Marketing – Page 3

The Ins and Outs of SEO Writing

How to use keywords to climb the search engine ranking ladder

Search engine optimization does exactly what the term implies. SEO is all about strategically using keywords to get the best return from your business’s content. Keywords are predetermined terms that reflect the nature of your business and the content you publish online. In SEO writing, they are inserted into your content so that when these terms are searched on search engines, like Google and Yahoo, your business’s website comes up frequently and high on the list.

So how do you use SEO writing to get the most out of your business’s content? How do you use your keywords to make your business visible? The key is to make sure your keywords are properly placed, both on your webpage and outside of it.

1. Title

The most important part of your content is the first part that search engine spiders catalog when searching through your site. Your title is a short, engaging description of what your content discusses, so it is essential that your most prominent keywords be included. The title is also the first thing that will make customers decide whether they want to read your article or blog post, so make sure you write your title using SEO writing techniques.

2. Meta Description

This is the short description that is included after the title of your content in the HTML coding.. It acts as an extension of your title because it gives a slightly longer description of what your content is about. This is a secondary place that spiders will “crawl” through in their search for information. The more engaging information you can pack into this 150-character space with SEO writing, the better your chances are of attracting customers.

3. Main body

The best place to maximize your keyword frequency is the main body of writing. This is the area that allows for the largest amount of words and information, which will make it easy to insert a variety of keywords and phrases. These can be packed in to maximize your content’s potential, but the SEO writing must be done in an appropriate way that flows nicely. Simply stacking keywords into the content is a red flag for search engines and could cost your business its spot in the search results. It is essential that your content be written expertly to avoid being flagged as spam.

4. Inbound links

Last, your business should have inbound links leading to your website. This can exponentially increase ranking in the search results because other websites direct spiders to your site. These links work the same way that keywords do, but on external websites. The search engine spiders process the information and use it to gauge your site’s relevance. As with keyword stuffing, you need to make sure you are not flagged as a spammer. Do not create fake webpages that link to your site. These links need to be posted on legitimate sites with legitimate content. A great way to get inbound links is to link to other pages from your business’s website, which will encourage other websites to link back to your business.

Landing Page Optimization for Your Website

Seven steps for creating an effective landing page

A landing page is the page that customers are directed to when they click on your advertisement or search engine result. It is the first page they will see, and it can have a major impact on whether they choose to explore your website or go back to the previous page. For successful landing page optimization, it is therefore essential that your business’s landing page makes a good impression to get the highest possible return.

To effectively use landing page optimization on your site, follow these seven easy tips when designing a page:

1. Target a market

Before you create your landing page, you need to figure out what demographic your business is directing its marketing toward. This affects the types of visuals you use, the language, and your keywords. Be sure to research landing pages that are popular among a similar demographic to figure out which techniques you should use for your landing page optimization.

2. Make a recognizable landing page

When your customers first see your website, you want them to know they’re on the right page before it fully loads. If your customers question for even a second that your ad has led them astray, you’ve lost a bit of their trust. Therefore you need to match your webpage to your ad and build a recognizable branding strategy. To better improve your landing page optimization, include relevant keywords in the page’s content for search engine spiders to find.

3. Make your landing page appealing

The first thing your customers will notice about your page is whether it looks good. To make a good first impression, be sure your site’s design is attractive to your customers. It also helps landing page optimization to use visuals and to keep your pages well organized.

4. Show your customers how your product will benefit them

A great way to sell your product or service to customers is to show them how it will benefit their lives. This is the ultimate message you want them to take away from your webpage, and hopefully it will result in a sale. The best place to do this is on the landing page. Also, consider using a video to convey your message in a quick and compelling way.

5. Include a call to action

As with any content used for search engine optimization, you should include a call to action to direct your customers to engage with your site. The same principle goes for landing page optimization. In creating an effective call to action, you direct your customers to engage with your website the way you want. This can give you the best possible results.

6. A/B testing

A/B testing is a technique that uses analytics from two versions of a landing page. Each version is posted, and then data are collected based on how many hits the website receives and how many of those hits lead to a sale. Once you have this data, you can improve your landing page optimization by choosing the page that yields the best results.

You can also use the data that you obtain from your business’s landing page to improve your website on an ongoing basis. By tracking your results, you can figure out which techniques you should, or should not, use for your webpage in the future.

What Web Content Should You Include on Your Website?

Today, it is crucial that every business has a presence in the online world. Whatever type of business, service, or product you have, there must be information about it online. Otherwise, you could be overlooked in a competitive market. This is why it is essential that your business has web content that is up-to-date, relevant, and reflects what your business is and what it has to offer. Here are seven elements you should include when you are setting up a website.

1. Home page

Like the outside of a store, the home page is the first impression a customer gets when visiting your website. It needs to be aesthetically pleasing while also answering all the essential questions. It is also important that this page’s content contains important keywords, such as your business’s name and the product or service you are offering.

2. About Us page

To ensure your business’s credibility, it is valuable to have a section of your website dedicated to explaining what your service or product is. This web content describes how the business was founded, what its goals are, and its future direction. This allows the reader to learn more about the company and creates a deeper connection with the product or service.

3. Team

It’s also valuable to have a section of the website dedicated to short biographies of the main players in your business. This web content gives your business a face, makes the product or service more personable, and reassures the customer that real people are behind the webpage. This way, the customer can connect with the business even further.

4. Product/services

Obviously, the website needs to provide details about your product or service. Customers will primarily visit your website because they want more information so they can decide whether your product or service meets their needs. The web content must be written in a way that provides all the necessary information while also acting as a sales pitch so the customer will be persuaded to engage with your business and purchase your product or service.

5. Resources

It is also valuable to have a section titled “Resources” that contains constantly updated information. This can include many types of information, such as product reviews, user comments and questions, and a blog. As long as this web content is consistently updated, your business will be a viable competitor in its market. In addition, this page will allow customers to engage with your website by either seeking more information or producing some content of their own for your site. It’s also a great way to keep customers constantly checking your website to see updates.

6. Contact information

To ensure your customers know your business is not a sham, make sure contact information is on the website and is easy to find. By making yourself open to questions, concerns, complaints, and other customer inquiries, you will convince customers that you care about their user experience. This also reassures them that you want them to engage with your product or service and are open to criticism should there be problems.

7. What to do

Customers need to be directed to ways of taking action with your product or service. Simply presenting them with information is fine, but if you do not provide any instructions for using that information, it’s useless. To make sure your users engage with your product or service, tell them clearly how they can access it.

8. A blog

Surprised? Don’t be. A blog can be a critical factor in your long term success. To find out more, check out our free guide to website optimization below.