Editor’s note: This article was submitted by Brittyn Odland, an Internet marketing associate at Fox Pest Control. Odland graduated from Utah State University with her Bachelor of Science in marketing and a minor in psychology. You can reach her at brittyno@fox-pest.com.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website can seem daunting and costly. But that’s not always the case! Here are five simple things that PCOs can do to boost their SEO without breaking the bank.
1. Set Up a GMB Account. Having a Google My Business (GMB) account allows your company’s information to be shown when someone searches for you directly or for a related good or service in your area. Setting up, verifying, and optimizing your account is free and makes your business accessible to potential customers. If you don’t have a GMB account, now is the time to create one. Almost all essential information can be shared through the platform, and, whether the searcher is on a desktop or mobile device, the GMB listings are shown at the top of the search results.
When optimizing your account, be sure to include accurate and relevant information, such as your service area or address, hours of operation, a phone number, website, business description, and professional photos. Adding products and services will also help searchers learn more about your business.
Once the account is optimized, utilize Google posts and the Q&A feature. Don’t forget to ask for and respond to Google reviews.
2. Optimize Your Site. Whether your website is new or old, it is always helpful to take a deeper look at it. Reevaluate whether the overall layout makes sense. Could you increase conversions by moving the call to action higher on the page? Could a different image convey a more accurate message? Is it mobile friendly? Although these factors may seem small, they can make a big impact when it comes to the user experience and your lead count.
If needed, work with your webmaster to update old title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and alt tags. Google references these when ranking your site in the search results. If you have access to the back end of your own website, you can do this yourself, for free!
3. Create Content. While on the subject of updating your site, why not create new content for it? Blogging is a simple way to do this. Regular blog posts show Google that your site is current and relevant today. It also gives you the ability to rank for long-tail keywords mentioned in the blog that may not be included anywhere else on your site.
There is always value to be shared through a blog post no matter what industry you are in, so don’t shy away from starting one. Plus, it doesn’t cost a thing to write and publish one yourself!
Rewriting old content is another way to give Google more content to crawl. If you have product or service pages that are lacking in detail or are a few years past their prime, update them. This not only helps build credibility with website visitors but also with Google.
4. Link Building Through PR. Link building is one of the best ways to boost your website’s domain authority. In other words, it builds your credibility with Google. When another strong website links to yours, it tells Google that your website is trustworthy and relevant. It can also draw new traffic to your website. Link building has been proven to help increase website rankings in the search results.
The best kind of links you can get are through industry or local news sites because of their reliability. Sharing a press release when your organization launches a new product or takes part in a philanthropic project doesn’t cost a dime. If the article is shared and it links to your website, it will help to build your site’s domain authority and increase your SEO.
5. Social Media. Using social media is a great way to interact with customers and share information, and it helps to build your brand. Business accounts are completely free on any social media platform. Fifty-four percent of people say that they check a brand’s social media to research products, so why not have social content that seals the deal?
Although a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn account doesn’t directly affect your Google rankings, it does help draw traffic to your site. For example, by sharing a recent blog post on any of these platforms, you give users a way to click through to your site, and more traffic shows Google that your website is important
GMB account set-up and optimization, website upkeep, content creation, external links through PR, and social media require only some time and effort. Following these five low-cost tips will increase your SEO, bring more visitors to your website, and gain more customers.