Jeffrey Hales
Based on one of my latest blogs, I was asked to speak at a local small business seminar coming up in early 2016. After a weekend of research on the subject of integrating the new tech-based tactics with the tried-and-true strategies of traditional advertising, I found out that the more things change, they really do stay the same.
No matter what your industry or niche may be, whether you're a brick-and-mortar or virtual ecommerce site, operational excellence remains to be one of the key factors when gaining and keeping new customers.
Again, the original communicative strategies of old are all still being implemented across new digital platforms today, and the most effective communicators are the ones to which we should pay the closest attention.
If you're looking for the easiest ways to improve your website’s search engine visibility, you may want to double back and make sure your message is being purported the way you would speak to a potential customer on the street. Merely creating a website just for the sake of having one, and stuffing it with keywords is certainly not the way I would advise you to spread the word of your product or service. I hope you agree.
As search engines continue to evolve, so do the algorithms they use to determine which websites rank best for any given keyword search terms.
This simply means people like me are continuously researching and studying in attempts to stay ahead of the game.
On top of this, search engines often change the rules without even telling the players in an attempt to penalize websites using ‘black hat’ SEO practices.
While it is now widely known that tactics such as buying links and keyword stuffing will negatively affect rankings, these techniques were all common practice not too long ago. Tactics and rules change, but strategies never have.
What can you do to immediately improve your site's ranking with Google? Here is a selection of new tactics that will certainly help do just that while simultaneously improving user experience. It's all about quality communication to create more customer demand for your products and services.
Operational Excellence in Web Content
Look, you're the pro at your given niche or industry, and you're still in business, so obviously, you're doing something right. Right? Transmit operational excellence throughout every platform you choose to publicize your business. Pretend the channels you are transmitting your message (i.e. traditional and digital) are employees, and remember, you're only as strong as your weakest link. I’ve always viewed this perspective as a win-win. Creating new content for your website is a great way to demonstrate your expertise and provides your potential customers an opportunity to see you before they actually see you. First impressions... It’s also one of the best ways to rank higher, online and off.
Google loves quality content. In fact, the basis of any SEO strategy should be producing relevant, captivating, helpful, well-written and - most importantly - regularly updated content. If you link your content to a Google + profile, and continue to publish quality articles/ blogs on a certain topic, Google will undoubtedly recognize you as an authority, and send you more customers via higher rankings. I promise!
No matter what your site is about, Google will know, so resist the temptation to cram it with the exact same keywords within the content. If you wouldn't walk up to a person on the street, and say, "Shirts! Shirts! And More Shirts," don't do it anywhere else including your website! Google’s main objective is to give users the most valuable, relevant content for which they are searching. This means you have to provoke your creative side a bit, and come up with some well-written pieces in order to satisfy the reader, not attempt to manipulate the most current search engine algorithm. And look, there isn't some magic number, or 'ideal keyword density'. I advise trying to keep it at 3%, but I've heard others suggest it's perfectly fine using keywords a total of 15 times. At the end of the day, however, just focus on making sure the writing is clear, and emphasize how valuable your products and services are for the user first, and Google will have no problem. They will not send anyone to your website only to be confronted with near-illegible copy.
Matt Cutts, Lead Engineer of Google’s WebSpam Team gives the following advice, "Try reading your content aloud. Does it make sense? Is it clear? Does it respond to the needs of your audience?" I say, that should be a given, but who am I compared to Mr. Cutts?
Google will know what you’re writing about. It's just how far they've come. No need to press and re-press the issue or content!
Other elements of creating a page that ranks well for a certain keyword are not rocket science by any stretch of the imagination.
The best example is the title of the page. It is imperative you load your title with the keywords for which you want it to rank. It acts as signage to your readers and search engines, so if you’re creating content which for 'Shotguns my granny could use', make sure those words appear. The best way to do this is to simply, keep it simple.
As I previously stated, you are writing for people first and foremost. Make sure your title is clear and concise, and communicate your message as excellently as you operate your business. Now go, and continue to be excellent in everything you choose to do!
No comments:
Post a Comment