Search Results are Magic
Most days I take the Internet for granted. If I need information about anything from a recipe or map to a way to settle an argument I simply turn to Google. But every now and then, I stop and think about how much searching the internet has changed since I started Roundpeg. Searching back then was a challenge. Using one or two words to start, you often had to refine your search several times before you found exactly what you were looking for.
That was then. Today search engines are significantly smarter. You can type phrases, complete sentences or even a paragraph to precisely narrow your search. And the magic is that you get the answer, or several thousand answers in a split second. As an information consumer, that’s awesome. As a business owner, trying to get noticed that is a challenge.
Get to the top of search results with Relevance
Search engines sort through and index millions of pieces of data every single day. So how do you get them to pay attention to your data? Here are a few SEO tips which can help.
Search engines want to answer questions consumers are asking. They look to the content on your website for the answers. As you write web copy and blog posts think about the questions your customers frequently have and the phrases they use. This is not as easy as it sounds as you slip into jargon. Snap out of it and listen to your customer. Use their words, not yours.
Search engines like information rich pages containing key words and other relevant content to support the key word. You don’t need to include the exact phrase multiple times unless it occurs “naturally”. Look for variations to make the post more appealing to search engines and readable for real people.
Use the best phrases
When you are writing specifically for SEO, it helps to focus on the very best phrases. One tool you can use to find a starting point for word selection in your copy is the keyword tool from Google Ad Words. Simply type in a phrase you believe prospects are likely to use when looking for your type of business and the tool provides a series of phrases and how often they are used when by consumers searching for you.
Often you may find the phrase you thought you should use isn’t really searched very often. While you still might want to use the word in the post, it probably shouldn’t be your primary phrase. In other cases, you may find a term you had never thought about using to boost your search position.
For example: I frequently use “small business marketing” as my key word. Conducting a quick search using the keyword tool, I discovered “marketing strategy” was searched significantly more often – on average 201,000 times a month. Adjusting our copy to include that phrase made a significant improvement in our search position. We also discovered another phrase I had never deliberately used: “small business ideas,” was searched more than 20,000 times a month. It is not my top phrase but posts using that term attract a steady stream of traffic.
The SEO Lesson
Take the time to research the best key words and include them in your writing. Don’t over do it or you are likely to have text which reads like this: “Small business marketing strategy should include novel ideas for small business owners, which expand their current small business marketing activities.” While the engines will love it, your readers won’t!
Roundpeg is an Indianapolis marketing strategy firm.