The most common challenge for new webmasters is getting sites indexed. There are millions of websites filled with content on the internet, and proper search engine optimization conducted by a Phoenix SEO company is the key to getting noticed. Learning SEO is not difficult, and applying a few basics makes a site stand out in its category or industry. The following seven tips gives any site a head start to a good ranking.
Ranking Signals
Search engines rank content using the following criteria:
• The relevance of the content
• The performance of the website
• The authority of the content as it relates to its category, industry, niche or market
• The overall user experience
The Seven Steps to a Good Ranking
Websites are created to be discovered immediately by both search engines and people. The main objective is being the first site listed when people search for relevant content. This position drives sales, which attracts even more visitors and adds to the bottom line. The following seven SEO hacks help any site to hit the ground running and quickly get results.
• Choose the right domain name. This is what creates the first impression with visitors. Spell it right and ensure it has branding potential. Do not force keywords in the name. If the dot com name is not available, use a country TLD or one that relates to the industry. “Design.uk” catches the eye more than “design.com.”
• Research the right keywords. While the purpose of a website is important, keywords are crucial because they indicate what people are searching for in the market or niche. This gives an idea of the target audience and the keywords that should be used in the content.
• Create high-quality content. The right content always brings success. It should be created with the target audience in mind but not always with a sales objective. How-to posts and tips mixed with articles, videos, eBooks and infographics keep things interesting and allow visitors to make up their own minds to buy.
• Optimize the website code. A poorly coded site is difficult to read by search engines. Using canonical URLs and tags along with a sitemap leads to a clear listing and a good rank. This also prevents duplicate content penalties.
• Have a good technical setup. Analytics software is the best way to see where a site is succeeding and where it needs more work. Google analytics provides an excellent collection of tools to measure many different metrics, most notably the number of visitors and where they are coming from.
• Build links. This technique is old school, but it is still effective. It does require work on the part of the siteowner through creating strong and relevant content, promoting it through social channels and building productive, reciprocal relationships with other influencers. Guest blogging is a good way to start this process.
• Test the website. This is especially important in the post-launch phase when momentum is high. Test all the pages on the site to ensure they provide a good user experience, and make any needed changes for improvement. Address any negative feedback immediately and learn from it. Make sure the mobile version of the site is working as it should because the majority of web users are on smartphones and tablets.
Building and launching a new website is challenging, but it does not have to be overwhelming. Using the seven SEO tips above quickly helps a web presence rise to the top of search engine rankings. The experienced staff at the Internet Marketing Team is always available to assist and answer any questions about search engine optimization.