Ranking high in Google's search results can have a unusual impact on the success of your business. You may either engage the expertise of a Search Engine Optimisation company, or if you have got the time, there are some changes you can make to your website yourself.
Step 1: Keyphrase Analysis
What keywords do you actually think your clients would type in to go searching for your goods and services? A keyword can be one word (e.g. 'optimisation'), but multiple keywords or keyword phrases are generally preferred, because they're more specific and more certain to be what your customers are looking for.
Write down as many as you can think about. Brainstorm with your team. Think of alternative words. Consider geographical phrases if they're vital to your customer (e.g. 'house cleaning Hornsby'). Also, get some ideas from your competition ' sites. Attempt to start a list of 20-30 keyword phrases.
Choose the 2 keyphrases you suspect would be searched for the most. But also remember, the more competition there's for a keyword, the harder it is to reach top rankings. If you want to rank high in Google for the keyword 'insurance', you have a long journey ahead. So try your very best to select 2 keyword phrases that are the most related to you business but that aren't imprecise nor competitive. It's a good idea to have 2 or 3 words in each phrase (e.g. 'wedding catering services')
When you have chose your two best keyword phrases the following step shows you the way to make some enhancements to your home page.
Step 2: Web Copy
Web copy makes reference to all the words or text on your internet site. Because content is king in the world of search websites, your key-phrases need to be placed strategically on your web page to persuade Google that your content is very germane to those keywords. The more notable they are the better. (Keep in mind that as important as search engines are, consumers come first, so take care your copy also reads well.)
Here's how you can increase each keyword's prominence:
- Place your keywords in headings, ideally at the start of the heading;
- Include keywords towards the top of the page;
- Bold or italicise keywords where acceptable;
- Rather than having a link to another page that claims "Click here to read more ", reword it to include your keywords, e.g. "Read more about our xyz services".
An important tip is to also include these keywords in your HTML 'title tag'. Use your content managing system to make these changes yourself, or maybe ask your web developer to do it if you're doubtful how.
Once you have fine-tuned your default page, consider adding new content,eg detailed outlines of what you offer, FAQs and informative articles about your goods and services. (If you don't want to write these yourself, they can be found for free on the net - do a search for 'articles directory').
It's also good to bear in mind that search websites can only read text, not pictures. Often internet developers insert words in pictures to look better for website visitors or use Flash for animation, but this is a major snag to search websites.
Step 3: Linking
Each link from another site to your website (not from your website) is considered by search sites as a vote of popularity for your business and will enhance your rankings.
But it's the quality, not quantity, of the links that is critical. The other websites should have some relevancy to your industry, and ideally highly rated themselves. Ten quality links count far more than 500 links from capricious sites. In the same way your private business network can have a serious effect on the successfulness of your business, so too the net network you build on the Internet.
Brainstorm all of the applicable internet sites that would link to you, such as non-competing firms, and industry bodies and setups. Write an agreeable e-mail to each describing the benefit their visitors would get in knowing about your business, and request them to make a link to your website. Most people will not respond first time round, so a follow-up phone call is generally required.
Remember, if you measure it, you can improve it.
Step 1: Keyphrase Analysis
What keywords do you actually think your clients would type in to go searching for your goods and services? A keyword can be one word (e.g. 'optimisation'), but multiple keywords or keyword phrases are generally preferred, because they're more specific and more certain to be what your customers are looking for.
Write down as many as you can think about. Brainstorm with your team. Think of alternative words. Consider geographical phrases if they're vital to your customer (e.g. 'house cleaning Hornsby'). Also, get some ideas from your competition ' sites. Attempt to start a list of 20-30 keyword phrases.
Choose the 2 keyphrases you suspect would be searched for the most. But also remember, the more competition there's for a keyword, the harder it is to reach top rankings. If you want to rank high in Google for the keyword 'insurance', you have a long journey ahead. So try your very best to select 2 keyword phrases that are the most related to you business but that aren't imprecise nor competitive. It's a good idea to have 2 or 3 words in each phrase (e.g. 'wedding catering services')
When you have chose your two best keyword phrases the following step shows you the way to make some enhancements to your home page.
Step 2: Web Copy
Web copy makes reference to all the words or text on your internet site. Because content is king in the world of search websites, your key-phrases need to be placed strategically on your web page to persuade Google that your content is very germane to those keywords. The more notable they are the better. (Keep in mind that as important as search engines are, consumers come first, so take care your copy also reads well.)
Here's how you can increase each keyword's prominence:
- Place your keywords in headings, ideally at the start of the heading;
- Include keywords towards the top of the page;
- Bold or italicise keywords where acceptable;
- Rather than having a link to another page that claims "Click here to read more ", reword it to include your keywords, e.g. "Read more about our xyz services".
An important tip is to also include these keywords in your HTML 'title tag'. Use your content managing system to make these changes yourself, or maybe ask your web developer to do it if you're doubtful how.
Once you have fine-tuned your default page, consider adding new content,eg detailed outlines of what you offer, FAQs and informative articles about your goods and services. (If you don't want to write these yourself, they can be found for free on the net - do a search for 'articles directory').
It's also good to bear in mind that search websites can only read text, not pictures. Often internet developers insert words in pictures to look better for website visitors or use Flash for animation, but this is a major snag to search websites.
Step 3: Linking
Each link from another site to your website (not from your website) is considered by search sites as a vote of popularity for your business and will enhance your rankings.
But it's the quality, not quantity, of the links that is critical. The other websites should have some relevancy to your industry, and ideally highly rated themselves. Ten quality links count far more than 500 links from capricious sites. In the same way your private business network can have a serious effect on the successfulness of your business, so too the net network you build on the Internet.
Brainstorm all of the applicable internet sites that would link to you, such as non-competing firms, and industry bodies and setups. Write an agreeable e-mail to each describing the benefit their visitors would get in knowing about your business, and request them to make a link to your website. Most people will not respond first time round, so a follow-up phone call is generally required.
Remember, if you measure it, you can improve it.
About the Author:
Ranking high in Google's search results with www.apcsllc.com can have a phenomenal impact on the success of your business. Local seo services are absolutely imperative to growing your business in 2012.
