Having a company appear on the first page of a Google search, or even at the very top, is the aim for many businesses, but the three letters S, E and O often strike fear into many people.
Whilst there is a definite science behind search engine optimisation, there are many influences behind your site’s search ranking, and some of these factors can be managed within your existing team set up. Our Head of Digital Nikki has put together her top four tips on increasing your SEO, without needing to know anything about SEO!
1. Brand awareness
“Four ways to boost your SEO . . . without having any SEO knowledge!”
Build your online presence by shouting about your achievements, news or events with digital PR. The more your company name is mentioned in articles on high quality and/or industry relevant websites, the better chance you have of SEO success. It will also increase the chance of receiving backlinks direct to your site, which search engines see as a vote of confidence in your brand.
2. Good user experience
There’s no point having a website if people can’t find what they’re looking for, it looks clumsy, or it’s slow to load. Ensuring visitors have a ‘good experience’ when visiting your site – whether that’s on a PC, laptop, mobile or tablet – will guarantee they stay longer and view more pages. This in turn will give your SEO a boost. Try taking a step back and use your website as if you were a visitor.
3. Customer or client reviews
It’s always nice to receive an email from a customer or client saying what a great experience they’ve had working with you or using your service. But did you know that search engines read reviews and comments made about your brand across the web, and use them to influence your SEO? Essentially, if you maintain a good reputation with online reviews, this will in turn help with your SEO. Don’t be afraid to ask customers to add a comment to Google My Business, Trust Pilot and other platforms.
4. Regular expert content
Finally, regularly add new helpful content to your website. If you don’t already, look at including a blog or news page which you add to on a monthly basis with quick snippets about what’s happening in your company, or blogs giving advice about topics that are relevant to your audience. As well as showing search engines your site is current and full of fresh and updated material, you will also be giving your visitors a reason to stay on your site for a longer period, which we previously mentioned helps your SEO.
