With all the major changes in Google over the past several years, reviewing your ranking online should be a big focus in your 2019 marketing plan. Why? According to Moz, Americans conduct 20 billion searches a month. Of that, websites on the first page of Google receive almost 92% of all click-through traffic.
What is SEO?
All major search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo have primary search results, where web pages and other content such as videos or local listings are shown and ranked based on what the search engine considers most relevant to users. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic (non-paid) search results.
How can I improve my SEO?
1. Maintain a mobile friendly website
Google’s latest update to their search algorithm includes placing a high priority in making sure your website is mobile friendly. You can test whether your website meets Google’s requirements here.
2. Analyze how users search
Alexa and Siri have changed the way we search. If you want to align your SEO with these new search methods, you’ll need to mix long and short tail keywords into your SEO strategy. Understand your target audience and build a plan around the keywords they are using.
3. Create a positive user experience
Are you seeing a high bounce rate? These days, good SEO is more than strategically using keywords – you need to have a site that provides users with a good experience. Instead of heavy keyword stuffing, focus your content on delivering users answers to their questions. Find the balance between page design, content, and keywords.
4. Understand the on-page factors behind your page ranking
Using key terms and phrases – both short and long —are some of the primary factors in SEO. On-page SEO Factors (things you can control) include:
-
- The structure of your website
- How fast your pages load (average attention span is eight seconds)
- The content of your site, both in length and what it offers users
- A mobile responsive website
- Page headings
- Alt descriptions on photos
- An SEO friendly platform (WordPress is a great example)
- User experience
- Trustworthiness of a site (https versus http)
5. Discover the link between social media and SEO
Google has started incorporating off-page, social results into search answers in an attempt to present a more complete online presence. These results you might not be able to control include the number and quality of links pointing back to your site (Yelp, Healthgrades, social media, blogs about you, and so on). Make sure you remain responsive on all platforms and review sources that may be linking to your website or mentioning your practice.
The world of SEO is complex. Having a skilled professional review your site and build upon your on-page SEO factors can improve your rankings, especially on local search queries. Keep in mind that Google can take up to 3-6 months to run sites through their ranking algorithm of more than 250 factors after changes are made.
At Sightpath Creative, our skilled team of marketing experts can help you improve your SEO. Through our partnership, our dedicated team takes time to analyze your website, review areas of improvement, suggest changes, and provide continued support of your site’s ranking. With 76% of people using search engines to find local business information, you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity.