5 SEO Tips to Improve Your Search Rankings

Whether you own a small business or run a large corporation, “search engine optimization” has likely come up more than once in your marketing meetings. Unfortunately, it’s become a bit of a buzzword, which makes some businesses scared to tap into its full potential. While the strategies and successes behind SEO have shifted slightly over the years, it’s very clear that it’s here to stay, and can make all the difference when it comes to the overall growth of your business.

There are plenty of reasons for your company to improve SEO strategies. First, it’s nearly impossible to get noticed nowadays without help from search engines. Not only will your potential customers not know where to find you, but they won’t know anything about you.

Next, SEO can help you beat out your competitors. If you’re a brick and mortar operation that sells t-shirts, and there happens to be another local company selling t-shirts down the street, SEO could make all the difference in your operation being more successful, when done correctly.

The list of benefits is endless, but it’s not enough to somehow just ‘set up’ an SEO strategy and leave it in place without ever adjusting it. Search engine algorithms change regularly, and people are constantly looking for fresh content. So, whether you’re new to the world of search engine optimization, or you know your strategies need an upgrade, check out these five helpful tips to improve your search rankings.

1. Ensure Your Site is Mobile-Friendly

Think about how the majority of people get information nowadays – through their smartphones. So, it’s not enough to create a website that only works on one type of device. If your site isn’t optimized to work on mobile devices, load times can be slow. Unfortunately, it only takes a matter of seconds for a viewer to get bored, or simply fed up with that slow load time. If something doesn’t load instantly, they’ll move on.

Not only is a slow site bad for your potential customers, but search engines like Google frown upon it. When people continuously leave your site after only a few seconds, Google picks up on it, and will undoubtedly lower your ranking.

2. Get Friendly With “My Business”

No other search engine comes close to Google when you consider how many people use it all over the world. So, why not take advantage of some of the special features Google provides to boost SEO? Put your business on Google’s ‘My Business.’ It’s a one-stop location for basic information about your business, including location, hours, and more.

Obviously, Google tends to favor businesses who utilize their services. By using “My Business,” you’re not only making yourself more visible, but you’re bumping up your business’ favor with the biggest search engine in the world.

3. Develop an Active Blog

Create a blog on your website that is relevant to what you do. Again, if you sell t-shirts, perhaps your blog would be about your latest designs, or it might have some interesting facts about the materials you use. Not only do blogs consistently update your site with fresh content, but it turns your website into an interactive experience.

If someone visits your site once, why should they come back? Adding fresh content that is interesting to read gives people a reason to click onto your website again and again. Your viewers will appreciate it, and search engines will absolutely take notice.

4. Link Together With Other Businesses

If you’re unfamiliar with inbound links, be sure to familiarize yourself as soon as possible! In a nutshell, inbound links are links from other high-quality sites that direct viewers to your website. In order to get inbound links on other sites, you need to develop a standing relationship with other businesses.

Let’s go back to the idea of selling t-shirts. If you own a t-shirt business, you might want to get some of your designs featured on a clothing blog, or get a shout out from a famous fashion blogger, etc. It’s important to be creative when it comes to where your links come from. The more reputable the site, the better. Don’t be afraid to form relationships, because they can end up giving you a huge boost.

5. Boost Your Interaction

While taking care of your website is extremely important, it shouldn’t be your only focus when it comes to boosting SEO. Instead, spread yourself out through different avenues – especially social media. Encourage as much interaction on social media and review sites as possible. Not only will it be picked up by search engines, but you’re giving your business a personality, which customers really respond to. When people feel more comfortable with your business, they’re more likely to become loyal, long-standing customers.

There is so much to learn about SEO, and because it moves so quickly, it’s an endless stream of knowledge to pick up on. But, if you’re ready to give your business’ search engine optimization a boost right away, these simple tips are a great place to start.

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