Search engine optimisation, or SEO as it is also commonly known, is the process of optimising each page on your website so that it can be easily found by Google. There are many ways you can do this, but one of the most effective ways is to use keywords throughout your pages that reflect the services or products you have to offer. This will help Google to return relevant results to users and get you higher up in the search engine rankings than you thought possible.
Here are five tips to improve your websites SEO.
1. Use Google Adwords to find the best keywords
Keywords are essential if you want your website to rank well on Google, whether you are using paid advertising or organic search engine optimisation. Google offers a keyword research tool called Adwords that allows you to find the most relevant and popular keywords for your products, services or industry. Not only can you see the most popular keywords, but you can also see how many people searched recently using those keywords. This can really help you to understand how your potential customers are searching for services or products like yours. Once you have defined which keywords can be used for your business or organisation, you can start using them within your content and also the meta data on each page. It is also a good idea to give your pages the same names as the keywords you select - it all helps when it comes to search engine rankings. When optimised in the right way, your keyword rich content can really start to bring in more traffic and turn those visits into conversions.
Use the Google Adwords tool here.
2. Include keywords throughout your website for the best results
Once you have found a good set of keywords to work with, it's time to put them to work. You can do this by writing content that includes these keywords. We recommend a keyword density (that's the ratio of keywords to normal text on the page) of between 1 and 3%. This will make your copy appear natural to human eyes, and also to Google. In addition to including your keywords in your content, place them within the headings of your pages and also link them to other pages on your site. You should also include them in the meta data of your pages- your meta description, h1 and h2 headings etc. We can help you with these areas if you don't have any experience in search engine optimisation.
3. Don't hide your services under a generic services tab
If you offer a range of services, don't hide them away by placing individual service pages under a generic 'Services' tab. Instead, bring them up a level so that it is clear to your visitors what you have to offer. A website that is easy to understand and easy to navigate will be welcomed by your visitors and will help them to make a quick decision on whether to use your services. Very often, you only have a few seconds to make a lasting first impression with your website, and navigation and layout are important. Try to link your pages to other pages as much as possible so that you draw visitors deeper into your website. Include a strong call to action on each page too, including a compelling reason why customers should use your company and how they can get in touch with you.
4. Always make sure that content is unique and relevant
One of the most important rules of writing copy for the web is that it must be unique - that is, you cannot copy content from another website and make it your own. Google looks unfavourably at duplicate content and you will find that the ranking of your website will suffer dramatically if you use any on your pages. It is also important to make your content relevant to your target audience. Give them useful information about your company, products or services, tell them why you are better than the rest and give them clear ways to get in touch with you. Keeping your content fresh and frequent can also work wonders for your search engine ranking, so why not include a blog on your website? Here you can really put your keywords to work for you and give your target audience a reason to keep coming back or to bookmark your website.
5. Include individual pages for each service you provide
You could talk about all of the services you provide on just one page, but if you really want to optimise your website, an individual page for each service can really help. This is because you get another chance to use those keywords to good effect, and also make it clear to your customers what you do. Customers may only be looking for one of your services and by offering them a dedicated page that relates to and which is optimised for that service, you can help them to find you easily. You can also include town names on your services pages to help the process even more. Many people will enter a search such as 'car repairs in Southend' and so it makes sense to include some geographical keywords within your content too.
For more information on search engine optimisation for your website contact us on 01702 482011 or
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