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We live in a digital world, but you probably already knew that. What’s interesting is the blatantly obvious fact that if your business doesn’t have a website, it might as well not even exist. In fact, the sole achievement of launching a website is no longer enough to put you on the online map or let anyone know just how awesome your company is.
Nope, nowadays you need to be optimized. Imagine that, you need to put in the time an effort into optimizing your website so that Google will deem your content worthy of everyone’s attention, and display your homepage at the top of the first result page. And this year is no different, so without further ado, here is how you can keep your website optimized in 2018.
In This Post:
Stay on top of latest SEO trends
There is no use in lying to yourself that SEO is something you can devote your attention to on your weekend afternoon off, or that it’s something you are likely to master yourself, especially if you are just a business owner with no real interest in the matter. And why should you when there are professionals who can do it for you.
If you want a cookie-cutter solution, just employ a reputable SEO company and get it over with. Alternatively, you can take matters into your own hands and learn how to conduct keyword research, proper keyword implementation across your website, how to build and earn backlinks on other websites, and numerous other processes that complete the SEO puzzle.
What you can absolutely do yourself is improve your website in such a way that your visitors have an easier time navigating the pages, finding what they are looking for, and preferably complete their visit with a purchase. This will require careful planning, so an in-depth website analysis is in order.
First off, check your website load times and general responsiveness. Does it feel sluggish and does it take more than two seconds to load? If the answer is yes, then work on minimizing the amount of loadable content in order to boost speed.
Next, assess the way your website speaks to the visitor by putting yourself in their place. When you click on a certain page on your website, are you immediately in the know? Are you fully aware where you are and what you’re looking at? Most importantly, does the page answer your question and pose a solution to your problem? Now simply adjust accordingly.
Create killer content people will love
Your content strategy can make or break your business. Content is king in the online world, and it is one of the most important elements of your brand that people will connect with. Not only will your content inspire people to fall in love with your story, but it will also attract new visitors, increase your reach and elevate your brand awareness through shares, likes, and mentions.
This is why companies are increasingly improving their content game across the board. Industry experts, like this copywriting agency from Sydney, are working hard to infuse the essence and values of every brand into their content strategy, creating messages and stories that not only resonate with people but are also optimized to boost your website’s visibility. All of these efforts work together in creating a reputable online presence Google will love, in turn boosting your traffic, reputation, and of course, conversion rate.
Go mobile or go home
This is the dawn of a new age. An age where people no longer spend their free time staring at a computer screen so much as they are staring at their smartphones and tablets. This is a world where people are consuming online content on the go. Not only do search engines prefer mobile-friendly websites, but so do your customers.
With mobile optimization, you have the opportunity to reach a whole new demographic as well. So, why not exploit this lucrative opportunity? First off, your website will need to fit every smartphone screen and boast adequate visuals that will allow it to load quickly but still remain aesthetic and transparent.
Another crucial element is simplicity, or rather the need to simplify your customer’s journey from the homepage, to the check-out page. People want to be able to make a purchase from their smartphones, but they usually close the tab once they realize how complicated the process is. So make it simple for them.
Keep track of your metrics and improve your game
Finally, it’s important that you always keep close track of your SEO metrics in order to ascertain your current status in the online arena, and create a sound marketing plan based on these insights. Some of the most important metrics you should track are website traffic, bounce rate, stay on page, individual page performance, backlinks, mentions and shares, and of course your conversion rate. By regularly acting on these findings, you will be able to optimize your content, as well as all of the aforementioned steps and create an amazing online presentation people will love.
Optimizing your website is not as complicated as it may seem, although each individual step requires careful planning, strategizing, as well as time and effort in order to produce the desired results. By following these steps, though, you will have no problem keeping your website optimized in 2018 and creating a website that will resonate with the hearts and minds of your audience.