On average, people of the world make 3.5 million searches on Google every single day. Just think about what people are searching for – somewhere out there, someone is bound to be searching for a product or service that is exactly what your business offers! The issue is this: Are these people able to find your business online when they search for these products or services?
You may have noticed how Google and other search engines list webpages on their search engine results page (SERP). Companies that can afford to pay for search engine marketing (SEM) will have their ads placed at the top of the page, and the first page is typically dominated by big names as well.
So, how do you get your business’ page up the ranks so that people are more likely to see your webpage? That’s where search engine optimisation (SEO) comes in. While there are many aspects to SEO, here are just a few things you might want to take note of when implementing SEO strategies for your webpage.
1. Audience engagement
These days, customers want brands to feel personable and genuine. Thus, brands that engage actively with their audience are the ones that perform the best amongst the new generation of consumers. You can facilitate easier interaction with prospective customers by having a quick chat widget on your webpage.
Incorporating a section where your brand’s customer reviews are displayed can also show your audience that you value their feedback. Google reviews, especially, play a part in your page’s ranking. So, make it a point to request that your customers leave reviews for you after they’ve patronised your business.
2. Make your website mobile-friendly
Today, mobile searches take up a huge slice of the pie of online searches. People are no longer limited to searching on their desktops or laptops, but more are searching using their mobile devices while on the go.
Thus, it is crucial to ensure that your webpage is mobile-friendly so that it displays and responds well on mobile platforms. The risk of not doing so is that consumers will be deterred from visiting your site due to the poor user experience. At worst, a mobile-unfriendly page won’t be ranked highly on the SERP, and will suffer from a lack of traffic.
3. Include graphics & videos
One factor that affects your page ranking is the amount of time visitors stay on your site. Interesting and relevant graphics and videos are a brilliant way to invite audiences to spend more time on your webpage.
It is also important to remember that ultimately, your site is for your customers. So, any content and media on your website should be easy on the eyes and relevant to their needs or interests. In other words, another word of caution is this: Don’t overdo it!
4. Pay attention to loading speed
In this day and age where technology has made so many things so convenient and fast, consumers value efficiency. If a website is taking longer to load than they expect, they may give up waiting altogether and visit another website to find what they are looking for.
When doing up your website, make it a point to do a speed test. There are plenty of online tools that help you do this. If your webpage suffers from a long loading time, you may need to make some adjustments like having fewer videos, optimising images, and streamlining the code of your website.
5. Hone your keywords
Keywords are one of the seemingly simple ways to perform SEO – but not many people know how to implement effective keyword strategies. One good way to approach it is to think like a consumer. What search term would you type to look for a good dinner place near you? Rather than a generic word like ‘restaurants’, you are more likely to key in a phrase like ‘good restaurants in (area name)’.
These are precisely the type of keywords you should be having in your website content. Having the right keywords positions your site as being relevant to the search query, and gives your page more likelihood of appearing near the top of the SERP.
These 5 tips only just scratch the surface when it comes to SEO techniques. If you would like to learn more about effective practices for internet marketing in Malaysia, it will be a good idea to enrol in an SEO course to equip yourself with the most up-to-date strategies. Alternatively, you can leave your site’s SEO in the hands of internet marketing professionals like us here who will take care of it for you!
