5 Useful (and Effective) SEO Tips

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14th May 2014

5 Useful (and Effective) SEO Tips

With almost 15 years of continuous experience in the web development and digital marketing business, we're pretty used to hearing the regular cry that everything's changed as far as web marketing and Search Engine Optimisation is concerned; and that we should all completely change how we work to chase the elusive top positions in Google. We've learned not to panic though, and trust that our approach is one that is regularly vindicated by the great performance of our clients' websites. Here's why...

SEO Tip 1: No Short Cuts - Write Interesting Copy

You can't scam Google. (Well not for long anyway!) Promises of rapid attainment of top positions in Google are usually built on dubious methods that eventually will be shunned by Google and sadly any sites that use them will often be blacklisted by association. 

The only guarantee of great, long-lasting Search Engine performance is to be Genuine and Real; to provide content that people will be interested in and want to read and share and re-read. Our litmus test is; would an interested, non-expert find it interesting? If not, then it needs to be rewritten. This "Content Marketing" is the bedrock of successful SEO. This approach takes longer, and more effort (to write lots of copy), but it delivers better results that last. Once there, your site becomes harder and harder to dislodge from the top of the search results. 

(Proof: Alacrify's website has been at the top of Google for "Dorset Website Design" for over ten years! www.alacrify.co.uk)

SEO Tip 2: Bigger Is Better

To really get this Content Marketing to work for you, you will need to have a significant amount of content on your website. A 5 page website will not work. Our most successful websites have in excess of 100 pages of content, which is usually a blend of product and service information mixed with lots of news stories. 

The reason for having lots of content is that Google is getting really good at "natural speech" searches. Increasingly Google is able to find really appropriate, and nuanced results for search terms. You can see this by changing the word order of a search. The results will be different. Google is looking for the best possible match for the specific search phrase. If you have a site with lots of content, the odds are increased that you'll say the same thing in many different ways, and this will increase the chance that Google will list your pages highly, however people search for the phrase.

(Proof: Quintessential Bed and Breakfast is in first place for "luxury bed and breakfast" and in the top 5 for "luxury bed and breakfasts" :www.quintessentialbedandbreakfast.co.uk)

SEO Tip 3: Be Specific

Google is increasingly specific and accurate in its matching algorithms. It tries really hard to find a perfect answer to any specific question, and consequently people are more confident and likely to ask really specific questions in their search queries. If your site has content that deals with just this sort of niche question then Google will be more inclined to give you a page one position on the search results.

So when you're writing news or other content for your site; don't worry about being really highly focused with your content, it's good to keep it tight and maybe be slightly nerdy with your writing as you'll find that the visitors that are sent to this page by Google will love it. Write a perfect answer to their question(s); you don't have to be all things to all people in every piece of writing; be the best thing for a handful of people instead, and you'll find that all these handsful start to add up to some serious traffic.

(Proof: "Athelhampton B&B" lists www.heathcotehouse.co.uk on page one of the search results. Athelhampton is a wedding venue, and lots of guests look for local B&Bs to stay in. The search results show a single news story that addresses just this sort of enquiry.)

SEO Tip 4: Keep Active

Google updates its search index every millisecond, jostling and juggling things around to give people the best possible answers to their queries. Even more than ever, Google is also considering the timeliness of content in its search listings, favouring recent content over older content when there is a choice. It is therefore really important to keep adding things to your website regularly.

The amount you need to add can be quite small if your competitors aren't very active, but if your market is busier or more competitive, then you'll see benefits from publishing new things on your site several times a week. This can include internal business news, industry/sector comment or local news stories. All give Google the correct impression of a website that is dynamic and important in your sector.

(Proof: www.comms.uk.com moved to the first page of Google for "Hampshire Broadband" after we published a series of news stories about Hampshire broadband over a number of months.)

SEO Tip 5: Keep In Touch with Alacrify

Keeping your SEO mojo can be really hard work if you're promoting your business on your own. Many of our clients talk to us regularly about what to do with their SEO marketing and together we can come up with creative ideas to improve their site's performance. With other clients we completely manage their SEO and Social Media marketing on a regular basis, running their digital presence for them and taking away the stress of managing sites and social media profiles, allowing them to get on with their work. We're always happy to share ideas and opportunities for successful digital marketing with all our clients.

If you'd like to find out how to push your site's SEO forward then do get in touch. Call us, or call in and together we can see what's possible and inspire you to greater success! 01305 753769.

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