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SEO Tips That Will Increase Your Ranking


SEO is an important part of any business owner's online strategy. It can be tough to keep up with the latest changes, but these quick tips will help you turbocharge your search engine optimization! Implementing just a few of these suggestions will get you on the right track to improving your website's ranking and increasing traffic.


Long Tail Keywords

Long tail keywords are longer, specific phrases that people are more likely to use when they're looking for something online. They have less competition than shorter, more common keywords, so using them can give your website a leg up in the search engine rankings.


For example, take a financial planner that works with doctors. Instead of using the keyword “financial planner” or “financial planning” in the title, meta description (more about this below), and home page copy, we would recommend the keyword phrase “financial planner for doctors” and/or “financial planning for doctors.” Why use this form of long tail keywords? Because when we search, we don’t usually type in one or two words. We enter phrases. Think about your own behavior when you search. If you need someone to fix your boiler, do you search a generic word “HVAC?” No, you probably search for a keyword phrase such as “residential boiler repair” or “top rated HVAC technicians near me.”


Claim and Optimize your Google Business Listing

Most businesses these days have a Google My Business listing. If you're not sure if your business has one, you can search for it on Google. Once you find it, make sure your information is accurate and up to date. If it's not, claim your listing and add the correct information. This will help potential customers find you online and learn more about your business. It's also a great way to boost your SEO ranking. So don't wait - claim your Google My Business listing today!


Go to this link to claim and setup your Google Business listing.


Once your listing is created, there are several ways that you can optimize your profile for higher rankings and better visibility. The first and probably least known, but most impactful way to improve the strength of your business' Google My Business listing is through establishing a strong NAP (Name, Address, Phone) citation profile.


By taking the time to make sure your business' information is listed correctly across the web, you give Google My Business the ability to index your business much faster and easier. Without a strong citation profile, it can take weeks or even months for your listing to be indexed by Google - but with a strong NAP profile this process is simplified significantly.


All it takes is visiting one of many online citation website, i.e., Moz Local, Brightlocal, Semrush, local.com, and many more to find out where your business is being cited on the Web. With the information in hand, it's time to implement some changes - especially for listings with incorrect information.


The key here is to be as thorough as possible. If a citation site has your business name and address listed, but not your telephone number - include those details on the listing. The more complete you are with this process, the easier it will be for Google to find and determine what information is accurate.


Don't have time to do all of this? We can help.


Title and Meta Descriptions

When it comes to your website, you want to make sure that you are doing everything possible to optimize it for the search engines. Meta descriptions are a very important element in determining your site's ranking. It is what people see on the search engine results page when they look at different sites for the same topic, and good ones can often make the difference between someone clicking on your link or choosing one of your competitors. The ideal meta description should not be more than 150 characters, and it should include the keyword you are trying to optimize for.


Title tags can also make a huge difference in what people see when they're searching for a topic. A site's title is what appears in the tab at the top of your browser, or in the tab for an open tab if someone is using a supported browser. It's also what shows up when you share information about that page on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, so it should be informative but short enough to read quickly. The title should always include the keyword you're trying to optimize for, and it should be relevant to the content on that page.


Title tags and meta descriptions can both help improve your site's SEO. If you have an engaging, interesting, well-written meta description that includes your site's keywords or keyword phrases, people may be inclined to click on your link in search results before they click your competitor’s link.


Use Location/Place Names

When you think about your website, do you consider the location and place that it is referencing? Adding this information to your website title and meta description can help improve your search engine optimization (SEO).


Reviews

In today's world, it's not enough to have a great website with top keywords - you need to have good online reviews, too. Your Google ranking is partially based on how many positive reviews you have, so ignoring your online reputation can hurt your business. Don't believe us? Just ask any business that relies on SEO!


Thankfully, getting good Google reviews isn't hard - all you need are some happy customers who are willing to write a few words about their experience. And the new advisor marketing rule gives you more flexibility in asking for and using client reviews.

The more positive reviews that you have, the more “authority” Google will attribute to your business. At the end of the day, Google wants to serve up the best possible result at the top of the search results, and a business that fits the search description and that has a lot of happy customers will rank high in search results.


Use Photos with Geotagging

Did you know that including real photos on your website can improve user engagement and build trust? According to recent studies, using actual images on your site can help increase customer interaction by as much as 20%. And adding photos of your team or office space can make visitors feel more comfortable doing business with you. So why not add some real photos to your website today? You may be surprised at the results!


Including and regularly updating photos in your Google Business listing will boost your SEO ranking. But there is one more step - geotagging your photos to boost your SEO ranking. Geotagging your photos allows Google to associate them with a specific location, which can help improve your local search ranking. Here's how to do it:


1. Use an app such as GeoImgr

3. Once you geotag the photo, save and upload to your Google Business profile.

4. Repeat for all your photos.


And do this for photos outside of the office, too. Is the team at Starbucks after a client meeting that took place two towns over? Take a photo, geotag it, then upload to Google Business. Now you are building location authority beyond your local zip code!


We hope this post was helpful. SEO takes time and requires constant updates. If you need help and want to look to outsource this weekly initiative, give us a call or schedule a free consult to explore how we may be able to help.

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