SEO, SEO, SEO. Everyone seems to be preaching about what to do to improve your rankings. And, don’t get it wrong – your rankings are important. The higher you rank, the more opportunities you have to generate new business. But, it’s all too often you’ll find marketers standing in the pulpit, talking about stuff they’re not really sure about.
We’ve put together 10 commandments that any business should know when considering working with a Florida SEO company. So, thou shalt..
1. Have a Strategy
You wouldn’t drive a car blind, so why would you attempt steering your business to the top of rankings without seeing the big picture first? Search engine optimization is a detail-oriented practice. So, building a strategy with a Florida SEO company before taking any action is going to keep you on the straight and narrow.
Start with taking inventory of what you’re currently doing for internet marketing. Then, define your target audience. You need to get super familiar with who you’re trying to reach. After that, brush up on the do’s and don’ts of SEO. Reading blogs (just like this one) will help you make educated decisions moving forward.
2. Create Original Content
Content is king. Especially when it comes to your SEO strategy. You’re going to want to take the time to write longform blogs, optimizing them with keywords, hierarchal information, and great visuals. You’ll also want to think about your actual website copy. According to one Sydney SEO Consultant, it’s essential to consider everything from the homepage to the service pages to the CTAs, when writing content, you should always consider the intended reader. This’ll determine what services or products you highlight, as well as the tone and language you use.
Something your Florida SEO company should also remember is your off-page SEO. Keep SEO in mind when writing social media captions. And, encourage your current customers to leave reviews. There are so many types of content out there, so leave no stone left unturned!
3. Remember Search Intent
At the foundation of all SEO efforts is the intent of the searcher. In order for them to find you, they need to search for certain keywords and phrases. For example, someone looking to make an appointment with a new dentist is going to search something along the lines of, “best dentist near me.” If you’re able to then incorporate that exact phrase into your original content – and then pair it with a clear CTA – the online visitor won’t only find your business but will have an obvious path to conversion.
4. Use On-Page & Off-Page SEO Tactics
Yes, your website is your digital home. You need to consider everything from your website design and function to the content that’s on it when pushing for higher rankings, but there’s a lot more to the World Wide Web.
Once you’ve optimized your copy and metadata, sped up your loading speed, and all of that good stuff, it’s time to branch out to directory listings, maps optimization, social media marketing, and link building. Having consistent information across authoritative platforms will only do your business good!
5. Use Keywords Appropriately
Gone are the days of keyword stuffing! Search engines are smarter than that! Pick a single keyword, place it appropriately throughout your content and metadata, and tell search engine crawlers where the relevant information is. You can even employ the help of a website plug-in, called Yoast, that tell you the best keyword density on any given webpage.
6 Never Forget to Link Build
Look, link building gets a bad rep. You can’t go out there, dish out some money on sponsored posts or paid links, and expect everything to work perfectly. This is black hat SEO. Rather, proper link building takes times. Reach out to reputable sites that accept guest blogs, make sure you’re updating your online directory listings, and include a few external links throughout your website copy.
Why? Link building can be a little time consuming, but part of a solid search engine optimization strategy is all about who knows who. It’s an association game. So, you want your site to be found on other authoritative websites.
7. Have a Responsive Website
Nowadays, Google values an effective mobile website over a desktop-friendly site! Yup, people are on the move so much that they’re using smartphones more than sitting down and making a search.
Having a responsive website means that your site’s design and function adjusts according to the device being used. This is huge when creating a successful user experience. And, that’s what’s at the root of SEO – making everything better for the user!
8. Be Detail-Oriented
You can’t skip over the finest of details when optimizing your online content. Meta data, alt tags, URL structure, page speed, and more can play a role in how effective your SEO strategy is. So, when you start working with a Florida SEO company, make sure you’re asking questions about their optimization process.
9. Be Patient with Your Florida SEO Company
When you sign on with a Florida SEO company, they’ll most likely tell you that it can take six to nine months to start ranking for some keywords, while others take even longer. It’s true. Think of how many webpages are out there! There’s a lot of competition. But, that’s why you do your research, see what keywords will be most successful for you, remind yourself that SEO is a long-term strategy, and move forward.
10. Analyze and Re-optimize
SEO is not a “set it and forget it” practice. Let’s say it again for the people in the back: SEO is not a “set it and forget it” practice! Your Florida SEO company should be looking at your analytics on a regular basis so that they can make the appropriate suggestions and changes. If you’re not putting in active effort to improve your rankings, you’ll never see any improvement.