Search Engine Optimization is an important part of branding in this digital world. It is especially useful for small businesses or self-employed workers that rely heavily on social media and Internet presence to earn customers. When working on a website and blog take advantage of these SEO tips for SMEs.
SEO Keyword Optimization Tips
Choosing the right keywords for blogs and website content isn’t easy. Use these tips to find the best phrases and learn where to use them properly.
Choosing the Right Keywords for SEO
Keywords are words or phrases that people use to search for information on Google. You want people to see your website when they search those words. By placing those keywords throughout blogs and websites, Google finds them, and you stand a better chance of being seen.
Finding the correct keywords to use is the hard part. Google Adwords keyword planner makes it easier by allowing SMEs to find the perfect words or phrases. It provides ideas that match what the company offers. For example, a company like Lowpost that offers optimization services might search “SEO Optimization” in the keyword planner. Doing so provides some of the following ideas:
-affordable SEO
-small business SEO
-SEO agency
Use your resulting keywords in websites and blogs. Where to use them is also a part of optimal SEO.
Creating Best Content Ideas for SEO
The keywords found through Google Adwords keyword planner are perfect topics for blog content. You can use them to create many blog posts by digging deeper into the topic and creating niche posts. For example, the keyword ”affordable SEO” can be broken down into several titles including:
-The Secret Guide to Affordable SEO
-Why Affordable SEO is a Small Business’ Best friend
-10 Amazing Affordable SEO Hacks
Turn these titles into blog content. Don’t forget to use some of the other keywords when writing these posts.
Where to Place SEO Keywords for Quality Content
With a topic and title ready to go, it is time to write content that will appeal to Google and appear on the first page of search results. To get the most out of the piece, place the keyword in these locations:
-Content title
-H2 headers for subheadings
-The beginning and end of the piece
-Meta title that appears on Google
-Meta description that appears below the meta title in search engines
Toss in a few extra keywords here and there as well. It is also acceptable to use synonyms of a keyword, so the content doesn’t appear repetitive. Don’t overdo it with keywords because Google will penalize these posts and they won’t appear in search.
Proper Website and Blog Design for SEO
There is more to SEO than using keywords. How the website and blogs looks and how easy it is to use are also important. Use these SEO tips to build a website that keeps potential customers on the page.
Make the Website Mobile Friendly
A large number of people use their smartphones to peruse the Internet. Making sure the website will appear nicely on a smaller screen will help to keep users on the page. It is possible to create a mobile site or a responsive design website that is a hybrid of mobile and PC design. There are also a few simple things to do that will make a website easier to read including:
-Larger font of at least 14 point so words are easy to read
-Larger buttons so fingers won’t miss
-Setting an optimal width with a viewport meta tag
-Using high-quality images that won’t look blurry on a small screen
Use SEO Optimized Images
Website visitors don’t like to spend much time waiting for images to load. By designing images so they load quickly but also look nice, it is possible to keep the user’s eyes on the page. Do this by creating a high-resolution image and then compressing it to a smaller size. Make sure to keep the quality near 50 percent to prevent blurring. This process can be done on many photo editing programs such as PhotoShop, Gimp, and even Microsoft Word.
Create Evergreen Content for Optimal SEO
Evergreen content includes posts that provide information that won’t change for a long time. Write blog posts that don’t include dates, for example. Other ideas for evergreen pieces include:
-How-to articles that don’t focus on frequently changing techniques
-History posts that focus on the past
-Frequently asked questions about the business
It is also possible to keep a piece of content evergreen by updating it regularly when changes occur. Updating is also beneficial as seen in the next tip.
Update Blogs Regularly
When a website or blog sits for a time, Google stops paying attention to it. This means other sites will take over the spot in search results. Keep Google happy by regularly adding new content, updating evergreen content, and sharing old posts on social media.
Creating Backlinks for SEO Optimization
A backlink is when a different website places a link to your business blog or website. The more of these there are on the world wide web, the more important Google thinks the page is, the higher it will appear in search. Here are some tips on getting the most backlinks:
Get Other Websites to Provide Backlinks
There are several ways to get a backlink from another site. Examples include:
–Writing guest posts for websites and supplying the website link with the post
-Create an infographic with the website link and spread it around the Internet
-Adding the website to blog aggregate pages
-Writing reviews and testimonials for other companies
-Providing free goods or services to bloggers in return for a review with links
Use Social Media to Obtain Backlinks
Posting blog pieces on Facebook and Twitter or adding images to Pinterest is a good way to get more backlinks. Every post is in itself a backlink to the blog, but also when someone shares the post that creates yet another backlink. The more the post is shared, the greater the authority the website will earn with search engines. Of course, using proper keywords with posts will help boost the posts’ popularity.
SEO optimization is confusing at times, especially for a small business without much SEO knowledge. Thankfully, Lowpost is here to help make the process easier.