[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]SEO is magic, but it doesn’t work like magic.
Unless you actively read and engage in the industry of web design and marketing through SEO, there’s a lot about SEO that most business owners don’t know and understand.
For example, did you know the copy and text on your websites pages can help you rank better when your searchers are searching for you?
Did you know that your social channels can help you rank better? Did you know what videos on YouTube can help you improve the SEO value to your business?
Did you know that paid ads can actually hurt your SEO?
Crazy, right?
Not to mention, if you’re trying to rank for super competitive terms like “flower shops, Austin, Texas” on Google, Yahoo!, and Bing you’ll have some stiff competition.
And even if you have amazing and compelling pages on your website, full of the best reasons why someone should buy from you, if you’re not on the first page of a Google Search, you’re losing sales.
So what can your business do to stay a step ahead of your competition when it comes to the search engines?
Do your research.
If you are redoing your company website, you need to do this.
Researching and learning how your searchers find you is critical to the health and overall value of your site and business.
You can build a website, but if no one can find you, then you’ve just wasted time and money on a useless outcome. And it’s worth mentioning that it’s not always about getting visitors to your site, but about getting the right kind of visitors.
Check out this excellent guide on the how-tos of keyword research from our friends at MOZ.
Ranking for the right keywords can make or break your website. But before you dive into this research project ask yourself the following:
- Is your research finding keywords which are relevant to the copy on your site?
- Are your searchers going to find what they are looking for on your site, in a timely fashion?
- Will your searchers and prospects be happy with what they find?
- Most importantly, will this traffic help you achieve your financial and organizational goals?
Once you have answers to these four questions, then focus on the following three tactics to complete your research:
- Do a search yourself for the term/phrase in the major engines. Take a look at the SERP’s results.
- Be willing to buy a sample campaign for the keyword, and keywords, using a Google AdWords campaign.
- Using the data you’ve collected from the search and Google Adwords campaign, determine the value of each keyword.
Use Long Tail Keywords.
A fantastic way to draw more eyes to your site is to research and use Long Tail Keywords.
What are Long Tail Keywords? They are a group of words instead of one.
Here are some examples of Long Tail Keywords:
- Flower Shop, Austin, Texas.
- Nissan dealership, Minneapolis, MN.
- Fitness Drink, Boston, MN.
- Home builder, Nashville, Tennesse.
- Realtor to sell my house, San Francisco, CA.
You see our point? If you’re still not convinced, see some examples below of the following keywords and key-phrases.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”5242″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]See the difference? If you use the phrase “flower shop and gifts,” you’ll rank higher because it’s a longer keyword that your searchers are actually searching for.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”5243″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]So, in the end, don’t just focus on one or two words. That would be an epic fail for your business. Instead, focus on your Long Tail keywords and phrases, as part of your overall comprehensive SEO approach.
Keep testing.
Making your website the best it can be for search engines involves a lot of testing and trial and error.
Understanding what the demand for keywords in your industry is essential, but also understand that there’s a lot of work to discover what keywords will help your business be found for what you want.
When you’re competing against large brands with a lot of ad money, you have to claw and fight to make it onto the first couple of pages of Google.
Let us help you with your digital marketing and SEO.
We want you to be the master of your website and SEO efforts.
Read about how we do SEO, and see what we can do for your business![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]