TOP TIPS Top Tips to improve your business’s visibility in Google (that’s if you need to!)

Improving a website’s visibility within Google’s search results for relevant keywords and phrases is a set of practices and techniques referred to as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

Whilst these practices and techniques apply to all search engines, with Google handling 90% of all search queries worldwide, when we talk about SEO we are only thinking about Google!

Why would you want to improve your business’s online visibility?

Ultimately, the overarching goal of SEO is to attract potential customers to a website, enhance user experience, and ultimately drive conversions, whether that means making a purchase, completing an enquiry form or simply engaging with the website’s content in a meaningful way.

By aligning a website’s content and structure with the preferences and expectations of both users and search engines, SEO helps businesses maximise their online visibility and achieve their digital marketing objectives. Does my business need SEO and how would I find out?

You may well be thinking that surely every business, including your own, would benefit from improving their online visibility – but this simply isn’t the case.

From experience, we know that not every business needs SEO. That’s right, those spammy SEO emails you may have received saying your website contains errors or your rankings are suffering, might not be accurate!

We’ve put a quick and simple quiz online to help businesses determine for themselves if SEO is something they would benefit from.

Take the quiz at https://designweb.co.uk/do-i-need-seo or scan the QR code to the right.

So, if you got a YES in the quiz and your business does need SEO, here are some tips to help boost your online visibility:

1. Keyword research

Keyword research identifies relevant terms and phrases that your target audience is likely to use when searching for content related to your website. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush can be used to discover keywords with high monthly search volume and moderate to low competition.

If your business serves a local audience, optimise your website for local search by claiming and optimising your Google My Business listing, incorporating locationbased keywords into your content, and earning positive reviews from customers

2. Optimise on-page elements

Optimise your website’s on-page elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and URL structures to incorporate targeted keywords naturally. Ensure that your content provides value to users and matches their search intent, as Google prioritises content relevance and quality.

3. Create high-quality content

Produce high-quality, informative, and engaging content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. Focus on creating comprehensive, well-researched content that provides unique insights, solutions, or entertainment. Regularly update your content to keep it fresh and relevant.

4. Improve website speed and performance

Optimise your website’s speed and performance to provide users with a seamless browsing experience. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and address performance issues. Having your website hosted on a fast, secure, reliable and suitable platform is highly important.

5. Optimise for mobile

Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and responsive to cater to users who access the internet using smartphones and tablets. Google prioritises mobile-friendly websites in its search rankings, so optimising for mobile is essential for improving visibility in Google search results.

6. Optimise for local SEO

If your business serves a local audience, optimise your website for local search by claiming and optimising your Google My Business listing, incorporating location-based keywords into your content, and earning positive reviews from customers. Citations and backlinks from local directories can also improve your website’s visibility in local search results.

7. Build quality backlinks

Build high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites to improve your website’s authority and credibility in Google’s eyes. Focus on earning natural backlinks through guest blogging, content partnerships, and outreach efforts. Avoid spammy tactics and focus on creating valuable content that attracts links organically.

8. Monitor and analyse performance

Regularly monitor your website’s performance in Google search results using tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Track key metrics such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, click-through rates, and conversion rates to measure the effectiveness of your SEO efforts. Use this data to identify areas for improvement and refine your strategies over time.

Improving your website’s online visibility is a strategic endeavour and undertaking the above tasks can be daunting for most businesses. We strongly recommend determining if SEO should form part of your digital marketing strategy.

If it does, then research the keywords and phrases your potential customers are using in Google searches and choose the ones to be implemented into your business’s SEO strategy.

One last tip – Never assume what your potential customers are searching for in Google or that SEO is something your business needs!

Seek advice from an agency if you need help with anything we’ve covered.