Once upon a time – a website inundated with keywords was a sure-fire way to get your site to appear in the top three of a Google search page. Fast forward to 2014 and search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies have changed considerably.
Google has become much more efficient at spotting websites that try to trick their way up the rankings, making way for reputable sites to secure a top three spot on the first page because they actually provide a response for the searched term or query.
Here are our top 3 SEO tips to help your business get found in a Google search…
Be Credible and Compelling
It’s important to create compelling and useful content that adds value to your customers and prospects, which will in turn maximise your profile on Google and other search engines. Try to produce content that sets you apart from your competitors and other content on the net. Ask yourself two questions – is this helpful to my audience and does it reflect my company brand and values.
Social Media
Social media is playing an increasing role in website traffic referrals and content sharing, not to mention providing small businesses with a faster way to get content in front of their target market. To make sure Google notices you trending on social media* get involved in the social media platforms that your customers engage with. To get people talking about your brand, try offering special promotions to customers who like your page, retweet or reblog your posts.
*Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr etc
Technology
Google uses an algorithm that ranks pages based on the number of searchable words, internal links and how often it is refreshed. You website should be properly coded, with a unique title for each page and a meta-description that displays a brief overview of your content in the search results. Stay on top of SEO by being across all the latest technological advancements.
A technical knowledge of SEO together with a strategic content marketing plan is the new secret weapon for small business online marketing success.
