Google plays a large role in how many people see your business. If you’re looking to increase your visibility and rankings on the search engine, then it’s time to learn about SEO. The best way to rank higher on search engines is by learning about and utilizing terms that Google considers relevant for you.
#1 Optimize Your Website for Mobile Devices
Mobile devices now have larger screens than ever before. In fact, as of September 2016, mobile phones screens were 43% bigger than they were a year ago. Google understands that there is an increasing number of people who prefer browsing the internet from their mobile phone and therefore they adapt their search engine algorithm based on this preference.
If you have a website that was created before 2012, it probably isn’t responsive. A responsive design adapts the layout of your site based on the screen size and orientation of the device. For example: Google results for “SEO Expert” will display different links depending if you are searching from a mobile device or a desktop PC. This is because Google understands that people prefer to search on services and products based on their device.
#2 Focus On Search Intent
According to Google, the intent of a user’s search is more important than the keywords they searched for. It used to be that ranking high in organic listings was about getting your site ranked for as many relevant keywords as possible. These days, if someone is searching for a specific query, then you need to optimize your site accordingly or risk being penalized by the search engine.
# 3 Optimize Your Site For Image Searches
Most of us assume that when we type in a search term like “SEO Services” our results will only display websites with that specific term in the title. Did you know that Google actually searches for images related to your query? It’s true! If someone is searching for “SEO Services” Google will interpret this as an image search and display webpages that include the words “SEO” and “Services” somewhere in their content.
This means you need to optimize the images on your website and ensure that they are relevant. Your title tags should include the text “SEO” and “Services.” Make sure the file name of your images also includes this keyphrase as well.
If you are having a hard time finding stock photos or images related to SEO, then take a look at Pixabay. This is a great place to find high quality images, most of which are free for use and modification. Keep in mind, your metadata will be much more effective if you have hundreds of images with relevant metadata attached.
#4 Use Google’s Featured Snippets Tool
Featured snippets are those boxes that appear at the top of Google searches with the answer to a question. This is an incredible opportunity for SEO and I highly recommend you take advantage of this. To do so, go into your Google search console under the Search Appearance tab. Here, open up the Featured Snippets section and click on “Add snippet.”
You will have to fill out several fields including your business name, description and a paragraph of text. Here is where you should focus on how to optimize your website for mobile and using relevant images related to your query. Once you enter the necessary information, Google will approve your snippet in 48 hours or less.
#5 Add Schema Markup To Your Website
Schema markup is additional code that Google reads to determine the nature of your website. Marking up your site with schema will help you gain higher ranking for search terms and drive more traffic to your business.
Schema markup should be added to your headings, paragraphs, etc. In order for this to work properly, every piece of content on your site should contain schema. Adding this data to your content will allow Google to crawl through each page on your site and make a determination based on the type of website you have.
You can do this manually or use a tool like Yoast SEO which will automatically add schema markup depending on what type of content you are creating. Here is more information on how Yoast can help you with your SEO efforts.
#6 Focus On Your On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization is the process of optimizing a specific page for a particular keyword phrase or search term. There are many things that go into on-page optimization including keywords, meta data and HTML structure. In order to be successful, you need to focus on each of these areas otherwise your SEO efforts will be useless.
#7 Develop A Content Marketing Strategy
Content marketing is the act of writing blog posts and distributing them across the internet in order to drive traffic back to your website. In order for this tactic to work properly, whoever writes this content has to know their target audience and create content that is relevant to them.
When you develop a content marketing strategy, part of your plan will need to be how exactly these blog posts will support your website’s SEO efforts. This means you should have at least one keyword phrase or search term in mind as this will ultimately be the focus of each article you publish. Here is more information on how to start a content marketing campaign.
In order for this approach to work, you have to find ways to promote your blog posts and increase the total amount of traffic coming from search engines by utilizing social media and other channels. A great tool that can help boost your SEO efforts is BuzzSumo, a powerful social media listening tool that helps you identify content that is being shared frequently on the internet.
#9 Use Video
Videos have been proven time and time again to be more effective at engaging people than static images or words. At first, it may seem like an unnecessary investment but in reality videos can help elevate your SEO efforts. Here are some stats to illustrate how important video is for your business.
One of the most popular ways to leverage video as part of your SEO strategy is by always adding a YouTube / Vimeo embed code in all of your blog posts. This way, you will be able to drive more traffic back to your site and increase the total amount of time people spend on your website. Another great benefit of adding a YouTube embed code is that Google will associate the video with your website and keep track of how often it is being viewed. This data will help you gain more rank in search results for certain keywords or phrases.
#10 Look For Existing Opportunities
The best way to get started is to analyze your website’s current search engine optimization efforts and see if there are any opportunities that could be taken advantage of. Here is more information on how to find problems in your SEO portfolio.
For example, let’s say you run a photography business that sells professional DSLR cameras online. One of the biggest challenges facing this type of business is that people who are looking to purchase these cameras will usually begin their search with “What the best DSLR camera”. Of course, you want your company’s website to appear at the top of the search results whenever this phrase is searched.
As part of your SEO efforts, you should always be aware of what keywords and phrases people are using when they search online, especially if it is related to your business. Spending some time analyzing the keywords that people use when searching for photography equipment or other similar products will give you an idea of what you should be trying to optimize your website for. Here is more information on how to do keyword research correctly.
Since a lot of people searching for “best dslr camera” will also search for things like “where to buy best dslr camera”, you should have an article on your website that explains where people can go to find a camera store that sells professional DSLR cameras. The more helpful content you publish, the more relevant your website is going to be perceived by search engines.
#11 Create Micro-Influencers Content
One of the biggest changes that search engines have had to deal with over the last few years is the rise and dominance of micro-influencer content. A great example of this can be seen with the Instagram hashtag #sponsored that people use when they post sponsored content on the social media network.
The fact is that people have become more skeptical of big brands and corporations, which has opened the door for smaller companies and startups to gain a competitive advantage. The best way to influence customers these days is by using someone they can relate to and trust. As part of your SEO efforts, you should always be on the lookout for quality content created by micro-influencers.
To begin with, you should make it a point to follow the influencers that are already connected with your business. Here is more information on how to manage your Instagram community and get more followers on social media. Once you have identified these influencers, you can then consider working with them to create sponsored posts or other types of original content that they will share on their own social media profiles. When these influencers mention your product or brand in their post, search engines will notice this and view this as valuable link building rather than something spammy.
#12 Blog Regularly
According to surveys done by marketing experts, blogging is one of the most important digital marketing strategies you can use to generate leads and create brand awareness. The reality is that if you are not including a blog on your website, then you are missing out on an opportunity to help improve your SEO efforts.
As part of your SEO campaign, it is highly recommended that you publish content at least once per month or even more depending on how often people visit your company’s website to learn about products and services. One of the best ways to think about this process is by thinking about every article published as an opportunity for search engines to view it as valuable link building material. However you choose to write these articles (whether they be guides or product reviews), make sure that you are looking at them from a search engine’s perspective when it comes to keyword optimization.
When choosing the topics for your articles, you should always look for things that people are searching online and then write content that is relevant to those topics. For example, if people are searching for “best dslr cameras” then create an article discussing some of the best DSLR cameras on the market today. Another great way to find content ideas is by monitoring how often popular websites in your industry are publishing new posts each month. Then publish something on your site around the same date every month so search engines know when to expect new content.
One way to get started with these techniques is by creating quality content for your website and optimizing it using some of the tips we’ve provided in this article.
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