There are thousands of online businesses similar to yours. All of these businesses fight for top ranking on search engines. Since top ranking is not automatic, you need to invest in SEO (Search Engine Optimization). You should also know that SEO is only worth it if done right. Before you begin, it is important to determine:
- What the site is about
- Its purpose
- Target audience
- Competition
- Keyword(s) to use
After determining the above, it is now time to create and upload content on your website. Some of the important things to pay attention to include:
Keyword(s)
A keyword is the search term that your post will show up for. You should choose a keyword according to what your target audience will be searching for. If you sell dog collars, for instance, your keyword should be what people are likely to search for when shopping for dog collars.
The Competition
There are thousands of businesses selling products and services similar to yours. ‘Dog collars’, for instance, is likely to bring hundreds of results. Checking what the first pages are missing would help you know what to improve.
Content Quality
Your content has to stand out from the rest. Your audience and search engines will notice original, outstanding content. You need to research the topic you would be writing on comprehensively before writing anything. All keywords and search phrases you use must integrate seamlessly with the rest of the content. It pays to use keywords in any images you upload.
Links
Your content should have both internal and external links. Internal linking is simply linking other pages on your site. External links are the most important. They are links from other websites on the internet, preferably websites belonging to other people. Search engines rely on such links to determine the quality of a post. Links from other websites show that your content is high-quality and your website trustworthy.
SEO is an ongoing process. You need to keep updating fresh and relevant content to maintain and improve your ranking. You also need to stay abreast of SEO trends. To avoid making costly mistakes, consider hiring an SEO expert.