One of the most significant inventions of humankind is undoubtedly Google. This search engine has brought information at everyone’s fingertips. It has increased the dependency of web-based information so much that, life comes to a standstill in its absence. The question is why so? Why this dependency? The answer can have many dimensions.
First and foremost is the fact that Google, or for that matter, any search engine displays extensive information from a varied range of sources at a single click. Google is not only a library, but it is also the radio, the television, the telephone, the map, the music player and all other content that one can require in everyday life. Type a single word, and all possible meanings and related information can be displayed right in front of your eyes within a fraction of second. That is the kind of convenience we are talking about.
The significance of search engines in today’s world is widespread, and so is its importance in the world of businesses. Most businesses these days run on the internet. A search engine acts as a medium of brand awareness, a channel of advertising and promotion, means of communication, a gateway for transactions, and sometimes, the bloodline of businesses. It brings forth a question, how visible is your content? Where does your webpage rank in search results? Does the search engine at all reach your content? If you are unsure of the answers, you might need to work on SEO or search engine optimization. SEO enables visibility to your content that it deserves. Get in touch with Online Impact SEO to know more.
Technically, you can follow the following few steps for search engine optimisation:
- Conduct an audit of the existing website, existing rankings, and internet presence
- Conduct thorough research of keywords
- On-page optimization
- Off-page optimization
- Review and regular maintenance
Listed below are some do-it-yourself tips and techniques that can help in improvising organic rankings and create online impact for your brand.
- Keyword Research: keyword is the key to search for anything and everything on search engines. It is essential to know what set of keywords represent your content, product or service. Does your audience type the right set of keywords to access your content? They may not use the same set of words and phrases to find your products or services online. Hence, one must conduct thorough research to gauge the keywords used in search queries. You can use various paid and free keyword research tools in this case.
- Make SEO-friendly URLS: Using keywords in the URLs can help a lot. Do not overload it. Usage of the hyphen can prove to be useful as it acts as space between two words.
- Use a unique page title: This is an essential on-page optimisation factor. A relevant and exclusive title to the webpage helps establish the theme of your webpage and gives a direction to the keywords.
- Optimise your descriptions: A description that aptly describes and presents your content in a gist always catches attention. It gives a clear idea of what the webpage could be about and hence aids the audience to choose what can be useful to them.
- Analyse your competition: It is essential to know which other websites offer products and services similar to yours, which other businesses share the same model as yours and what search results come up when the keywords that represent your content is being typed in search enquires. This analysis gives valuable insight about where you are lacking. Does your website need to be re-structured? Is their content more engaging than yours? Also, get to know about their social media activities to have a better understanding of how the market reviews you vs. your competition.
- Content is the king: Quality content triumphs above everything else. The theme, keywords, page title, and content must all be in sync. Content lets you stand out in the clutter of information. Be it product description or a blog or a review, a relevant, useful and meaningful content will draw attention and will let the audience interact for a longer span of time.
- Press releases: If you have something newsworthy, issue a press release. That gives the required exposure in news search websites and helps in link building.
- Plan your website carefully: For each keyword, that represents your content, there should be a corresponding webpage. Your webpage should answer the search queries related to your content. You need a sound grasp of the user’s requirements and the keywords they use to find the content, product or service. Here, it is recommended to use long-tail keyword themes at the beginning that would target specified traffic.
- Optimise your site: It is essential to take note of the mobile devices-using population that is on a continuous rise. Mobile-friendly websites are vital as users do about half of the searches through these devices. Also, they are imperative to provide a seamless and smooth user experience. That is a necessary key to user engagement.
- Update content regularly: Updating content on a regular basis reflects consistency. Whether it is new content or a video bulletin or just images, publishing original content on a periodic basis is essential.
- Social media relationships: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat or Instagram, there are multiple social networking sites available to build useful relationships with the target audience. These networks help in connecting with the existing as well as the prospective audience. Be active and add value to the networks.
- Improve the website’s loading time: Page rank also depends on how speedily a webpage opens up. Website’s loading time directly affects conversions. Also, the faster your page opens up, the more page views will you earn.
- Understand the analytics of Google and get to know how SEO works: You can’t deal with something that can’t be measured or analysed. It only gets difficult otherwise. The algorithms on which Google works are, and so does its search criteria. One must have a basic understanding of how Google works.
Also, study an SEO guide or read an SEO blog. Get to know more about search engine optimisation techniques. Various SEO communities can also help in answering your queries.