I wish someone would have told us about Search Engine Optimization when we created our first Workhoppers beta site almost four years ago. We designed our site, hired a fantastic team of developers to execute the coding and concentrated on the content, the logic and the look—but we paid little attention to SEO best practices. I wish we had!
SEO optimization is fundamental to your success online and if you know your basics, I can tell you from experience that it will save you time and money. Luckily, with a lot of hard work, we caught on quickly. But, here are the things I wish I knew:
Be proactive in understanding SEO
The rules and best practices for SEO are constantly evolving. What once worked, may not later. For example, being mobile friendly today is fundamental for Google search. If you’re not, you may lose points in your ranking.
Research your keywords early in the process
One important consideration that will determine how quickly you will rise in rankings, and get on the first page of a Google search, is to know the keywords that are related to your business before you start building your site.
These keywords will impact the design. So even before you tell your developers what to code, you should understand how your target market will search Google to find you.
It is common knowledge that keywords are taken into consideration when designing paid marketing campaigns but they are also fundamental for best results in organic searches, as you will see below.
Create relevant pages based on keywords
Spend time researching keywords. Tools on Google Analytics will give you an idea of traffic and competition for each keyword you are considering. Ultimately, you are looking for keywords that provide high traffic and for which there is low competition. Once you determine which ones are best to your business, you can now proceed to design the pages of your website. Keep these keywords in mind as you write the content. The keywords need to appear as frequently as possible, within each page, so consider creating specific pages for key keywords.
Define URLs, titles, headlines and meta descriptions
There are clear rules for established how to create a URL, title, headlines and meta descriptions for each page. Length is important, as is the consistency of your content. For example, a basic rule is never include question marks or an underline in a URL. Meta descriptions are what the user sees when they do a search. They should be concise, but distinctive, and make them want to read more.
Don’t forget the sitemap
XML sitemaps are important for SEO because they make it easier for Google to find your site’s pages. Why? It’s because Google ranks pages and not just websites. You may want to dynamic sitemap, if needed.
Develop links
Once you have optimized your website, links are essential for you to show up in that first search page. The more links on high ranked domains, the better you will rank. Make sure that they are both real and relevant links associated to your business.
Create partnerships with other companies with similar websites, where you can cross-post content. Be sure to show up on directories and professional pages and participate in their discussion boards. And of course, be active on social media.
The rules of SEO can be daunting, but remember, knowing these basic rules will save you months of marketing time and lot of headaches down the road.
