The rules of search engine optimization are constantly changing, and it is not just about the use of keywords. Relevant content and user friendly design and layout are important factors as well. And with the rising number of users searching the internet with their mobile devices, it is no doubt that mobile friendliness has become a crucial element in SEO.
If you are a startup business owner, here are a few SEO rules to follow so you can gain better ranking on search engine results pages:
Provide Interesting Content
It is not just about getting your target audience to click your link from the search engine results page. It is, more importantly, about getting your site visitors to stay on your website and click that buy button or call your store. And how do you do this? By offering relevant, interesting content that will keep them hooked on your page and navigate through your website until they finally decide to make a purchase.
Include Relevant Keywords and Phrases
Aside from your target keywords, make sure to also include relevant keywords or phrases. For instance, if you want to rank for ‘best mobile app’, it is not enough to place this keyword phrase in key areas in your content, such as the heading, the main body, the image alt text, and meta description. You also need to add your other keywords that would catch the attention of search engines, like iPhone app, Android app, or app for finding best restaurants, for example.
Make It Shareable
Social sharing is the new word of mouth. You want your content to be something that your users will find good enough to share to their family and friends on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites. Start with quality, original content that is long enough to have all the interesting stuff, has appealing images, and share buttons that make it so convenient for your audience to post your page on their social media account with just one click.
Go for Long Form Content
A recent SEO training online suggests that you forget about 300 to 500 words. Recent studies show that pages with longer content of at least 1,200 words rank better in SEO. Keep your copy engaging by breaking it down with sub-headings, adding bullet points, images, tables, and infographics.
Be Mobile Friendly
As mentioned earlier, more and more people are using their smartphones and tablets to get information, which is why it is very important to make sure that your content is searchable on mobile devices. On Google, mobile friendly sites are given higher ranks on mobile devices than those which are not. So, go talk to your website developer if your site does not yet have a mobile friendly version.
Add Unique Images
Although using stock images is not bad at all, having unique images on your website helps to set it apart from the rest of competition. Using your own images adds value to your site and will pay off eventually as more and more of your readers become committed to your site, visiting it more often and sharing its links on their blogs and social media accounts.
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
Michelle Rubio has been writing for SMEs across the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK for the last five years. She is a highly-experienced blogger and SEO copywriter, writing business blogs for various industries such as marketing, law, health and wellness, beauty, and education, particularly on creating online courses such as those offered by ClickMinded.com.