Search Engine Optimization

Google and other search engines reward websites that give their visitors a good experience. Part of providing a good experience is making sure your website loads fast.

Keep in mind – just because your website seems to load fast for you on the same device you’ve viewed your website on dozens of times before, doesn’t mean it’s loading just as fast for someone that has never visited your website.

Also, Google can take into account bits of code and other elements that are still loading behind-the-scenes after it appears that your website is done loading.

Make sure your marketing partner has a deep technical knowledge of website development, to give your potential customers the best experience possible.

The visual design and structure of your website can impact search results. Google looks for signals that indicate whether or not your website visitors are easily finding the information they need.

If they are, then certain metrics such as time-on-site can increase, while other metrics such as bounce rate can decrease.

If these metrics (and many others) consistently move in the right direction, Google comes to view your website as a trustworthy and helpful resource for consumers, and will show your website to people searching for the services you provide more often.

All items on a website – from the parts you see to the code you’ll never see – all work together to enhance your rankings online.

Keywords are words that consumers use when searching for the services they need. If your website and overall online presence is optimized for specific keywords, then you have a better chance of appearing in searches when those words and terms are used.

It’s not as simple as just “adding in keywords” though! Google is very sophisticated at determining which websites are thoughtfully and strategically employing the right keywords, and which aren’t.

Additionally, the amount of searches for certain keywords fluctuate – not all keywords are of the same quality. Various types of keywords exist as well – long-tail keywords, keyword phrases, negative keywords for PPC campaigns, branded keywords, geo-targeted keywords… the list goes on.

Make sure you’re working with a partner that understands the nuances of keywords. It’s not about the amount – it’s about the overall strategy of how they’re used.

Letting as many online services and platforms know what your official business name, telephone number, physical address, and website URL is helps you show up better in search results.

These include things like Yelp, Yellowpages.com, Chamberofcommerce.com, and more – plus dozens of others you haven’t heard of. Many of these services make assumptions about your business info and create unofficial listings on your behalf, which can do more harm than good.

Google also looks for consistent business info across different listings (it’s called “Name-Address-Phone Consistency”).

Make sure you’re working with a partner that can distribute your correct business info to as many places as possible, and that maintain these listings for consistency.

Demonstrating that you provide great services to happy customers, clients, and patients can help you show up better online.

One of the best ways to do this is through Google Business Profile reviews. It’s a known fact that the more reviews you have, and the more positive they are, the better your website shows up in local search results.

Improving this first begins with identifying who your happy customers are. We can help with that identification, as well as providing a private venue for those that may have “feedback” about their experiences with your business.

Blogs may sounds simple, but when implemented correctly, they can signifigantly aid Search Engine Optimization and conversion rates.

Each new blog adds more “virtual real estate” to your website. If they’re optimized for the services and keywords you’re trying to rank for, they become even more useful.

If your marketing partner accomplishes a competitive analysis and identifies the kinds of content and topics that your competitors aren’t writing about, then you’ll appear in search results when others don’t.

Additionally, Google specifically looks for new, fresh content to be added to a website on a periodic basis.

Lastly, while your website visitors won’t read every word of every blog, they will read enough to see that you’re an expert in your field, building trust and credibility, which results in more phone calls.

Much like ongoing Blogging, the static written content on your website is an important part of Search Engine Optimization.

Your website needs enough quality written content to ensure Google knows exactly what you’re about, including what services you offer, where you’re located, common questions you’re asked, and more.

This content needs to be optimized for both Google and your human visitors, and it needs to be created in tandem with your website design.

If you have great written content simply placed on your website in long paragraphs with no consideration for design, then it won’t matter how great your content is – visitors will simply hit that back button.

Likewise, a great design is important, but without quality content to help your website be found online, no one will ever see your awesome-looking website anyway.

Google gets smarter every day, but it can’t yet glance at a website and fully understand everything it sees like we humans do with our eyes.

Websites must instead be organized and architectured in a way that a machine can understand, in order for your business to appear more often in search results.

This includes creating a clear hierarchy of pages, services, content topics, and all other types of information found on your website.

This applies to the structure of content on a single page, to how those individual pages fit together.

The best time to put in place an optimal website architecture is when building a site from scratch, so make sure you’re working with a partner that understands this vital step.

If your website is your home on the web, then your Google Business Profile is your home directly on Google.

Having a Google Business Profile is a vital part of SEO, and it’s also where your happy customers, patients, and clients leave you positive reviews.

Your profile helps people find where you’re physically located, and can be a powerful signal to Google that you’re a local company open for business.

Just like your website, it’s a good idea to keep your Google Business Profile updated periodically as well with fresh imagery, news items, and specials.

While usually straightforward, there are nuances and situations where working with experienced professionals to create, optimize, and maintain your Google Business Profile can prevent headaches and ensure you’re seen by as many people searching for your services as possible.

There are over 200 factors that Google considers when deciding how, when, and if to show your website to people searching for the services you provide – and those are just the ones Google has confirmed or have been verified by studies!

Many of these factors change on a regular basis, either shifting in priority or becoming replaced by ranking factors that are applicable to modern technology, devices, and the overall state of the Internet.

Now more than ever, you need a marketing partner in your back pocket that understands the current online landscape and can act proactively, ensuring you stay in front of those that need the services you provide.