By ELLE GREWAR
Search engine optimization or SEO is more important than ever today. Thanks to stay-at-home and social distancing measures, consumers are much more reliant on online services. Many have also banded together to help local small businesses weather the pandemic.
Besides these observable trends, there are also concrete data points behind the importance of SEO. According to Ahrefs, there are over 3.5 billion searches a day on Google, and yet only 90.63% of websites get organic search traffic from it. This was not a small case study, either. It was from data on over one billion websites.
Clearly, then, the demand is there. It’s just a matter of reaching people on search engines. As such, any business — large or small — that wants to get on the first search results pages, gain more customers, and improve their website traffic needs better SEO strategies.
It’s best to have a San Diego SEO expert on your team to help you fully optimize your website’s SEO. They can help you audit your website, identify weak spots, and help you shore up your SEO strategy to get better organic search results rankings and website traffic.
Still, there are some things you can do to get started on boosting your search results rankings before consulting a San Diego SEO specialist.
1. Publish High-Quality and Useful Content
“Content is King.”
It’s been years since the phrase was first coined by Bill Gates but it remains true to this day. In fact, it is more relevant than ever before. If you want people to visit your website and stay there for a longer period, you need to put out high-quality and useful content.
You can create a variety of content for your website. For most people, written content or blogs and web copy first comes to mind when talking about SEO and content. However, you shouldn’t discount the value of infographics, videos, and podcasts.
When creating and publishing written content for your website, it pays to ensure it is well-written, properly formatted, and conveys useful information. Aside from informative content, it also pays to publish consistently and to write about a focused topic. This way, you and your website can be seen as an authoritative or go-to source by Google.
Here are other useful tips to remember when creating written content:
- Use short paragraphs with two to four sentences for better mobile reading.
- Use the inverted pyramid style when writing. Try to present the most valuable information first and the supporting information last.
- Make blog posts easier to read using bullet points, subheaders, and images.
It isn’t enough to simply create good content, either. It is imperative to use the right keywords and optimize them in different ways.
2. Optimize Keywords for Different Search Types
If content is king, then you can consider keyword optimization as its queen. Your content wouldn’t be as beneficial if you don’t use the right keywords and optimize them for different searches.
You can check if you are using the right keywords for your business by using various online tools, some of which are free. You can also contact SEO experts, who will know all the latest tips and techniques so your content ranks well in search engines.
One effective method of keyword research is to see what keywords your competitors are using. Take a look at what your direct competitors are doing, what keywords they are trying to rank for, and what keywords work well for them.
Aside from this, you should also optimize your keywords based on different criteria. Aside from single and multiple keywords, make sure you also use long-tail keywords or keyphrases.
Long-tail keywords are useful for trying to rank in local searches. Examples of long-tail keywords optimized for a local cafe could be “coffee shops in downtown San Diego” or “24/7 cafes in San Diego.”
Moreover, these long-tail keywords would help you target voice-based searches. Consumers using AI or voice assistants for searches tend to use more conversational tones and full sentences.
For instance, a person searching for information about the new iPhone 13 may type “new Apple iPhone 13 release” on Google but ask Siri “When will the new Apple iPhone 13 be released?”
3. Generate Backlinks
Backlinks, as the name suggests, are links that direct consumers back to your website. Google search results rankings are based on a number of factors of signals, and backlinks are one of them.
Backlinks are taken as a signal that your website is seen as a valuable content resource by another website. It is taken as a “vote of confidence” by search engine analytics. The more high-quality backlinks your website has, the higher your chances of appearing on top of search results pages.
Here are some tips to create high-quality backlinks:
- Write guest blog posts for other websites, preferably ones seen as an authoritative or informative source.
- Create easily shareable content. This includes short videos, pictures, and infographics.
- Write newsworthy content and reach out to publishers.
- Submit online press releases to PR authority websites.
- List your business on online business directories, such as Yelp, FourSquare, and more.
4. Update Your Google My Business Profile
Claiming and optimizing your Google My Business profile is a large contributor to your local SEO score. It helps you gain greater visibility in local Google search results and be included in the map pack or top three business search results.
Google My Business allows you to link your website, social media profiles, and other relevant web pages for more backlink opportunities. It is also a great way to provide relevant information, like your business hours and contact number, to people using your targeted keywords for searches.
Additionally, you can get customer reviews, answer customer inquiries, and build a community on Google My Business. The more positive customer reviews you have here, the better your chances of ranking high on search results, as well.
5. Improve Your Website Loading Speed
Page loading speed is essential for improving SEO rankings. Google recognizes websites that have slow loading speeds and factors them into your search ranking.
People are also less likely to stay and engage on your website if it takes too long to fully load. A slow website loading speed will raise your abandonment rates or bounce rates. Even if you have many people visiting and boosting your click-through rates, a slow load speed will cause many of them to go back and not return.
This, in turn, may lower your website popularity. The search algorithm Google uses recognizes websites with high bounce back or abandonment rates and adjusts their search rankings.
Contact Our SEO Experts Today
These pieces of advice are only a few essential tips for improving your website’s SEO. For best SEO results, you need a full website and marketing audit and the help of a seasoned San Diego SEO analyst.
With all the elements you need to factor in, having a results-oriented San Diego SEO expert as a guide in revamping your SEO and marketing strategies is essential. Contact Little BIG Marketing today to schedule a free website audit.
Want to spruce up the SEO for your business website? Little BIG Marketing can help you boost your traffic! Book your free strategy consultation through our website today.