Search engine optimization – more commonly known as SEO – is a great way to spread the word about your business and its offerings. This article provides an excerpt from a conversation Keypoint Intelligence Consulting Editor Christine Dunne had with SEO specialist Jeanne Visser, who shares some simple steps that print companies can take to improve the SEO of their websites and blogs.
Introduction
Printing companies around the world are united by an urgent need to get their names out there. Indeed, prospects can certainly not call your help in the press if they do not know what services you offer … or that you exist at all! Search engine optimization – more commonly known as SEO – is a great way to spread the word about your business and its offerings.
I recently sat down (albeit virtually) with Jeanne Visser, On-Page SEO Specialist & amp; Technical writer at SEO Assistance by Jeanne and owner of the blog Have Twins First. During our discussion, Jeanne shared some simple steps that print companies can take to improve the SEO of their websites and blogs. The text that follows is an excerpt from our conversation.
Q: What makes SEO so important in relation to other types of digital marketing?
A: With SEO, one of the biggest factors is user intent. If someone googles a particular phrase and lands on your website, they are probably looking for a specific product or service that you offer. This would be a great customer to get on your email list so you can then do email marketing and persuade them to make a purchase. Meanwhile, social media is a bit different. Even if someone is following you on a social media platform, they might just look to see what’s out there. It is possible that they are not at all interested in buying something or securing a service.
Q: What are some simple steps that small businesses, including printers, can take to maximize the SEO of their blogs or website content?
A: Let’s assume that one simply looks at the homepage of your website. Almost every website contains some sort of menu. When Google crawls your homepage, it will evaluate the content that is on your homepage as well as the menu that is offered. In this case, the details are important. If your homepage uses only basic headers like About, Search and Blog, as well as any content you put on that homepage, it will be difficult for Google to understand your specific offers or specialties. Instead, it’s important to implement detailed keywords so that Google – and by extending your prospects – learn what your company is all about.
Q: Is it important for your keywords to accurately describe your bids, or is it better to choose less general keywords that set your company apart from the competition?
A: On your homepage, it is good to use general keywords that describe your business, as well as its products and services. The less common keywords that can help you differentiate yourself from your competitors are better for specific website content than blog posts. The first step makes it easy for prospects to find you. Once they have found you, you can highlight all the attributes that distinguish you.
Q: When it comes to blogging, what is important from an SEO point of view?
A: If you are aware that you have a high authority in a particular area, it may be easier to rank different keywords. This is because Google already recognizes your site as a high authority, so you can further differentiate yourself with keywords. One of the ways to improve your authority level is by getting backlinks from well-known websites in your industry – or even outside of your industry. It should also be noted that the age of a website plays a role in how much authority it has, so make sure your content is fresh and current!
Q: What are some other steps you can take to maximize the SEO of your blog posts?
A: Let’s assume you are writing about printers. There are already a million websites out there that are classified for terms like “best printers”, so you need to be more specific. When you visit Google and enter “best printer”, you can identify terms that are automatically filled in in conjunction with that sentence. This will give you a better idea of the terms that people are actually searching for, and this knowledge can help you create a better list of long-tail keywords so that your posts get more hits and attract more attention. You can also enter a term and then scroll down to the bottom of the Google page to see related terms. This could give you ideas on high impact topics you want to write about.
Q: What can businesses do to improve their ranking for commonly searched terms?
A: Not everyone will be willing or able to spend a lot of money on SEO, but it is possible to make a big impact with even a small budget. For about $ 100 or maybe even less, you can hire someone to give you a set of mind-boggling keywords. If you have a little more money in your budget, you can find an expert who can identify keywords that you have a good chance of ranking when you write about them.
Q: Do you have any other tips for optimizing your blog posts?
A: In addition to H1 headers, it is important to use H2 and H3 subheaders. Once you have determined a keyword or set of keywords that you want to use, try to integrate those keywords into your header in a natural way. The word count of your blogs is also important. It is a good idea to review the top ranking posts for a particular keyword that you hope to use and determine how many words are in those posts. Then try writing a post that is a bit longer than the top ranking posts for maximum impact.
The Bottom Line
The text above is just one part of the entire conversation I had with Mrs. Visser. If you are interested in hearing our entire conversation, please visit w.e.g. the Keypoint Intelligence website. Even if you do not work in the print sector, Visser offers a number of simple steps that your company can take to improve their online presence. You can learn about the development of a website that is noticed, select the best keywords and ensure that your posts rank higher in the Google search results.
Christine Dunne is a Consultation Editor for Keypoint Intelligence Office Technology & amp; Services Group. Their responsibilities include answering customer inquiries, conducting market research and analysis, and covering industry events. Ms. Dunne has written extensively on search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising.