Search Engine Optimisation, otherwise known as SEO, is a modern online marketing strategy with the aim of improving organic search engine rankings. This means appearing on the first page of major search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo! It is one of the lengthier marketing strategies, and admittedly requires a lot of time and commitment for it to be a worthwhile project. But, as the saying goes; good things take time.
An all singing all dancing website is nothing without a complete and efficient SEO campaign put into practice. To rank highly on search engines and to achieve optimum results, you cannot let your web pages lie flat without any means of optimisation.
1) Research
The very first thing all business owners should start their SEO journey with...RESEARCH! If strong background and industry research is not carried out, this could have a detrimental effect on the success of this marketing strategy for your business, and how well you rank in search engines.
It is vital that you spend time looking at your competitor's websites and social media. Focus on their keywords and compare your current approach to theirs. Competitor research is the beginning of you setting your business apart from the rest. This is where you decide whether to go completely against their ways or whether you follow them, with modifications of course.
If there is a monopoliser within your market, don't put too much of your attention towards them. Yes, use them for inspiration and to help you create goals. But within the competitor research stage, look at your more local rivals.
2) Mobile Optimisation
According to searchenginewatch.com, 57% of web traffic comes from mobile devices, meaning this is one trend you cannot ignore!
Many brands view mobile optimisation as a second priority. Not only are there visual impairments without mobile optimisation, but there are other ways in which this damages your SEO. Unbeknown to many there is a big difference between the way keywords rank on mobile devices, to the way they do on a desktop. All businesses should be made aware of this, and that a mobile optimised site can boost search engine rankings significantly. More and more mobile users are looking at content on the go as opposed to on their computers at home, which means optimisation is vital.
3) Backlinks
With backlinks, less isn't always more. However, more is not more either! It is vital to the success of your business to avoid low quality inbound links to your site pages. Yes, it is important to get as many quantitative links as possible, although, if you have a very heavy number of below average backlinks, your site will seem nothing more than irrelevant to most. This is something you must avoid! Focus on quality, don't rush things. Look at your competitor's, compare and find new opportunities. Don't underestimate the power of bad backlinks as they can have very negative effects on your Google rankings, and you wouldn't want that.
4) PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
PPC is where companies pay to be at the top of search engines such as Google when certain keywords are searched. Businesses pay a fee each time one of their ad links is clicked, theoretically buying visits to your site as opposed to organically earning them.
Things to consider with PPC:
• Strong Keyword List – It is very important to have a strong keyword list relating to your business, so when visitors search those words, your business will rank highly on the search engine.
• Know Your Competitors – It is good to monitor your competitors and see if they're building on keywords you've missed. However, only focus on the primary, thriving competitors.
• Keep Track – It is highly important to know which keywords led to your clicks and leads to measure the success of your PPC campaigns and build on it.
Here are some other SEO articles that may interest you:
• SEO Trends For 2018 – What These Mean for Your Business
• SEO Is A Waste of Money – Is This Phrase True?
• Why Ongoing SEO Is Important
Hopefully this article has introduced a few new SEO ideas for you to implement to get your business ranking higher in search engines! If you have any queries, please comment below or call us on 01332 343281 for an informal chat.
