SEO: Be found online

What matters most are keywords — the words people use when they search for businesses like yours. Search engines give preference to websites that use those words effectively.

Titles, headers and description tags are prioritized in most search engines, so it’s smart to focus there first. But make sure you’re not “keyword stuffing.” Every line of text on your website should be readable. For example, if a page description says, “Boots heels flats sandals shoes socks laces footwear,” a search engine is going to read your site as a possible scam and move it way down in the rankings. A better description might be something like, “Need footwear for spring? We have boots, heels, flats and more.” The text in the body of your page can then reinforce your keywords and include other words that your customers might use when searching for your products.

Beyond using keywords, you can improve your search rankings with backlinks — other websites that link to your website. Backlinks not only can improve traffic to your website but also show search engines that your website is reputable and trusted by others. To increase backlinks, consider asking friends and partners to post a link to your website. Writing articles for trade websites, engaging in philanthropy and participating in community activities can also create opportunities for backlinks.

Creating a Google My Business profile and keeping it updated is an SEO strategy that can deliver big ROI. This is the box that appears with a map when you search for businesses. According to Google, a complete Google My Business profile will give Google users information and can help your business get more space on a search page.

More than half

of people surveyed said that voice was one of their top three ways to search. This means that phrases and keywords that match how people talk are increasingly important to include in website text.

Source: Eric Enge, “Mobile Voice Usage Trends in 2020,” Perficient, June 30, 2020.