Are you looking for ways to move your website up on the search engines? While there are many factors, hundreds in fact, that go into ranking a website on search engines, we’ve listed out three proven ways that will help you get pushed up on the search engines.
1. Start a blog on your website
If you want to improve your search engine optimization, or SEO, a blog is a great place to start. Blogging is good for your ranking for a number of reasons. It not only keeps your site content fresh, but a blog is a great way to deliver a number of things search engines are looking for. Important tips for blogging include –
Include long-tail keywords – When picking your keywords, it may be tempting to start with “womens shoes” for example. But the odds are you’re not going to win that competition. But it’s better to be specific “comfortable shoes for moms.” These long-tail keywords should reflect how users really search –
What tools do you need for grilling?
Tips for better gas mileage
Affordable winter jackets
It’s best to concentrate on 1-2 long-tail keywords that reflect the curiosity of your reader. It’s not about cramming in as many keywords as possible. In fact, that’s called stuffing and this practice can actually hurts your SEO.
Place keywords effectively – Now that you’ve picked your keywords. You need to include them in your title tag, headings & body, URL, and meta description. The standards for doing so are ever changing. Navigating them is one of many areas where HS Digital Team can be a great help.
Add internal links – Internal links to other pages on your site is one of the easiest ways to improve search results. Reference an older blog post, for example. Or link to a page that speaks specifically to your blog topic.
Add an outbound link once in awhile – Sometimes referred to as external links, these are links that go to a website other than yours. How can this help your website? Well, by linking to outside sites, you to connect your website to the next website, and that website to the next website. When we do this, we create a worldwide web that expands from one related website to another. We help the search engines to connect the dots. Adding an outbound link can help your community, your neighbor, your supplier, your customer and your visitor.
Blog as often as possible – This keeps your site current – If your site is regularly updated, it sends a message to Google that you are alive and well. Basically, it helps you stay on their radar.
Make a connection – Above all a blog should make a connection with your audience. You want to deliver valuable information that entertains. When you do that, viewers are on your site longer and more likely to share your content with others, thus overall boosting your SEO.
”Just because you were in the #1 position one month, doesn't mean you are going to stay there.
Emily SorensonDigital Marketing Director
2. Improve content through on-page SEO
According to SEO industry leader Moz, on-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. On-page refers to both the content and HTML source code of a page that can be optimized, as opposed to off-page SEO which refers to links and other external signals.
You may be breathing a sigh of relief that your website is finally done or maybe you made some revamps, and it’s up and running. But that’s simply not enough. You can maximize your on-page SEO by following some of the same practices as we mentioned above for blogging –
You have content that is unique and doesn’t appear elsewhere online – This means no plagiarism! Or site appropriately if you do copy someone else’s content. Google will recognize duplicated content and potentially penalize you if you are making someone else’s work look like your own.
You’re pushing for a positive user experience on the site – Ensure you have an easy to use navigation menu. Don’t be afraid of whitespace. Your site should be mobile friendly and responsive. Avoid flashing graphics and pop-up banners.
Your site is keyword targeted – Make sure your keywords are appropriately placed within specific areas, like heading and body copy.
Generate SEO friendly slugs – Make sure you or your CMS has generated an SEO friendly URL slug (like this article /improve-your-websites-seo-with-these-tips/)
Digital Marketing Director Emily Sorenson shares her insights on organic search rankings and on-page SEO. “Organic rankings change over time no matter what you do. Just because you were in the #1 position one month, doesn’t mean you are going to stay there. Not only does Google’s algorithm impact your ranking, but your competitors impact it too.”
She adds, “You should tend to a website like you tend a garden – not by pouring water on it of course, but by giving it attention and a little TLC. On-page SEO is one of the easier ways to update content on your website without starting from scratch. Simply put, On-page SEO is a modification of the content that is already on your site to make it work harder for you.”
3. Look for ways to improve off-page SEO
What is off-page SEO? According to Moz, off-page SEO (also called “off-site SEO”) refers to actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings within search engine results pages (SERPs). A variety of these outside factors can affect your site’s popularity, relevance, trustworthiness, and authority. As a website owner, you can work to improve how off-site SEO can impact your brand awareness and search engine ranking, including –
Social media outlets – Ensure your website is connected and active with a variety of social media outlets. Work to improve your followers on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Make sure that you are interacting positively with your followers and responding to messages and comments in a timely and professional manner.
Traditional media sources – Reach out to local newspapers, television and radio stations to talk about your product/service to improve brand recognition.
Forums and blogs – As an expert in your industry, don’t miss the opportunity to talk about what you can offer people interested in a relevant topic. Not only can it improve your name recognition, but it may catch the interest of a popular blogger or influencer.
Influencer marketing – An influencer is someone with an almost cult-like following, usually on social media, whose posts often generate hundreds or thousands of likes. Look to identify influencers in your industry, reach out to them and convince them to write about or share your content.
These are just a handful of things that go into on-page SEO. If you are confused by what some of these terms mean, our blog post on website terms and acronyms may be helpful.
There’s a lot more to on-page SEO than meets the eye. And dedicating a few hours a month to it can reap big rewards for your company.
Want to learn more? We’re ready to talk any time about website SEO. Contact HS today!
