4 Powerful Truths to One-Up Competitors on Google

Before the internet, any business that started with an “A” could be listed at the top of the phone book. These days, the process of getting a website listing to the top of a Google, Yahoo, or Bing search involves extensive research and planning, as well as a little bit of faith. This process is known as “Search Engine Optimization” or “SEO,” and should be a top consideration for every business with a website.

Here’s the catch: the rhyme and reason behind search engine rankings is secret, and it changes often. What we do know is that taking the following actions will get you and your webpage well on its way to top SEO status.

TRUTH 1: Right or Wrong, Your Customers’ Lingo is the Right Lingo.

Webpage copy should use the terms your customers search for, even if it’s not what you call the product. Best practice is to use several variations of an important keyword in the copy, titles, and URLs of the webpage. Be wary of “keyword stuffing,” (using a single keyword over and over) which will be punished by search engines!

TRUTH 2: Mobile-Friendly Sites Get Higher Rankings Than Those That Are Not.

Make sure your site can be easily used on a smartphone or tablet. For example, if the text on your webpage shrinks to size 2 font when viewed on a smartphone, your site is definitely NOT mobile friendly. In April, Google released the so-called “Mobilegeddon” algorithm update to cater to an increasingly high volume of searches performed on mobile devices: the update punished websites for not being mobile-friendly, and sent unprepared businesses scrambling for their SEO consultants.

TRUTH 3: Copying and Pasting From Other Sources is Still Wrong.

No, copy-pasting the first paragraph of a Wikipedia page about your product will not help your rankings (we don’t recommend it anyway). Google looks for quality, original content that will give your web visitors something they can’t find anywhere else.

TRUTH 4: Links To and From Your Site Build Your Page’s Search Engine Clout.

The web was built to connect people. Getting respectable websites to link back to yours is an important part of SEO. How does one do this? Sponsor a charity event, get listed in a directory, or find mentions of your company name that are not linked, and ask the site owner to link back.

These are just a few of the many best practices that SEO professionals dream of at night. If all else fails, the best approach is to consider what your customers want out of your website, and then build it to those specifications.

Or you can call JMS Marketing at (815) 459-3915 for a free site evaluation!