Online marketing can be a great way to spread the word about your business. But to make your online strategy work, you need to make sure people can find you.
Search-engine optimization (SEO) is a strategy aimed at ensuring your website and online content are indexed by search engines such as Google and Yahoo, says Loic Jeanjean, director of web marketing with Vancouver-based Advisor Websites. Once your information is found by search engines, your website is given a ranking, enabling people to find your business through a web search. The higher your website’s ranking, the easier it is to find.
So, the objective of an SEO strategy is to raise the ranking of your site. Follow these tips to develop an effective SEO strategy:
> Write down your goals
Have concrete, achievable targets in mind for your SEO strategy.
Write specific goals, Jeanjean says, such as: to increase traffic by 5%; or to increase the number of visitors to your blog from 50 per month to 500.
Start with goals that are easy to implement and achieve, he says. Then, work up to the more ambitious goals, which may require the help of a third party, such as an SEO specialist.
> Emphasize your location
Potential clients typically search online for local professionals. So, play up your location on your website.
Include your city at the top of your homepage. If possible, Jeanjean adds, include it in the web address. If you have a blog, write articles about local news and events.
> Go into the details
Use specific keywords to make it easier for prospects and clients to find you.
Search engines link relevant websites through keywords. For example, if a potential client types “financial advisor” into Google, the search engine looks for the most relevant websites using that term.
Using specific key words in your website’s content, Jeanjean says, increases its ranking in a search engine. For example, simply using the term “RRSP” will lump your site among millions of other hits in a web search. However, a website that uses a phrase such as “an advisory firm specializing in RRSPs for the Greater Vancouver Area” will likely stand out in a search for Vancouver-area advisors.
> Don’t try to fool the search engine
While keywords are vital to any SEO strategy, they must be authentic.
If you list as a keyword or use a headline such as “RRSP contributions,” Jeanjean says, you must include articles and other content on that subject. Search engines can spot a keyword that is not linked to relevant content within a site. A list of keywords not related to material such as articles and videos on your site can actually lower your search-engine ranking.
> Know your audience
To ensure people find your site and stay on it, the content must resonate with visitors, Jeanjean says.
One methods of testing whether visitors are staying and exploring your website is through the “bounce rate” — a measurement of the visitors who leave your website on the page they entered on. The bounce rate can be tracked through Google Analytics, a free tracking tool available through Google.
If you have a high bounce rate, Jeanjean says, you need to adjust your website content to attract members of your target market and keep them engaged.
This is the first in a two-part series on search-engine optimization. Next, integrating your online strategies and using tools such as Google Analytics.