Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important part of marketing your professional website. However, if you are in an industry in which you have a significant amount of online competition – locally, nationally, or worldwide-the SEO plan you use must be well thought out. There are SEO Does and Don’t for website, which should be on priority.
To make your website stand out from your competition, and to achieve and maintain a high page rank, use the tactics, strategies, and tools below.
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SEO for Websites 2013
Add Value to Build Backlinks
As a business owner, you likely have your website connected to your social media profiles and probably a blog where you post content. Your initial temptation may be to post only advertising, marketing, and promotional materials on your blog and social media profiles, but you will attract more traffic and build more backlinks if your posts add value.
You can do this by posting videos, photos, and content that have more than just well-researched keywords and repetitive advertising. The content needs to have value for your clients and customers to encourage them to frequent both your website and your social media profiles.
For example, if you are a business that specializes in home décor, you can post articles talking about home organization and link to articles on the latest home trends or DIY projects. This will keep your customers coming back regularly because you are more than a sales site—you are a true resource.
Invest in Pay-Per-Click
As the saying goes, “You have to spend money, to make money,” and SEO is no exception. The great thing about pay-per-click campaigns is that you can invest in campaigns with as little as $5. This gives you the opportunity to test the effectiveness of the keywords and ads you post.
Once you identify an ad that is successful, you can then make a greater financial investment. Since trends and competition are constantly changing online, a keyword phrase or ad that is successful this month may not be successful a few months from now—so you must constantly be experimenting with new pay-per-click campaigns.
Hire a PR Firm
Even if your business is small and your budget is minimal, hiring a PR firm to create your web content, manage your social media, produce online press releases, and find free and inexpensive online advertising can prove invaluable for your SEO results.
Even if you are not able to invest in monthly services from a PR firm, look for ways to work them into your quarterly or biannual budget.
Hire an SEO Expert
While you may have time to manage and implement some of your SEO efforts, your best plan of action may be hiring an SEO expert or SEO agency. A good SEO agency will optimize your web design, manage your social media accounts, manage content, manage your online marketing and advertising, create mobile apps, and create a comprehensive SEO campaign.
For many business owners who find SEO a challenge, hiring an SEO agency or expert may be your best option.
Even if your business is highly successful off-line, you will miss out on areas of opportunity for growth if you do not have a solid online presence. Even if ranking on the first or second page of a search engine is not your primary goal, you need your clients and customers to be able to find you quickly and easily when typing your name into their preferred search engine.