According to Moz, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.
So what does that mean?
When someone goes to a search engine, like Google or Bing, and types in: beauty supply stores in Columbus, SEO is the deciding factor in what that person will see on that first page. And let’s be honest, most people are not going to scroll past the first page of results.
If your website or social media pages are not optimized for search engines, how do you expect potential customers to find you online?
You cannot wave a magic wand and become perfectly optimized for search engines and ranking number one on Google by tomorrow. This takes a lot of work and a lot of consistency; it could be 6 months to a year before you see significant movement. However, if you put in the work in the beginning, it will pay off in the end.
Here are 3 things you can do today to begin your journey of being completely optimized for search engines:
1. Clean Up Your Local Listings
Surprise! You probably have a Google+, Yelp, and Bing floating through cyber space and most likely you have not claimed them. Not only does leaving these listings unclaimed leave it open for strangers to edit your business information, it also means you can’t make updates when needed.
Moz Local for Small Businesses can give you a free local listing score. If you have listings out there that are not verified, it will show you exactly where those listings are and from there, you can start claiming them and ensuring the information is correct.
Keep in mind Facebook now works very similar to a search engine and local listing. You need to make sure your address is accurate on your Facebook business page as well.
2. Update Your Website
Don’t let your website site dormant for months, or years. At least once a quarter, you should be updating your site in some way. This could mean adding pictures from events, creating a blog, or adding testimonials. If search engines see you are actively updating, this will help you with rankings.
3. Backlink to Your Friends and Vice Versa
A backlink is a link that links back (hence, backlink…) to your website from another source. This is a great way to build website authority. The key is to have credible websites link back to you. If you’re involved with local community organizations, or if you have partnerships with other businesses in your area, don’t be afraid to ask them if there is a way for them to mention you on their website. In turn, you should do the same for them!
Now it’s time to get to it! I challenge you as we close out the year to do ONE of these 5 things every week. Let’s get 2018 off to a great start!
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