How To Raise Your Page Ranking and SEO!
Don’t get left behind, now is the time to plan!
First, let’s start with basics. When we talk about Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO, we are talking about ‘strategies, techniques and tactics used to increase the amount of visitors to a website’ – generally, by achieving a high organic ranking in the first page of a search engine result (Webopedia). There are several ways to boost your page rankings and SEO, but today, we’ll be talking about keywords!
As you’re most likely aware, keywords are integral to your digital advertising strategy. If they’re too vague, you’re likely to get lost amongst your competitors, or worse, not show up on the first page at all.
So, let’s begin by running through some simple strategies for selecting keywords.
Number One: Research, Research, Research.
When it comes to your keywords, methodical research is an absolute must. Try beginning by getting into the mindset of your customer. If a user was to search for you or your product online, what might they type into their search engine? Jot all of these terms and phrases down, along with categories for your business.
Secondly, do some research by typing those phrases in and seeing how many of your competitors come up for the same keywords. This will give you a clear indication of how strong your keywords are, and what you could change to make sure your ad still stands out, while being visible to customers. For example, is there something unique about your product that a user might type in? Capitalise on this!
Number Two: Use Long-Tail Keywords.
“No, not that kind of long tail!”
Have you ever typed a specific phrase into Google that’s a bit longer than your average search term? For example, ‘Fortitude Valley camping jackets,’ instead of ‘Brisbane camping jackets?’ This is an example of a long-tail keyword, and in terms of marketing, they are a must! Usually made up of three – four keyword phrases, long-tail keywords are more likely to be typed by ready-to-buy users. As a result, by implementing these keyword groups into your marketing, you can better target customers who have already done their research, and are looking for your exact product/service!
Number Three: Be Relevant.
It might be tempting to try using keywords that you know will draw people in, but if they aren’t relevant to your service or product, there’s no point. Not only will people bounce off to another website to find what they’re really looking for, but Google’s RankBrain algorithm will take note – meaning that your traffic and organic rankings could plummet.
Number Four: Take Advantage of Research Tools.
If you’re still struggling, try using some keyword research tools such as:
- Google Auto Suggest
The beauty of this tool is that it’s visible to anyone, and free to use. All you need to do is type in a search, and see what recommended searches come up. This will allow you to see if your opposition are using those same keywords, and how many search results there is. As you’d gather, the higher volume of results, the more competitive the keyword. - Google AdWords Keyword Planner
This is a tool I use for everything! Also free, Google’s Adwords Keyword planner allows you to ‘plan your Search Network campaigns, get performance insights, and see keyword ideas.’ Just as awesome, it also helps with choosing competitive campaign bids and budgets.
Other considerations to implement when choosing your keywords, are to:
- Avoiding broad keywords (such as ‘shoes,’ or ‘women’s clothing’). These can be difficult to rank for.
- Choose keywords which will seamlessly integrate with your content.
- Use a dictionary to help you think of synonyms for your keyword.
- Try using no more than three keywords in a phrase. This is considered the optimal length for high converting keyword phrases.
- Include your keyword in the URL of your ad/link.
- Use between five and 20 keywords per ad group
At the heart of it, keywords are the building blocks for your business – they can either make or break your success. If you think that sounds a little dramatic, just ponder this: according to AdWeek, 81% of people research online before buying. If people can’t find you online, where will they? Word of mouth is great, but you can’t rely on it entirely! People are short on time, and they need to be able to search and find your business when they’re ready – not be left racking their brains, trying to remember who that amazing company was that their friend told them about last month at a BBQ.