SEO How to WIN Readers & GOOGLE
CONTENT IS KING.....first rule of winning the top spot on Google! That being said, it has to be relevant to your business and the good news is that now more than ever before it is easier. A few years ago, you had to add keywords and force-feed the information. Now the "robots" can understand natural sentence structure like never before and Google anticipates that by 2020 more than 40% of all search will be verbal! Also, more than 50 Billion mobile devices will be in the hands of your consumers! Get ready!
For you that is a WIN-WIN because marketing will be easier than ever before and more cost effective as you can pivot in minutes to attract customers IF YOU ARE READY. Now, there are more factors at play as Google has become quite complex in their rankings as their customers have evolved, however, if you look at how you utilize search it will make more sense to you. SEO will always be shrouded in mystery but at the base it is all based on simple cornerstones. Take a look.
Search engines are getting seriously intelligent so when you consider the entire SEO topic look at it based on both how you search and the thousands of website pages out there they have in "inventory" available to give you as an option. Their job is to give you the right one the FIRST time. Their customers are just like you which means that they want it NOW, RELEVANT, FACTUAL, & IN DEPTH.
ASK YOURSELF, DOES YOUR WEBSITE DELIVER THAT CRITERIA?
To be fair, most do not and are the same information as everyone else's website with a small tweak on the home page with information "about" them and the defining piece is the graphics which makes the website FEEL unique. The services page which is the meat of these websites is a bullet point listing of the individual services and as a line item does not deliver "in depth" information that can be used for more than a shopping list.
An easy way to gauge this is to have someone read your page to you while you have your eyes closed. If you can easily understand what you do from a non-mechanic viewpoint you are golden.
Example: Brake Repair. On what type of vehicle? Just brake repair or do you replace them? Turn the rotars? Trucks and cars? What about foreign vehicles? Do you inspect them also? There are so many questions and most of the time the consumer is searching the internet to see "what is wrong" with their brake potentially and your website can be a resource for that answer making you a valuable professional and an easy fit for fixing their problem with your appointment button and contact information right there! Otherwise....opportunity lost.
HAVE TOPICS NOT KEYWORDS
A few years ago, you had to force-feed keywords on the page to "show" Google what your information was all about and now they are so intuitive that they understand natural language and use every piece of it to ensure they are able define what your website is all about and direct the consumer to the correct page by word, phrase, or sentence!
Example of common search terms: "Best diesel truck transmission repair shop near me." "Brake repair for my Toyota Corolla". "Siri, what is the nearest auto repair shop that does full service brake repair?" YEP...full sentences and the search queries are getting longer. Plus you will notice that Google is filling your sentences in for you already as they are getting smarter about what you are wanting.
Simple Approach Content Tips Include:
- Write on a topic with the intent to educate your reader with the content
- Include the most helpful and relative content
- Focus on your topic and write naturally FOCUSED on your reader
- Go back after writing it and "tuneup" the article with keywords (they are still relevant)
- Create a great headline
UNDERSTAND GOOGLE'S FOCUS
We think Google search is always the same....it's not! Remember they are always trying to answer our answers and that is always changing! They are changing with our needs!
Sometimes, your content shows up on Google and it doesn't lead to your website as it shows up in a carousel or answer box on Google like Wikepedia answers do....the answer is there in full so the website link isn't chosen. That means your article does well but doesn't get you the results you wanted which is traffic on your website. We call that a WIN-LOSE. That is why we like to check the keywords first before we write new articles for our customer's websites but as you grow you will get better@
MOBILE FIRST
15 Billion Mobile Devices in 2016.....Google states 50 Billion anticipated in 2020 and then 40% of all search to be Verbal in 2020! Those are staggering statistics so you MUST BE MOBILE!
Don't treat mobile as insignificant or an afterthought be sure that you are mobile - responsive on every type of device. If you have a mobile alternative site FOR PHONES ONLY that will hurt your business aggressively soon. Google has rolled out significant updates since 2014 that has hurt your website in mobile searches already. They are now working on MOBILE FIRST which will only index websites through their mobile application.
WHAT DOES MOBILE FIRST MEAN? Easy. Whatever pages you have available when you access your website through your mobile phone are ALL you will have indexed. If it a block with "See Desktop" which is what an alternative website does then the other pages that are not accessed via the menu on that mobile phone will NO LONGER be available as search results. GONE.
WHEN DID THEY ANNOUNCE MOBILE FIRST? Announced December 2, 2016 so we have had a year to get ready. Responsive Websites First initiative went into action March 2015 announced in 2014. So we have had plenty of time to get ready for the changes. IF you have a non responsive website IT IS OKAY as your pages will still be indexed, however, you will still fail in a search comparison to those who are Responsive in ANY search when Mobile First goes into effect. Those who have the alternative PHONE ONLY website and a Desktop Website are in jeopardy of losing their additional pages.
FUNCTION. YOUR VISITOR'S HAPPINESS IS THE TOP PRIORITY
Google is watching your traffic. How your visitors use your website. Are they finding what they need. Function is key to Google rankings once a customer is on your website.
- If they find what they need and take action on the first page...GREAT.
- If they do nothing on the first page and hit the back button....BAD.
- If the site does not load while they are on the site (it watches how the site reacts) and the customer leaves....BAD. If they continue to the page they want as they know the site....GREAT.
RESULT...Google knows what you do and where you go via the phone you use and apps you are on as a result of the search and action you take. They observe the behavior and the results accordingly. For them it is good business, because keeping you on search is how they make money.
Keeping your customers happy online makes Google Happy! WIN-WIN
SECURITY. GOTTA HAVE IT
In 2014 Google announced they would favor secure websites......very few paid attention. We did, but we are the exception to the rule as it takes time and time is money. It seemed like a small factor to everyone else.
In 2017 Google got serious......now they are emphatic. SECURITY IS A MUST HAVE. They want their customers to have a secure site and they are going to highlight sites that are NOT secure within Chrome and sites that collect data first then outward. Imagine how it will look to your customers if your website shows up as UNSECURE? Will they continue through the site? Or, will they go to a competitor? A new customer will NEVER choose an UNSECURE site!
How do you check to see if your website is secure? Easy...look at your URL in the top white navigation box. If it is http:// = NOT secure. HTTPS:// = SECURE. If you are unsure, give us a call and we can let you know easily.
IN SUMMARY.
These items seem bigger than they are when you read through them and easily taken care of. SEO is like keeping your business storefront clean and your technicians keeping their tools handy so they can reach them quickly and get those cars and trucks moving through the bays. Once you get things organized and efficient you just continue forward and do the same thing adjusting where you have to when you have to and it is LOW Maintenance going forward.
1. SEO is about Quality Content. Be sure you have that on your website and that you ADD content often. Yes Facebook is important but you can do that FROM your website!
2. MOBILE be sure your site is mobile | responsive. If not at least be sure you do not have an alternate website just for your phone as you are going to shortly (very shortly) lose your desktop website pages that Google has indexed.
3. FUNCTIONALITY is important so be sure your customers can easily navigate your website on a mobile device as everyone is mobile and get what they need. Most people want it in 2 Clicks - 3 Maximum "just like you do".
4. SECURITY is a MUST HAVE. Can't stress that enough.
If you are feeling exceptionally motivated look at your directories as well - your business is now 100% online and online online to most of your new customer base. How do you look? Seriously have you ever looked to see if your information is correct? SEE HOW YOUR BUSINESS IS LISTED HERE.
