SEO: 5 Tips to Improve Your Search Ranking

More and more consumers are turning to the internet to answer their questions and solve their problems. How many times have you been hanging out and just said “Google it!”

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a powerful strategy to ensure that your brand gets noticed by the right user at the right time. For beginners, the world of SEO can seem scary but understanding the basics can be easy. Even a small amount of SEO knowledge can make a BIG difference.

What is SEO?

SEO is the practice of optimizing content to be discovered through a search engine’s organic search results. Google and other search engines have created algorithms that evaluate over 300+ ranking factors to understand which sites will provide the best answer for a user’s query.

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The SEO landscape is ever-changing, but we have identified 5 important SEO tips that will drive more traffic to your page and improve your search rankings.

1. Remove Anything That Slows Down Your Site

In the past, you could get away with a slow-loading site, but today that is no longer the case. A slow page is frustrating for the user. It leads them to believe your site is untrustworthy, ultimately discouraging them from purchasing your goods or services. eConsultancy found that 40% of people abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load. With site speed being a top Google ranking factor, it’s crucial to get rid of non-essential elements that slow down your site, otherwise you are fighting a losing battle for top organic ranking, regardless of content.

2. Write Content for the User

Put the reader first! Don’t start by picking your keywords and manipulating content to match. Search engines don’t buy products, engage on social media, or become loyal customers. Instead write about what you know and care about and what your customer will find useful and relevant to their search query. You will discover that your keywords are naturally part of your content. When you put users first, you will create meaningful content that search engines will reward because search engines follow users.

3. Implement Web Analytics

Web analytics are important for tracking the success of your SEO strategy. The most popular analytics software is Google Analytics. It helps you understand the user’s experience after visiting your website. It tells you what worked and what did not. The information provided allows you to make the necessary changes to your website, improving your rank in not only Google but other search engines as well.

4. Write Unique and Relevant Meta Descriptions for Every Page

Meta description tags can have a significant impact on your SEO efforts and play a big role in search results. If you’re running Google Ads and one ranks for a keyword, Google and other engines will show the meta description as a summary of the page. The goal of the meta description is to convince and persuade the searcher to click through to your website. In short, the better your meta description, the more likely it is you will have good click through rates from organic search.

5. Build Momentum with Social Signals

Social media is more than a messaging and acquisition channel – it directly impacts SEO. Social signals are a big piece of your social media strategy and increasing them is important. Social signals refer to a webpage’s collective shares, likes and overall social media visibility as perceived by search engines – directly impacting organic search rankings. With more and more sharing taking place on social media platforms, Google and other search providers have integrated social signals as a ranking indicator. Here’s how you can increase social media engagement and rise to the top of the ranks:

Create useful content that’s share-worthy across your social media platforms
Add share buttons to your post and make them visible
Encourage people to share by asking them to – don’t be shy!
Host a social media contest to get more shares
Mention and link to social media influencers/power users in your post and notify them

The importance of SEO and the consequential tracing of website behavior improves the ability of brands to understand their customers. With that understanding comes loyal, repeat customers. By implementing these important SEO tips, you will create better content, generate more organic traffic, acquire more leads and better position your website to grow your revenue.