Google is constantly changing its ranking system, making search engine optimization a very dynamic skill set to learn, practice or implement. It seems like once a particular SEO strategy starts to work, you later find out that it is not as important as it once was. One of the worst SEO techniques is putting keywords or text on to your web page and having it match the background color. This is highly illegal and Google will certainly blacklist your domain for doing this.
Multiple Angles
Right now, for best results, you have to hit SEO at multiple angles. What does that mean? Well you can’t just implement your SEO into your web page designs. Sure you should still setup your Meta Tags (keyword, title, description, etc) but you need to go at SEO at all angles. Social media marketing, search engine marketing and a good word of mouth campaign will definitely do the trick. SEO does not have to be expensive!
So we’re going to talk about the new ways that you can get to the top of Google with search engine optimization.
eCommerce SEO
Retailers, or eCommerce sites, face never ending struggles to exploit the approximately 200 ways Google uses to govern search results. Google sites currently account for sixty-five (65%) of the 15.4 billion searches performed in the United States in March, according to web measurement firm comScore, Inc.
If your site is search engine friendly, Google’s site crawlers will overlook your site, rank you low and ultimately your site will be ignored by visitors!
Rules of the Game
Google constantly changes its search engine algorithm to deliver sites that have authority (backlinks) – information (content) – importance (web presence). Google is incorporating more of its search engine results from social networks and online videos, and is making results more personalized for local searches. For instance some search experts say linking strategies have become more vital in persuading Google that a web page is important.
Up to 50% of the variables used to rank a websites rank involves linking, up from about 25% to 30% in 2008 – according to Craig McDonald who is the senior vice president and chief marketing officer at search strategy firm Covario Inc. And Google is also emphasizing on real-time search results that incorporate feeds from social media and include video results will require broader search engine optimization efforts from website designers, web developers and the overall company should get involved.
1. Make URLS Google-friendly (or search engine friendly)
Let’s say that you own a home cleaning service and you have just hired a website design company to re-design your website. Hopefully this company incorporates search engine optimization into the development of your website. Here are some ways that making Google-friendly URLS can help your site:
One of the most important improvements for your website can be changing your URLS from basic “contact.html, about.html, services.html” to more keyword-friendly terms like “about-mycompanyname.html – home_cleaning_services.html – whole_house_cleaning_services.html – weekly_house_cleaning_services.html, etc..” You get the idea right?
Some of your CMS (Content Management Systems) use ugly URL’s that look something like “pageid=?193” – well there are ways to make those links “search engine friendly”. I mean, just browse around my blog, click some of the topics and then look at your address bar, you can easily see that WordPress integrates SEO into the URLs for your website (if you know how to set it up properly) For Instance:
2. Show Expertise
If you really know your business, which hopefully you do…then show people! Get a blog…Google’s search engines are now using blogs as a way of proving authority on your website. A blog does not have to be difficult and you don’t need to write in it every day (although it helps) for it to be successful. You have to start somewhere. After a few months of blogging, you will have a whole sleuth of articles and content to share with your customers.
If your company sells products, then you can offer personal reviews about the products you sell. Or instructions or tips on how to use the product you are selling.
If your company provides a service, take pictures (or better, video) and show your customers the great work your company performs. Your customers will love to see you providing your service to others, and get a feel for how your company operates.
If you think a blog is too difficult for your company to manage, you can hire a CMS Management company like XTELWEB to provide a blog to your customers.
Writing blog articles is not difficult either. You will soon find that when you are writing about something you love (your business) then it comes very easily!
3. Build Social Networks
One way to quickly boost your companies online web presence is to participate in social networking sites like Twitter, FaceBook or a LinkedIn profile. These sites are all great even if you just a profile to start with. The profile can include things about your company, but more importantly in creates links to your company’s website!
Social media marketing is easily the fastest growing marketing strategy for online marketing right now. It takes a certain skill-set to do it right, but when you do – the possibilities are endless. When you combine social networking with a blog and search engine optimization – you will quickly see your website rise through the ranks of the search engines.
Late last year, Google began providing what is calls real-time search results that includes blog posts and tweet’s from twitter. So after I finish publishing this blog post, Google will see already have it on it’s search engine results page.
If your company offers products and services worth talking about, and that is exactly what your customers are doing – talking about your product – on their Twitter or Facebook pages – Google’s site crawlers will recognize this and your web page will gain an abundance of authority.
4. Offer Videos
Video’s are not just for movie stars and musicians anymore…Video increases your customers temptation to buy a product or order a service. Video is a lot more effective then pictures because more than half of America has high speed internet and they enjoy watching video’s. It’s almost more fun than watching TV!
Google is not just looking at words – you need Video on your site – Google and other search engines are increasingly returning “blended” results that show videos, news stories, maps, and images on their search engine results page.
