Your new website looks great! It has been developed using WordPress, your web copy has been optimized for your keywords, everything has been done for on-page search engine optimization but now what? What more can you do to get to the top of Google?
1. GET A GOOGLE PLACE PAGE!
Google Place search results appear in a SERP when Google predicts that the searcher is looking for local information. Place pages appear at the top of organic results, so if you want to be on that important first page then make sure you have a Google Place page that links to your website. Ensure that you verify that you are the Business Owner. Click on the Business Owner? link to verify your business listing. Once you’ve verified your listing, you can enhance the Place Page for your business by adding photos, videos, coupons, and even real-time updates like weekly specials.
2. GET QUALITY INBOUND LINKS!
Inbound links (also called Backlinks) are links that are pointing to your site. All inbound links are not created equal. Google evaluates each site to determine if they are quality content-driven links. For example, if your website is about Toronto antiques, then having a inbound link from a vacation rental property would be of little advantage to your website. Make sure you do not join link farms! It is best when links use anchor text. Anchor text is when a link uses a keyword in the text of the hyperlink. When linking avoid the commonly used “click here“.
3. USE SOCIAL MEDIA!
Don’t ignore the power of Social Media to drive traffic to your site and to help improve your Google ranking. Setup social media profiles and ensure that each profile links back to your website. Create authentic connections online and you’ll find your “friends” will “retweet”, “share”, and “Like” your content. Once again, it’s quality, not necessarily quantity that will win the day with social media SEO.
4. BLOG!
Regularly add new quality content to your website and then tell people about it using Social Media. Great content will naturally attract links and bring traffic to your site. Make sure that your blog is a self-hosted WordPress blog that is part of your site; you want to draw traffic to your website not an external blog. Blogging is a great way to build up your reputation online. Ask yourself, “What can I do that is new or different?”. You might be interested in these blogging success stories, they’re examples of some great blogging ideas.
Natural organic results don’t happen over night so be patient. If a Search Engine Optimization company is promising to get you on the first page of Google — beware! Nobody can guarantee you a certain search engine ranking.
I would be happy to chat with you about how to improve the SEO ranking of your website.
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This should be required reading for all new website owners!
Great post. My own experience recently regarding Google Places confirms what you have written. I always recommend that my clients claim their place. And you other three points are equally important – especially social media.