The competitive world of the Internet creates a need for leverage for smaller businesses that wish to compete with larger ones. The smaller businesses will never catch up to the large companies marketing budgets, so how can they really compete? One way, SEO, on-page and off-page optimization that offers authority, brand building, traffic, and of course, profits. In 2014, the world of SEO shifted dramatically with all of the Google updates and algorithm changes, so what you may have once known, today means very little.
Start with Keyword Analysis
Keywords are still part of the SEO world, which has not changed, but how they are used has changed. So, before getting too involved in what to do with the keywords on your page, you need to first find out what ones are best to use.
Google Planner
Google Planner is a free tool that offers help to locate keywords that match your needs. It displays the keywords search volume, and offers keyword ideas based on your initial search. The tool provides basic information that is required to make an educated decision on keyword usage.
High Search Volume with Low Competition – This is your ideal keyword scenario. Finding this combination is not easy, but when you do, the payoffs can be huge. Larger businesses in your industry have most likely cornered the market on the main keyword you have been using, and as said before, you are never going to catch up to their marketing budget, so stop competing for that word. Find one that is less competitive, but that still offers a high search volume. You can still use the main keyword that is in high demand; just do not focus your campaign around it.
Long Tail Keywords – Google is all about answering questions these days, so use long-tail keywords that ask, or answer a question.
On-Page Optimization Tips
Once you have your keywords sorted out, it is time to start building and optimizing your website. Google does not allow you to simply stuff your page with keywords for rankings anymore; you are expected to be an authority, so prove you are one!
Write for the Readers, Not for Search Engine Rankings
Whenever you write an article, create text for a landing page, or even post a social blurb, make sure it is something that is worth reading. Google requires that ALL content be informative, unique, and useful. Having your website stuffed with useless keyword-stuffed content is about as effective as a chicken trying to fly South! It is more important that your content be interesting and descriptive than it is for it to contain a keyword or keyword phrase. That may sound counter-productive to old-school SEO buffs, but with the changes Google has made, that is exactly what is required!
All content that is created for your website MUST be 100% original. Duplicate content will destroy your reputation, not only with your followers but with Google as well. The title of the article or blog you post should be catchy but still relate to the information within the article. If the reader clicks on the title “Lose Weight Eating Chocolate”, and they start reading about how to lose weight by eating salads and fruit, they are not only going to leave the page, they are going to leave with distrust about your site, who you are, and what you have to say. So, if you promise weight loss with chocolate in your title, your article better deliver just that!
Content Title Quick Tips:
- Keep titles between 40 to 65 characters
- Use keyword or keyword phrase in the title if possible
- Be creative, but keep the title relevant to the content
Tags, Headings, Descriptions, and URLs
The small things on your page add up to huge SEO benefits. Many website owners forget, or neglect to add the proper tags, headings, and descriptions for their on-page SEO. Below are a few quick tips that need to be addressed on your page if they have not been already.
Meta Descriptions – Write a short description of your content. Keep it around 156 characters for the best results.
Optimized URL – The content URL should optimized to match the meaning of the content on the page.
Headings and Tags – Make sure proper headings are in place, h1, h2, h3, etc. This helps the reader stay focused on your content, gives the ability to quickly scan to important parts and looks nicer on the page.
Focus Keywords – Use tags to highlight specific keywords or keyword phrases to add focus for the search engines.
Image Tags – Use proper Alt tags on all images, and always use images in your content!
Off-Page Optimization Tips
Optimizing your website with off-page SEO techniques is just as important as optimizing for on-site SEO. There are several areas outside of Google that people go to locate information, so make sure your marketing to those areas as well as to the search engines.
Social Media – Social media platforms are used to build brand awareness, establish authority on a topic, and of course, drive traffic to your website. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, and many other platforms are out there just waiting to hear from you! If you do not have an account set up on each already, get one. If you have accounts on social media sites, take the time to learn how to use them for the most effectiveness.
The social network platforms have their own unique algorithm strategy that works to bring results to their users, so you need to make sure you know how to implement your content onto each for the best results. Not all social media platforms use the same strategies or sorting methods for what content is displayed on their sites. Take the time to learn the guidelines for each platform before diving right in. Once you feel comfortable with the guidelines, start out slow and watch the results to see what methods you are using work the best.
Link Building – There has been a lot of debate over whether link building is still effective or not. The truth, yes, link building is still a very effective marketing tool for your SEO campaign, but you have to be careful. It is extremely important that only QUALITY links flow to your site. Building links too quickly leads to poor quality sites linking back to yours, and in Google’s eyes, that is just as bad as you have a poor quality site.
Helpful Quick Tips for Good SEO
Write Quality Content – ONLY write quality content that is meant for the reader, not the rankings.
Establish Good Keywords – Use keywords that relate closely to your topic, but that also offer a high search volume with a low competition rate.
Find LSI Keywords – Find latent Semantic Indexing keywords that relate to your keywords. Mix these keywords in with your primary keywords to create more attention on the major search engines.
Create Catchy Content Titles – Make titles eye-catching, but stay relevant to the content.
Build Quality Links – ONLY use quality links to your site for the best SEO results.
SEO Site CHECKUP – Visit Seositecheckup.com for free on-page SEO analysis and tools.
If you want to know how your page is really doing, check out the free tools on Seositecheckup.com. You can enter your URL, and get instant results for a variety of useful on-page SEO factors. There is no reason to be in the dark about your website and its effectiveness, let seositecheckup.com shed some light on the subject.
