This guest post was written by Rachel Phillips
Apply these easy search engine optimization (SEO) and blog writing techniques on your website for immediate improvement in visibility by major search engines. Read on for simple, consumer-friendly tips to learn how to write SEO content like a pro and give your local business the competitive edge online.
Use a Content Management System
Having the ability to edit your website content without specialized skills or paying for a web developer gives you the power. Not only do customers love when you keep your website up-to-date and user-friendly, it’s important because writing fresh content gets the attention of the search engines and gives you “credibility” points. Credibility gets your website higher up in the search results. Better search results mean you’re visible to a broader base of prospective customers.
One of the best ways to easily edit your website with fresh content, and configure it for search engine optimization, is to use a Content Management System (otherwise called a CMS). The top three free, open-source platforms on the market are WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. I like using WordPress, because it has the best blogging tools.
Add a Blog to Your Website
There are several ways to keep website content fresh and updated, but the best and easiest place to start is with writing a blog. A blog not only gives you more credibility points, but using SEO best practices when building and writing your blog (i.e., proper URLs, categories, and tags) increases links to your website. When relevant, these links improve your search results.
Write With Keywords in Mind
The best way to create relevancy is to find out what your customers are searching for. An easy way to do this is to research the keywords they type into the search box. Google Adwords provides a free, easy to use tool for doing keyword research. Blog posts with interesting and pertinent content showcase your business as a thought leader in the industry and attract higher quality leads. If you use this concept as a starting point, then writing with keywords will be easy.
The next thing you will want to do is use these keywords several times (at least three) in your post so the search engine algorithms pick it up. Then, in your CMS, create tags for those same keywords. Tags should be specific words and phrases (i.e. ‘henley’ or ‘mens shirt’). Another important tool is categories. There should be far fewer categories than tags. You want to use categories for general terms (such as ‘fashion’). Tags and categories catalog content so people can find what they need easily and quickly.
Take Advantage of Local Search
A common misconception by small business owners is they will have difficulty competing against the “Big Boys” for top placement in search results. But, how do you make sure people see your business listed in the search results? Your secret weapon is local search. Thanks to Google updates, local businesses are given a fighting chance via Google Maps. Find or create your company’s profile in Google Places, then follow the directions to become an owner verified listing so you can edit the information. Then, make sure the business name, address, and phone (NAP) have continuity across the web. That is, your website, Google Places profile, and all online directories listing your business have the exact same information. If you don’t, the search engines won’t recognize the listing as yours and you won’t get those coveted “points”.
SEO Writing Techniques for a Powerful Website
Consider these the foundational building blocks for having a website that packs the punch you need to compete online. Using a CMS keeps you in charge of the content on your website. Writing a blog positions your business as the expert and writing with SEO in mind increases links to your website which in turn will help generate quality leads. And, taking advantage of local search is an easy way to instantly improve your business’s online visibility so once you have great content on your website, people find it.
Photo Credit: farm4