Boost Your Business Ranking on Search Engines: An SEO Guide

By Jim Hollis 

Strong, solid brands need a strong, professional online presence, especially in today’s marketplace. When a user types into the search bar looking for the products and services you offer, you want to make sure you’re one of the first results they see. One of the most effective ways to make it easy for customers and prospects to find you is through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). By optimizing your website and online profiles, you can increase your visibility on search engines like Google, attract more traffic and ultimately grow your business. This comprehensive guide will help you improve your business ranking on search engines.

Step 1: Identify & Use the Right Keywords

What words do people use when searching for your products or services? You want to make sure those terms are attached to your site. Start with general terms, then get more specific. Analyze each aspect of your product: colors, features, add-ons, materials, sizes, etc. Think about what features stand out (eco-friendly, rush order, Made in the USA), how the product can be used or what markets it’s a good fit for. By including these specific search terms, customers can look up a variety of product attributes and be led to your product. After all, you want to make sure you’re matching the right customer to the right product. If a customer searches and finds your site but you don’t have the solution they’re looking for, they’ll just move on.

Step 2: Encourage and Manage Positive Reviews

Online reviews are often viewed with more trust than a company’s direct marketing. These digital comments and ratings have the power to help or hurt a product. A single glance at reviews can sway a purchase, as reading them has become second nature for online shoppers. Consequently, the products with the best and/or most reviews are more likely to rank high on search engines. They have the most interaction, clicks and search rates (source: CONDENCE ). Encourage your customers who’ve positively interacted with your business to review their experiences through search engines like Google. This will only help you climb the ranks and be seen by more prospects.

Step 3: Build Content, Credibility & Engagement

Content is the name of the game when it comes to SEO, but not just any content will do. It needs to be relevant content to your audience. One of the best ways to connect your audience with content is to have a section on your website where you have a blog or news. Don’t get overwhelmed with length either – frequency is a big part of this too. Even if you only write a few paragraphs a week, search engines will appreciate your updates! Make sure you’re using important keywords in the content you share.

Outside of a blog or news, be sure to refresh headlines and the other pages on your site. Update your site at least seasonally and for any specials you have. And there’s a reason it’s called the web. You want to connect to other sites. Of course, you can link to your social media sites, but you’ll also want to link to other sites that have resources that might be of interest to visitors (news sites can be great resources).

Step 4: Begin Using Data Tracking

It’s great to have an appealing website filled with useful information and services, but what good is it if you don’t know how many consumers you’re reaching? There are free tools you can use to track, observe and analyze your website’s trends. You’ll get insights into customer behaviors and figure out where your customers are looking and what they’re clicking on. View day-to-day analytics including bounce rate, time on page, returning visitors, top pages, etc. With these metrics, you can see what drives the most traffic/profit versus what needs editing.

Step 5: Keep It Simple!

Although it is important to take advantage of the previous steps, it is equally important to remember your purpose; are you writing an informational piece, promoting a new product or kicking off your new business? Focus on your goal with these steps in mind and you’ll see a difference in your data. By ensuring impressive, unique content is a top priority, your SEO can improve by simply being backlinked from other people’s sites. Having notable and interesting information can draw site owners to reference you on their webpage, increasing your visibility. Remember, it’s a web.

Expand your knowledge on SEO and check out this webinar, Optimize Your Online Presence: Boost Your Business with Local Listings and SEO.