If you have had any exposure to the marketing scene, you have probably come across the term SEO before. This three-letter acronym is a powerful tool that can make or break a company in today’s digital age. Search engine optimization influences your site’s ranking and visibility in search engines like Google and Bing. There are several ways to enhance company visibility and drive organic traffic to your company website. We’re going to go over the top 10 SEO tips to optimize your web presence.
Top 10 SEO Tips
1. Keywords
Out of the top 10 SEO tips, utilizing keywords is the most important step in enhancing any content. Keywords must accurately reflect your content and services in order to drive quality traffic. Brainstorming variations of keywords and phrases assists in being more prominent among the masses. Language is complex and the same object can have different names to different people. For example, something as simple as a ruler could be called a measuring stick or a straightedge. The number of times you include your keyword in your content is referred to as the keyword density. Finding a good balance between too many and too few times is essential to increase your rank rather than marked as spam. This step is the most crucial in SEO because it is the foundation of your content.
2. Using Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are little snippets found under the website title in the search results. This gives users a brief summary of the site’s content. This helps users determine whether or not your content is relevant to them. Strive to include your keyword within the description to solidify the site’s purpose. It’s vital to be compelling and strategic in communicating how your site adds value to the potential lead.
3. Optimizing Images
To drive quality traffic, you need to fully optimize your content, including the pictures you use. You should always include images in your content because it helps the user process your information better. They are also more likely to share it with others as opposed to a wordy, intimidating document. Additionally, assigning keywords to images can help promote your site in image searches. This will help your site stand out and reach users searching for things related to your topic. Make sure you have renamed the file and attached appropriate tags to increase organic traffic.
4. Subheadings Throughout Text
As a company, you want to clearly communicate your value to potential leads. However, sometimes you have so much valuable information, that you may benefit from incorporating subheadings. This helps break the content up into digestible chunks and avoids overwhelming the user. This will reduce bounce rates and increase sharing potential due to its user-friendly structure. Furthermore, this improves your rank and allows search engine algorithms to evaluate your content efficiently. This is one of the simpler tricks out of the Top 10 SEO tips to help generate traffic.
5. URLs
Next in line out of our top 10 SEO tips is URL optimization. You must also include your assigned keyword within your URL (aka slug) to make sure you are capitalizing on site exposure. Each URL is unique to the content it’s associated with and is highly customizable. Keywords should come after the backslash and accurately reflect the content’s value. For example, a retailer promoting the sale of watches would be retailer.com/watches. Don’t forget this simple yet effective tip when finalizing your content.
6. Have the Best Content
You may have great content to offer potential leads and customers. However, great content doesn’t drive as much traffic as the best content. If users still gravitate toward other websites, it may be time to consult with an SEO strategist to optimize your content.
7. Delete Zombie Pages
Remember, your rank is dependent on a variety of factors including the value you add to potential users. If your page is not “alive” or active, algorithms will write you off as outdated and irrelevant. This will prevent you from ranking high on search engines which can lead to a decrease in traffic. We get it, it’s hard to create new content on a regular basis in addition to monitoring day to day business. An easy way to get around this is to change your “publish date” to the “last updated date”. This is much more low maintenance than creating new content from scratch and still adds value with the revamped content.
8. Unclutter
There is a thin line between informative content and overwhelming content. As experts creating content, it may be difficult to scale back and see what’s necessary and what isn’t. However, getting rid of things like excessive sidebar navigations and unnecessary features can help increase traffic. Decluttering your site usually results in a faster loading time which can make a huge difference. These days, people don’t want to wait an extra few seconds and may click out before even viewing your content. Being able to present your value straight away is a huge aspect of a compelling website.
9. Inbound and Outbound Links
A great way to solidify your content is to provide readers with inbound and outbound links. Inbound links direct users to your site whereas outbound links direct users to a third party’s site. It may seem intimidating to direct traffic away from your content, however, this boosts your ranks and credibility. Google rewards this transference of value and determines your site’s relevance through the sites that you link. Additionally, users value transparency and this can help you gain credibility among your readers. Furthermore, linking other websites will increase the likelihood that other authors will link your company. Ensure that all your links are working when you include them in your content to add value.
10. Voice Search
The last of the top 10 SEO tips is to optimize your content for voice search. This is quickly growing in popularity due to the ease and speed this option offers. It is predicted by 2020 that 50% of online searches will be conducted through voice search. To maintain your site’s visibility, it’s important to invest in resources that ensure that you are voice searchable. Getting ahead of this curve will help increase organic traffic to your site.
Mastering SEO and successfully applying it to your content takes a lot of time and practice. It may take several attempts before you reach the top of search results. The first step in tackling your SEO strategy is understanding what all of these tips mean, how they can translate to your website, and partnering with an SEO expert who can guide you through the process.
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