5 SEO Methods to Use To Boost Your Business
Nowadays, the way your customers will find your services will primarily revolve around your online presence. With 4 billion internet users, capitalising on the opportunities for sales through simple internet searches will require you to assess your online presence and your digital marketing strategy seriously. Within this, a significant factor will be your SEO strategy and how your small enterprise capitalises on this to find, engage, sell to and retain customers. From voice search optimisation to appropriate meta descriptions, below highlights some key SEO methods your small business should be implementing.
Optimise your content wherever possible
Your online credibility can be improved and maximised if you consistently aim to create content that is optimised for search engines. Spend time researching ideal search terms and keywords relating to your products, and also spend time looking into the content of competitors. This research can ensure the content you are providing and posting to customers is not only engaging but optimised to appear high on Google searches. Below are a few pointers for optimising content:
- Spend considerable time and effort developing key search terms
- Ensure your optimised content is of the highest quality
- Avoid keyword stuffing and irrelevant content; it will not pay favourably when it comes to Google rankings and consumer retention.
- Consider your meta descriptions and title tags. Do they summarise the webpage’s content effectively? Keep it short, fresh, and relevant.
Invest in SEO software
Of course, every SME would ideally be able to run their own SEO campaign without a hitch. But the reality is, your workforce’s time and energy will be better spent elsewhere, connecting with customers and building your brand. Rather than spending valuable time and resources learning the ropes through trial and error, it would certainly be a wiser investment to lean on the professional skills and expertise of a specialist SEO company to garner the desired results for your digital marketing. Choosing the right agency for your business is a key decision, and can be difficult with so much competition out there.
See this video from the advice page on Max Your Web for what to look for when choosing your partner agency:
Focus on diverse content
Content is still king. This has not changed and is unlikely to anytime soon; however, what has changed is how customers and consumers are accessing that content. Your content marketing strategy, in particular, should be capitalising on social media, particularly as there are 12 new users every second. Your social media campaign can include blog posts, video content, how-to guides, and long-form content. Remember, the content you share needs to be consistent and authoritative, with depth, accuracy and authorisation.
Through an effective social media campaign, you can:
- Immediately increase your customer reach
- Instantly connect with customers
- Share and post content direct to customers
- Find out more about the preferences of your target demographic
- Build a solid brand that shows a human side
Look ahead to upcoming trends
As well as covering the basics of effective SEO, you should also bear in mind that search optimisation is changing. One factor that is sure to shake up SEO in 2019 and beyond is the advancements in AI and machine learning. In particular, virtual assistants have brought voice search optimisation to the forefront of digital marketing campaigns.
How is this changing the way people search?
For the main part, virtual assistants now mean that the phrases used for Google search are changing. Instead of focused keywords, longer, more natural phrases are now being spoken aloud by users searching for a product. For example, instead of typing ‘Best in-ear headphones 2019’ into a search engine, a user will ask, ‘What are the best in-ear headphones on the market this year’? What this means for your enterprise is you need to optimise your web content and keywords to allow for the rise in voice search, to ensure you do not miss out on the 50 percent of searches expected to be voice led by 2020.
Have fast-loading pages
Fast loading pages are the bread-and-butter for a webpage. Nowadays, users will give up and look elsewhere if your page load times aren’t quick enough. Statistically, if your page takes 10 seconds to load, there is a 30% increase in chances of page abandonment. Shockingly, 40 percent of visitors will abandon websites if pages take longer than 3 seconds to load. Invest in hosting software to keep up with consumer demand; there will be no point in spending your time and efforts on a webpage if customers can’t access it as quickly as they want to.
If you are looking for fast, effective ways to boost your small business or enterprise, start with your SEO campaign. It provides an opportunity for growth, expansion and credibility on search engines, which will see you attract more customers and retain them through relevant, high-quality content that not only counts, but sees customers use your services.
