Launching a new website is a milestone. Although it may be ready to welcome new audiences and potential customers, failing to establish a good online presence means no customers and no sales. How do you help people find your new websites and ultimately see what you have to offer?
Search engine optimisation (SEO) holds all the answers, as it allows you to drive and earn traffic to gain visibility. It has been the subject of many digital marketing strategies for years, a tool that continues to be the lifeblood of many websites.
Due to its complex nature and intricate process, SEO may seem intimidating. Its basic principles are easy to understand, however, and whatever your skill level, you’ll be able to improve your site. To get you started, here are six SEO strategy tips you can use to gain customers and drive traffic:
1 – Research keywords
Keyword research is a crucial part of SEO. Every time consumers use a search engine, they use keywords. For this reason, SEO campaigns begin with keywords as their main foundation. Knowing what your target audience searches for gives you a powerful advantage because you get to directly target them within your niche.
There are various tools you can use to research keywords, but remember that the speaking language of your audience is key—any use of technical jargon will cause a disconnect. With this in mind, ensure that your choice of keywords also thrives in the offline world.
2 – Improve your content
Google’s algorithm ranks the website according to its performance. Site speed and user-friendliness play an integral role in rankings, but you need to prove that your website is useful for audiences.
Search engines revel in quality content, and so will your potential customers. If you invest time in creating high-quality blogs and articles, your customers will also begin seeing you as an industry leader. To determine if your content is performing up to standard, here are some questions to ask:
- Does my content cover the topic or question posed?
- Does my content contain all the relevant information and keywords necessary?
- Is my content well written and informative, likely to induce customer engagement?
3 – Invest in backlinks
This is an aspect of SEO not touched by many, but backlinks are integral to any healthy website. They work as connecting paths of the internet, the primary reason why consumers can visit one site to another. Links also act as a form of citation, as its presence signifies users that the target site is just as useful.
On the technical side, search engines view backlinks as a sign of authority. Be careful to use only quality links, however. Google cracks down spam links, so it’s best to invest in promotion and PR to gain quality links. The more credible the source, the better!
4 – Don’t forget about social signals
Social signals pertain to a website’s collective shares, likes, and social media visibility. These are perceived and factored in by search engines, seen as another form similar to backlinks.
Social media is seen as a platform that directly works on and impacts SEO. If you invest in social signals and good social media content, search engines will likely rank you better. The more shares, likes, and impressions you have, the more relevant you are to users. And the more relevant you are to users, the higher your ranking will be!
5 – Focus on on-page SEO
On-page optimisation is one of the most important aspects of your SEO strategy. If your on-page SEO is good, then you’ll have higher chances of getting ranked. To successfully earn more traffic, improve your pages to make them more relevant to search queries.
The goal is to create a page that helps users achieve their goal of searching. If they’re looking for local restaurants, for instance, your job is to direct them to your landing page showcasing the menu and location. Regardless of the intent, ensure that your efforts focus on being as relevant as possible.
6 – Manage your expectations
SEO is a long-term campaign and something that requires patience. It’s also tied directly with technology, a landscape that’s continuously shifting and changing. Competition is also tight, and many more aspects come into play. Domain authority (DA) is one of them, which refers to the number of high-quality external links you’ve used.
Your new site may take 3 to 5 months before achieving rankings as well as domain authority. If you’re working with an old site that has a good DA, however, expect it to rank within weeks.
Conclusion
SEOis a tool that requires nurturing and focus. Even the most successful websites continue to work around SEO, so instead of focusing on the results, turn your attention to how far your business has come. For now, keep your efforts steady—in a few months, you’ll be reaping benefits.
We help you make the most of your new website, as we’re dedicated to helping business owners in Australia like yourself achieve their goals. For social media content, lead generation, and other digital experiences, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!