By now we, as startups, have all become completely obsessed with SEO. But, it definitely is something that can make our websites better, so we continue to follow this obsession until the bitter end. Since the letters SEO were first strung together, there has been a frenzy of ideas and activity in response to the concept. And for good reason, when it comes to startups, SEO can be a kingmaker or a death knell depending on which way the winds blow.
Unfortunately, we aren’t always that great at coming up with new ideas for this amazing concept. Instead, most of us choose to stick with the ‘same ole, same ole’ and hope we don’t get lost in the shuffle of everyone else who are doing the exact same thing. Well, let’s talk about breaking that cycle, shall we?
Relative Keywords
We all know that keywords are important when it comes to SEO, but did you know that relative keywords are just as important? These are the keywords that are similar to the main keyword you have chosen. You should always remember that not all of your target market is going to search for the same exact keyword. Having a variety of relative keywords will help you capture those who don’t follow the norm and search for something similar, but different.
Images
Images may make your post look more pleasing and interesting, but there are actually other benefits to including them. For example, they can actually help out with your SEO efforts. Add tags to your images so that they can help tell your story. Sometimes, this picture is the only thing you have to capture the attention of a potential visitor, so make sure that it is a good one.
Meta Descriptions
What’s a Meta description? That’s the short explanation you give to your content so that search engines will know what it’s all about. For best results, make your Meta description around 156 characters and make sure that it gives search engines the information they need to know what your article is all about. This is something that can greatly affect your placing on search engine result pages.
URLs
Even your URL can sabotage your SEO efforts. The longer your URL is, the harder it will be for you to get the page up in the listings. Make a URL that is short and to the point. It’s also best to add your keyword in there so you are found a bit easier. Here’s an example of a bad and a good URL:
- Bad: www.yourwebsite.com/why_you_need_to_add_SEO_to_every_page_of_your_website
- Good: www.yourwebsite.com/SEO_website_importance
Mobility
Today, more and more online activity is taking place through a mobile device rather through a computer. In fact, many internet users don’t even have access to computers and solely find things on their smartphones. What can you do about this? Make sure your website has a mobile version! Your mobile website needs to be optimized for search engines just like your desktop version. It also needs to move quickly and be easy to read on a smaller screen.
Other Search Engines
Gone are the days when you only need to worry about how Google looks at your webpage. While Google is still the master when it comes to web search results, others are quickly rising up from the shadows and threatening to take over the title of most popular search engines. This means that you will need to focus on more than just Google when you are setting up your webpage’s SEO. Make sure you keep in mind the other big names when you are going through this process and find out just how Bing and Yahoo! feel about SEO as well.
Focus on Local
If you are a small business, make sure you aren’t taking your local SEO strategies for granted. You will want to make sure that your business is front and center when locals search for your business. You should also make sure that listings that are not directly related to your page are kept up-to-date. This means you should check out your yellow pages listings as well as other business listing to make sure the phone numbers and addresses match what is listed on your website. If not, make the necessary changes. Remember, not all of your customers will arrive at your website. Some will find their way to other listings and be confused if they are not accurate.
Old Content
Looking for a way to freshen up your website? Don’t forget to take a look at the content that you have placed on your website in the past. Take some time to freshen it up and adapt it to the new standards in SEO. Since this is something that is always changing, there are certain to be some things you can change about your old content that will help make it show up in the search engines once again. Also, make sure that your content is still accurate and relevant. If not, out with the old and in with the new. Never get stuck in a rut with content that isn’t valuable for your readers.
SEO is definitely something that can leave you scratching your head in confusion. However, instead of staying this way, make sure you are taking the time you need to learn more about it. Obviously, it is not something to be taken lightly and it can be a lot of work to be successful at it.
Image Credit: Flickr / gerlos page / cropped, resized