Jeffrey Hales
Dothan, AL
In this technology-driven era, having a website is a given, but the features that make one site rank higher and more successful than others are not quite as clear. You are already operating at a disadvantage if you forget the following very important steps. It is vital you avoid the pitfalls that unknowingly may trap you and much of your opposition. Without further ado, here are the Top 5 things you should be doing that the most successful businesses do right when they are looking to optimize their website.
1. Content. Content. Content.
I cannot stress this enough. Picture yourself without a brain, and that's what most websites out there are akin to these days. Over the last several years, search engines led by Google have quietly shifted from traditional SEO tactics and strategies such as back-linking and meta data, to a focus on quality on-site content that is updated often. Is the information on your site original and useful? It should be, because the days of simply saturating an article with just keywords alone are long gone. The words on your site's pages must read well, and they should also position you as an expert in your field. Quality content that is engaging and relevant to your target audience will increase your site’s importance, thus leading to higher ranking and many more conversions.
2. Know Thy Audience.
While captivating content is important, targeting the right audience is equally so. If you are a local business, your content should reflect this notion. For example, an embroidery shop in Dothan, Alabama should not simply reference shirts while composing their content, but instead throw in terms like “Dothan shirts” or “shirts in Dothan.” This will certainly help you focus on potential customers in your specific area, who can actually purchase from you, as opposed to competing with companies all over the world for a general term.
3. Be Social.
As much as I despise social media and all for which it stands on an individual level, it is where - literally - everyone is nowadays. These platforms can be a very effective tool to optimize your website for more than one reason. First and foremost, adding social buttons to your site will help you expand not only your reach, but also your brand. As more people share your embedded content, your site will be exposed to all of their friends and followers. Secondly, and equally as important as the first, the use of social media buttons makes it way easier for other sites to link back to your site. The more quality back links you have, the more the search engines will value your site as an authority on any given topic. Lastly, it is also important to note, Google is incorporating Google+ posts into their search results, so having your content connected to your Google+ page can be a phenomenal way to increase traffic to your site as well. As search engines continue to evolve and place an emphasis on engaging in social media in determining organic rank, it is mandatory to engage with your audience via social media.
4. Make It Mobile Friendly Too!
Thanks to the speed of which families are dumping house phones for smartphones, the rise of mobile searches has steadily increased year-after-year. Smart web designers have been keen to this trend for many years as users take their phones everywhere, from the dinner table to the bathtub to the diner. After the explosion of smartphone brands like the iPhone and Galaxy — it finally happened this year. Google’s official blog revealed, “More Google searches take place on mobile devices than on computers in 10 countries including the US and Japan.” So if your site isn’t ready for mobile, it will soon be left in the dark. Your site has to be easy to navigate, both through a desktop and on a mobile device. If you are not sure if your site is mobile-friendly or not, you can take advantage of Google’s free verification test.
5. Do Not Cut Corners!
No matter how tempted and anxious you may be to obtain a first page search ranking, you have to understand it will take time to get there. Do not result to black hat techniques, such as keyword stuffing or link spamming, as the punishment WILL outlast the reward. If Google hits you with a penalty, your page ranking, and thus your traffic, can be knocked down severely.
When building and/or maintaining your website, it is imperative to stick to the preceding fundamentals. If you want to be successful you need to condense your target audience and give them content that they can actually use. Whether it is informative or entertaining, it has to be more than just throwing colorful text and meaningless words on a page. Once you’ve properly engaged them, you've simultaneously made it easy for them to share with their friends, from wherever they are in the world. By simply sticking to the basics, including refusing to cut corners, you are guaranteed to see a return for all your hard work. Good luck!
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Contact me anytime via email: jhales4957@gmail.com ...
See you all again soon!
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