Help your clients gain visibility with SEO by…
SEO still is one of the best ways to gain targeted website traffic. When people are hunting on Google, they are in buying mode. So, if they type a keyword into the search engine and you or your client’s website shows up, there is every chance they will become a paying customer now or in the future.
For that reason, when designing and building a website, you will spend plenty of time and energy focusing on keywords and links to build SEO. While these are important factors, there are a lot of other ways you can enhance the SEO ranking.
Take a look at our tips for getting your clients more search engine visibility.
Focus on great usability
As well as needing links, keywords, and meta-data – Google’s algorithms also look at user behaviour on a site. This includes how long they spend looking at site pages, bounce rates, how many pages are viewed, loading speed, and any broken links. Because of the number of factors that are assessed, it makes the user experience a very important factor for SEO ranking.
Having an easy to use site will ensure users are spending more time on the different pages, being exposed to content, and engaging with the brand. All of this drives the site further up the Google results.
Forget how it “used to be”
SEO trends and practices are constantly changing, and the approach that worked last year, last month, or even last week, is not guaranteed to get the best results. The older SEO focus on links and keywords has shifted to a focus on
Make sites mobile friendly
Smartphones are the main tool for Internet access on the go. The percentage of mobile phone users accessing the Internet worldwide is currently 61.2% and is expected to hit 63.4% by 2019. You should ensure that any website you design has great mobile usability so that your customers aren’t missing out on any of this important traffic.
Create high-quality content
Content marketing isn’t only for blogs or social media experts. Using quality content on your home and landing pages that appeal to the core emotions of your target audience will help with brand visibility. This engagement increases customer connections, builds business and increases brand loyalty.
Also, make sure social media sharing is integrated. A combination of search SEO and social sharing will increase the effectiveness of your content strategy.
Monitor with quality SEO tools
There are some great free tools available for monitoring different aspects of site performance. As well as keeping an eye on SEO visibility, they can help you manage links to your content and gauge online brand influence.
Google Alerts is the top free tool for monitoring brand mentions and can be easily customised to the frequency and specifications you want. Social Mention is a great tool for tracking content across many social media platforms. It has a great analysis tool to help gain better insight into how your client’s brand performs among social networks.
Cognitive SEO is a paid tool but is well worth the investment if you are getting serious about SEO. It has so many great features including link detection, rank tracking, content optimisation, and mobile tracking.
Stay up to date with SEO trends and news
Constant learning is key! Luckily there are heaps of resources online to help you along the way. I try to post as much as possible, but I would be lying if I said to only read this blog! One of my favourite bloggers is Neil Patel who constantly posts useful tips and growth hacks. If you sell products online then the Shopify Blog is another great resource. Best of luck.
About the author:
Angus Allan
Managing Director of Hello Digital
Angus is an experienced and passionate digital entrepreneur who has worked with clients around the world on a wide range of E-commerce and retail projects. Angus is excited about technology, change, and transformation, and has spoken about these topics, and more, at various events, workshops, and classes in New Zealand. As Hello Digital's Managing Director he oversees the day-to-day operations of the company and is the primary point of contact for our consulting clients and international partners.