Although entrepreneurs, marketers and others aiming to promote their products or services have an idea or extensive knowledge about what SEO is, theory is still sifferent from actual execution. When you are just starting out, most would not know where to start. Here are a couple of steps to take to help you cover the basics.
Make a list of keywords. Keywords are at the heart of SEO, and selecting the right ones can make or break your SEO strategy. Compile a list of about 10 keywords associated with your product or services. Plug these keywords into Google’s Keyword Tool and find alternatives that would work for your business. Your keyword list should be a living and breathing document that you review and update at least once a month. This will make sure you stay in keyword research mode and keep your keyword list evolving with industry and search trends.
Build keyword-focused pages. When it comes to websites and ranking in search engines, it’s always better to have multiple web pages tailored to specific keywords or phrases. Trying to get one page to rank for a handful of keywords can be next to impossible. Ultimately, the number of web pages you create should coincide with how many different products, offerings, and locations your business has. This will make it much easier for your prospects and customers to find you in search engines no matter what keywords they use.
Set up a blog. Blogging can be an incredible way to rank for keywords and engage your website’s users. After all, every blog post is a new web page that gives you another chance to rank in search engines. However, you are blogging for your audience and not for search engines so better make sure that you write articles that your audience or potential clients are interested in.
Create a link-building plan. Link-building is the primary objective of off-page SEO, and it is also a huge factor in how search engines rank your web pages. Dedicate some time to brainstorm all the different ways you can attract inbound links to your website. Start small, maybe share your links with other local businesses in exchange for links to their sites. Write a few blog posts and share them on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn. Consider approaching other bloggers for guest blogging opportunities through which you can link back to your website. Another great way to attract inbound links is to use your blog to post articles related to current events or news.
Lastly, always keep yourself updated with the latest news and practices to keep you on top of things and ahead of competition.
