If there is one marketing tactic out there that is important to almost every business today, it's undoubtedly SEO. Let's face it, Google runs the world.
Search engine optimization (SEO) has become a do or die tactic because in today's world, you don't have to wonder things any longer - Google has the answer.
Need a restaurant? Google it.
Need new shoes? Google it.
Need a doctor? Google it.
Need an energy bar made out of crickets? Google it. No seriously - this is a real thing.
Get the point? With the insane power of search engines (Google in particular), you have to be able to be found when someone is searching for you, for your products, or for your industry. So how do you do that? Through a solid SEO campaign and strategy.
SEO campaigns are a marathon, not a sprint (when done ethically) so it's important to stay focused and continue to make progress and updates to conform to best practices for your campaign. Why not start today? Here are seven things that you can do TODAY to make an impact on your search engine optimization campaign and start climbing the SERPs!
1. Secure Your Site
Google has made it clear that they give priority to secure websites. These are the websites with a SSL certificate installed on them. While in the past a SSL certificate was really only necessary for eCommerce websites, they have become the standard for every website in our security conscious world. A SSL certificate encrypts data being transferred through and between the website to provide both the website and the visitor more security. You can add a SSL certificate today by contacting your website hosting provider or website developer. They typically start at around $50 per year and it's totally worth it. After you finish reading this amazing blog post, go get a SSL certificate. AFTER. 😉
2. Directory Love
It can take some time, but start listing your company on every directory that you can get your hands on. Of course, start with the primary directories like Yelp, social media networks, YP, Superpages, Google Maps, Whitepages, etc. Through these directories and maps, you can add your domain which gives you a very high quality backlink. These backlinks can be very valuable and start helping your SEO campaign right away.
3. Extend Your Domain
Google (and the other search engines) like to know that you have faith in your business and website. While most people purchase their domain for a single year at a time and just renew each year, by extending your domain for several years, you show search engines that you're going to be around for the long haul. So go ahead, show some confidence in your business and renew your domain for five or ten years.
4. Up Your Word Count
One of the biggest on-page SEO issues that we see routinely is that there simply isn't enough content. Each page on a website needs to have a minimum of 300 words to be indexed correctly by search engines, but more is ALWAYS better. Shoot to up your website page content to at least 500 words and you'll put your website in a much better position.
5. Fix Broken Links
Search engines and visitors to your website agree - broken links suck. They make for such a terrible user experience on your website - which is another factor in your rankings. Use a tool like Dead Link Checker to scan your website and find any links throughout your website that are broken and fix them. Often this can happen when a URL has been changed, but no 301 redirect has been added or even due to a typo in the URL. Clean it up!
6. Focus on Speed
Speed is a major factor in your guest experience, bounce rate, and yes - your search engine visibility and rankings. Run a free speed scan with a tool like GT Metrix. After you get your scores, you'll get a list of items on your website that can be updated to improve your website speed.
7. Get Mobile
Mobile is not optional. In fact, more searches are now done on mobile devices than on desktops. Google has taken a very hard stance, since 2015, that mobile responsive websites are a must to rank. If your website is not mobile friendly, you likely aren't showing up AT ALL on mobile searches. That means that approximately 60% of overall searches do not include your business. If your website is not mobile friendly by 2018, you're WAY behind. It's time to reevaluate...and fast.
Your SEO campaign can make or break your business. While these are some tips that you can implement fairly easily today to help your SEO efforts, it absolutely cannot stop there. Check out our SEO campaign packages and how they've worked for HIVE Strategy and our clients!
