I've gotten so many requests for SEO (search engine optimization) content optimization lately that I thought I'd share my top five tips for writing the kind of SEO-optimized web content that will get relevant web traffic clicking right to your site. In just a few short years, SEO has exploded into its a marketing segment all its own. But in my experience, you don't have to be an SEO expert to benefit from a few of the fundamentals. You'd be surprised how some simple changes can make a big difference when it comes to driving traffic to your site.
1--Write relevant copy. Make a list of the keywords (and keyword phrases) you might want searchers to use to find you. If you have no idea what words someone might use to find your site, do a few Google searches and see where your competitors show up. Then rewrite the content on your site to include these words. You'd be surprised how easy it is to replace a few words here and there with your keywords.
2--Stay relevant. Update your site regularly, keep your web's content current by regularly adding new content via a blog or YouTube videos. Always keep your audience in mind. If your site is designed to draw writers looking for an experience copy editor in finance and marketing, then make sure your site provides them with all the content they are looking for and need.
3--Don't forget meta tags. This sounds a lot harder than it is, but that's just because most people don't know what the words "meta tags" mean. But it's just titles and keywords. Most websites let you title each page and provide keywords that are particularly relevant to the page. Take a few minutes to make sure your pages are titled appropriately based on content and that you've embedded the proper keywords in each page.
4--Use titles for your links. Don't just provide links to relevant websites, tell your readers where you're sending them. This makes it easier for Google and the other search engines to find you. For example, I often like to send readers to Grammar Girl's website. Here's a link to one of my most often referred to pages on the affect/effect distinction: Grammar Girl's Article on Affect vs. Effect.
5--Don't forget social media. Social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) is rapidly changing the web's landscape. Don't be left behind because you haven't used simple plug ins on your site that allow viewers to "Like" or "Share" your content with their friends on Facebook. While you're at it, don't forget to secure your domain name on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and any other social media outlets you can think of--Google indexes these pages really well, so chances are they'll drive traffic back to your home page as well as your social media sites.
Want more? Check out Hubspot, SEOMoz or any of Google's learning centers for in-depth information on SEO, but be prepared to spend long hours trolling through pages and pages of information about how to make your site more relevant to web crawlers. Or you can always hire an SEO expert if you need leads to start pouring in FAST (but be prepared, they don't come cheap!).
If you're not prepared for such a big commitment, I've found that most sites can benefit from a few simple changes with very little effort. Make a few minor tweaks every day and you'll start to see an improvement in lead gen over time. Need help writing or editing SEO content for your website? Email me for a free quote today. I'd love to help you get started.
