SEO For Everyone: 3 Ways You Can Use SEO On Your Own
September 10, 2018
Search engine optimization has been around for years, and while it used to be an expert’s game, understood and utilized only by those in the field of online marketing, web design and search engines, SEO is now an “every man’s” sport. Of course, your marketing company is still going to offer further insight on the dos and don’ts of SEO, provide insight on what’s trending and what’s not, and point you in the right direction as far as new Google algorithm updates go, but there are a few things you can certainly try for yourself. Here are 3 ways anybody can use search engine optimization by themselves.
Blog, Guest Blog & Invite Bloggers
Blogging is an important part of content production for many websites. Not only does it increase the amount of information shared on your site (which looks good to search engines, like Google), it also provides ample space for keywords, key phrases, and the application of other marketing strategies. Not all new businesses starting out can afford to hire a professional blogger or marketer to cover site content, and handling it all alone can get overwhelming.
A great way to engage consumers, increase traffic, offer top-notch content, and not break the bank is by inviting guest bloggers to share material to your site. You can trade content and be featured on another site, while helping provide exposure to a partner site, or you can provide some free exposure to a relevant business or website in exchange for a blog of 600-1000 words. This gives you the content Google craves without making you work too hard for it. A guest blog post once a month puts less strain on your own creative juices, without posting too many off-brand articles.
If you have the time to guest blog for other websites, this will help them with the same creative drain, and provide you with some opportunities to invite new traffic to your site. Getting your name out and injecting keywords into other sites will all come back to your own site in a big way.
Make Your Content User-Friendly
It might not seem like a big deal, but the way your content is applied to a blog or landing page can change the way users react to your site. Long, drawn out informative pieces with no headings make it challenging to readers who are looking for a specific piece of information. Something you can do without help from a professional SEO expert is to go back through your own content, both on home pages and blog posts, and edit them to support better “content digestion” for visitors.
You might have heard about H1, H2, and H3, but not have realized what they are. These are header categories, and each header should have a unique font type and size to go with it. Some headers might be bolded; others are simply slightly larger than your text. Whatever way you choose to customize your headers, it’s important to have them. Each header should act as a title, representing the paragraph below it. You can use these headers to interject keywords or key-phrases as well.
Not only does breaking up your text into well-structured paragraphs with headers make it easier for readers to get through, it also makes it more attractive to search engines, like Google. Bullet lists are also a popular way to get your point across, and make content appear in smaller easier to read snippets for your site visitors. Remember, the average internet user likes content which is quick to load, easy to find, and worth the read.
Use Links Within Your Site
Links are the backbone of solid search engine optimization, but did you know that you can use links within your own website to help users get around, and this can also help boost your ranking? Internal linking provides quick and accessible routes between pages. You can use tabs at the top of your screen, highlighted keywords to transport readers from one page to the next, or customized buttons which get people where they need to be. From the home page to your ecommerce link, to the contact information, internal links create a professional looking architecture which your users and Google crawler bots will thank you for.
Without a properly organized site hierarchy, crawler bots can miss relevant information or skip pages altogether. This could throw off your ranking score if you’ve been working hard on a great blog but Google never sees it. Be sure each link is obvious and works properly when clicked. There’s nothing worse for your ranking reputation than having dead, broken, or improperly routed links on your website. It makes your site appear unprofessional, unkempt, and unnecessary.
Using these three methods to help boost your SEO status is a great way to get started on your own before seeking marketing counsel. Of course, working with a search engine optimization company always helps with the more complex pieces of the puzzle, but it’s nice to know you can do some things on your own. Plus, it saves money, boosts your rank in the meantime, and makes your site more user friendly. Remember to keep content relevant, engaging, and genuine, and you’re sure to see some changes in the coming months. Follow along for updates and evolutions to the current Google algorithms to stay on top of the SEO game and not fall behind competitor sites.