By Derek Ashauer
Do you feel like you’re constantly trying to catch up with the competition when it comes to search engine optimization? Would you like to turn the tables on them and earn one of the top positions for an important search term or phrase?
If so, you certainly aren’t alone. We meet with new potential clients every week who are facing the same types of challenges and want our help. Luckily, SEO is actually simpler than most people think, at least when it comes to the basics. Here are some concrete, easy-to-follow tips you can use to stay one step ahead of your competitors on Google…
Resolve Any Structural Issues on Your Website
You may not realize this, but there are a lot of small errors with your website that essentially disqualify you in Google’s eyes. Things like copied content, broken links, and slow-loading pages can all knock you off the first few pages of the search engine listings. Additionally, it’s important to have a mobile-friendly site if you want to attract Google visits.
Target a Smaller Slice of the Market
A classic mistake business owners make is going too big or wide with their search engine optimization efforts. As competition on Google has become more and more intense, smart marketers have adjusted by narrowing their focus on specific locations, buyer types, and demographics. Think carefully about the perfect customer for your company and then get good at finding them on Google and elsewhere.
Produce Your Own Content on a Regular Schedule
Content – in terms of written articles, unique images, and even online videos – makes your website into more of a resource and drives traffic to your pages. So, if you want to succeed on search engines, it’s critical that you produce lots of new industry-relevant thoughts on a regular basis. Try to schedule content creation the way you would a weekly meeting so you can get into the habit.
Ensure Your Website is Ready for Mobile Traffic
More than half of all Internet users access the web through phones and tablets. Google has taken notice, and incorporated mobile compatibility into its search algorithm. If you want a top search ranking – and the hundreds or thousands of visits from likely customers that will come as a result – then your website needs to be responsive.
Upgrade Your Web Hosting Package
Webpages that load slowly frustrate your customers, particularly those using smaller screens (see above). For that reason, it’s a good idea to upgrade your hosting package to ensure consistent performance from your server. In addition, you’ll get the option for SSL connections, which can help make your website even more visible to Google’s searchers.
Stay on Top of Google Algorithm Changes
Many of the best practices associated with search engine optimization have changed in recent years. Things like keyword stuffing and link-farming have been done away with through Google’s Panda and Penguin updates. If you’re still trying to follow a script from a few years ago, it’s likely to damage your search positioning and make it harder for you to recover.
Get the Right Kind of SEO Help
As you may have noticed by this point in our post, there is a lot that goes into building a successful and profitable search engine optimization campaign. That’s why it’s a good idea to have an informed vendor on your side. Don’t risk the future of your company by trying to manage SEO efforts yourself, and resist the impulse to hire a bargain-basement overseas “consultant” who will do more harm than good over the long run.
The key to finding success in search engine optimization isn’t chasing the latest fads or trends – it’s turning the process into a predictable formula you can execute week after week. Why not call or email our team today to set up a free consultation and learn how we’ve been able to help other businesses like yours to find more traffic online?