You've heard the term SEO a million times in passing, always associated with the crucial nature of having great SEO in order to attract and maintain a customer base-- but do you know what it actually means and how you can start to work on your own SEO? Probably not because it's even more complex than you expected!!
Many business owners might automatically think they need to hire a digital agency that focuses on SEO, and you totally can if your budget allows it. But you can also implement multiple strategies to help you with (SEO) Search Engine Optimization that actually aren't that complex and DO make a difference. There are also a few things you need to understand in terms of SEO before making unrealistic demands or expectations of yourself.
To break down a few of the basics, we will be discussing the following:
Text styles- what they are, how to use and why
Meta description. What to write and how it functions
Keywords- how to determine and test
Rank boosting- tips for this
Image labeling
Let's dive in!
Breakdown of Text Styles for your Brand's Website
You may or may not have noticed that you have the ability to choose the font and font sizing affiliated with your text styles on your web pages and when writing your blog- your paragraph, Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3.
Not only is this a stylistic choice to break up how a blog looks and make it more appealing to a reader, but its a way to create a hierarchy of headings on a page, which helps search engines understand the importance of different sections of your content, and thus impacts your SEO.
Paragraph Text
This is your body font. Pick something easy to read on a phone and a computer. This refers to the font, font color, background color, and size. Play around with some different options and ask trusted friends and family for feedback.
H1
Your heading one will be the most important and there should only be one H1- think of it as the title of a book. The Heading 1 will have the main keywords and subject matter and describe what the overall post is about.
Example: "Top 10 ways to make your small business more eco- friendly"
H2
Your heading 2 is the next most important, it describes the theme of the book and helps to break up content within the page. It should include some of the same keywords and relate to the H1. Any time a new topic or thought is introduced, there should be an H2 to let readers know what they are reading about.
Example: "Selecting the different aspects of the font for your brand's blog"
H3
Your Heading 3 is how you break up your writing even further and helps to make a page easier to scan and read on the quick. The time someone spends on a page impacts your SEO so you need to make the reading and scanning process as easy as possible.
Example: "font color selection"
Meta Descriptions for your Web Pages
Your description is what users see when they do a web search, so your primary key phrase should be here. Potential viewers will browse the descriptions of each link on the search result page prior to clicking, so make sure your meta description is relevant, catchy, and includes a call to action! Each page should have its own unique meta description that directly addresses the need of the reader. You have limited words, so be careful with your word choice.
Choosing the right Keywords for your Business
When trying to select your keywords, the first step is to brainstorm. If you were to describe your business in a short phrase, what would you say? If you want someone to be able to find you online, what would they look up that fits with your brand and target audience? Your goal is to find a unicorn- not overly saturated with too much competition, well searched online, relevant. We recommend you use Google's free Keyword Planner.
1) Popular but not over saturated (it helps to be more specific here, so "vegan food oahu", rather than simply "vegan food"
2) Rankable and doesn't have too much competition (if you look at the number of individuals searching for those keywords you'll see where it ranks, but you want to see how many businesses are also using those keywords in their marketing. Find a balance so that your keywords pack a punch)
3) Relevant so your intent matches your content (you would never have the keywords "vegan food Hawaii' if you sell plastic sandals, even if the keyword is a unicorn, that's not the only point to this!)
You need to rememeber to integrate these keywords as often and naturally as possible throughout your website and social strategy, where applicable. But don't go overboard- Google will flag you! Integrate key phrases into each blog entry and the title where you can! Make sure to include those labeled photos within blog as well.
Rank Boosting
Online Directories - Try to get added to any directories or listings that have to do with your type of business. You can do this by writing to them or even calling if you can find a direct number.
Uniformity - Make sure to have your URL correctly written on all social platforms
Direct links - Share your published blog posts on your LinkedIn and Facebook pages with direct links to the blog. Craft stories and Pins with direct links to URLs
Backlinks - Try to get featured in any rankings or blogs related to your industry and get them to link to your website. Similar to number 1.
Submissions - Try to write guest blogs on applicable blogs/websites
Schedule + Appeal - Spread out and schedule the release of your blogs to bring in more consistent traffic. Make sure they have compelling titles that will appeal to your target market
Image Labeling
Label all images based on the keyword phrases you choose as well as the content of the image:
Business-photographer-Hawaii_Digital-content-creator_Branding-photographer-Oahu_
01.jpg
It's a lot. We get it! So we are here if you have extra questions or need help getting started!
Good luck!
