more clients.
Contact Joanne today to raise your search engine ranking and get found online.
*Study by iProspect / Jupiter Research 2006
** Kesley Group
Debra DismanMarch 24th, 2010, 2:41 pm
Fabulous, Joanne!
Tnank you for the great information!
jprobynMarch 24th, 2010, 4:22 pm
You’re very welcome, Debra. Glad it was helpful!
There’s a few more SEO tips on our last webinar “Website Power Tips” that you might find intersting, too. The SEO section is the second of three parts… so about halfway in if you want to “fast forward.”
http://readygomedia.com/free-resources/
Cheers,
Joanne
Debra DismanApril 9th, 2010, 7:44 pm
Great stuff Joanne!
Thanks!
Melih OztalayApril 11th, 2010, 12:59 am
Hello,
On item #3 you seem to brush over the local business listing as a marketing tool. I’m wondering if it needs more attention then the few comments you have made?
I am in complete agreement that local business listings are the way to go for any local business dependent upon the local consumer for their revenue. This is a good point in time in which the Internet is a good local marketing tool to be found on web searches and mobile searches.
What I am most concerned about are small and local businesses having to contend with multiple websites when it comes to their local listing. What I’m really talking about are “time resources”.
Afterall, there are over 60 websites in four different categories specifically geared towards local listings. How can a local or small business have the time resources to cover this space?
Even if you made a conscious decision to not manage all 60, there are well more than Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Ask. The space goes to Local.com (they went public), Yelp, Merchant Circle, and many others.
Consumers will be the ones deciding which of these local listing websites they will go and post their experience through consumer reviews. This adds to the burden that no one single local listing website will do the trick.
A firm on local business listing management services was reviewed at KillerStartUps. You can read about this at KillerStartUps here:
http://www.killerstartups.com/Search/smartfindslocallisting-com-be-found-online
It is a changing world and the local business will benefit. Good information from your post and hopefully varying opinions help give perspective.
SteveMay 29th, 2010, 3:08 am
You’re very welcome, Debra. Glad it was helpful!
There’s a few more SEO tips on our last webinar “Website Power Tips” that you might find intersting, too. The SEO section is the second of three parts… so about halfway in if you want to “fast forward.”
http://readygomedia.com/free-resources/
Cheers,
Joanne
EmilyJune 2nd, 2010, 10:36 pm
Fabulous, Joanne!
Tnank you for the great information!
AmyJune 5th, 2010, 7:35 pm
Great stuff Joanne!
Thanks!
RacheleSeptember 13th, 2013, 10:13 pm
Thank you for sharing your info. I really appreciate your
efforts and I am waiting for your next post
thanks once again.