You’ve strategised a great business plan, registered your domain name and started on building your website. However, it’s not enough to own a website just because all your competitors have one. Despite the fact that about 87% of all product searches happen online, you won’t be visible unless you take proactive measures to reach your target market.
Enter: Search Engine Optimisation, otherwise known as SEO.
SEO is the practice of optimising your website’s content so that you get organic traffic from a search engine’s results page. It’s a long-term process and the results aren’t immediate. However, the initial steps you take after launching your new website have a huge impact on your site’s potential to rank on Google and bring in traffic, leads and sales.
Below, we’ve listed the first steps any new website owner should take to rank for their target keywords and attract traffic from organic searches.
Structure your website according to your target keywords
To effectively rank for your target keywords, structure your site so that each page has its own set of relevant keywords. For instance, if you’re launching a website for a bag shop and you sell various kinds of bags, each category should rank for its target keywords and attract online users searching for a specific type of bag. This means dividing your website into categories, with each category aimed at a specific keyword.
Structuring your website like this creates a clear theme and allows you to target keywords for maximum relevance. It’s better to have several extremely relevant pages instead of one page covering multiple topics.
Ensure each page has Google-friendly content
For optimal on-page SEO, include your target keywords occasionally in your content. Don’t overdo it as Google’s smart algorithm can detect keyword stuffing and lead to your website being penalized.
Instead of stuffing keywords into your content, use them in a strategic manner. Write at least 2,000 words of content for each page, using relevant keywords sparingly. Add keywords to your heading tags as well as variations of the long tail keywords you want to rank for.
Most importantly, don’t just write for writing’s sake. Answer the questions your target audience might have and use your on-page content to help solve their problems.
Optimise your title tags and meta descriptions
A great title tag accurately describes the content on your page and mentions the main keywords you’re targeting for SEO. It tells users what to expect after they click on the link from Google’s search page. Make sure to keep them brief and simple, as Google will crop your title tag if it’s too long.
Additionally, add engaging and action-focused meta descriptions. Insert keywords in your meta descriptions naturally and focus on selling the website to your target audience.
Build long-term SEO strategies with ZipSites
SEO is a long process and it’s not enough to launch a website and wait for the leads and revenue to roll in. If you want to rank for competitive keywords, you need to put together a long-term SEO strategy with clearly defined goals, objectives and milestones.
Achieve the success you’re aiming for with ZipSites’ SEO offerings. We provide SEO solutions that put your business in front of people who are specifically looking for your products and services. Our team of digital marketers utilise the latest SEO trends and online marketing tools to increase leads and conversions.
For more information and enquiries, call us on 1300 526 386.
