Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is too technical to understand and, therefore, isn’t important when considering your company’s branding and overall marketing strategy. This thinking couldn’t be further from the truth. SEO is a crucial aspect of staying relevant in the office equipment and business solutions market, particularly when it comes to local search results.
Essentially, SEO is about where your website ranks on search engine sites like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Think about your own usage of search engines. Do you take the time to view the second page of results after Googling? What about the third? If someone searches for office equipment or managed IT services in your region, it’s essential that your business lands on the very first page of results, preferably at the top.
So how do you ensure your business makes it to the top of local search results? We can assure you that sheer luck won’t get you there. You have to be strategic when it comes to SEO, so avoiding a few common missteps is a great place to start. Here are a few examples.
Ignoring Keywords – The importance of keywords has changed over the years, as the tools and algorithms that search engines use to determine rankings have become more sophisticated. At one time, keywords strewn throughout a site would be the basis for ranking—the more the better. Now, the placement of keywords—headers being the most important, followed by body copy, sidebars, and footers, respectively—means much more than their frequency. Another advancement to consider is that search engines can decipher synonyms, allowing for keywords or phrases to vary while still contributing to SEO.
Not Blogging – These days, custom content is king. Fresh, relevant content that includes thoughtful keywords and phrases like blogs or original articles relating to your products and services—like MPS, Managed IT, or scanning solutions—increases your website’s SEO. Also, when thinking of optimizing the potential of your custom content, don’t forget to link that content to your social media pages. Doing so will only strengthen your site’s SEO.
Poor Link Structures – Is it easy to get lost on your website? Believe it or not, the structure of your site and how it is linked internally affects your SEO. If your site is easy to navigate, users will be able to gather the information that they need. Consequently, search engines will reward this convenience by ranking your website higher when searched. Start clicking through your current site to test its link structure. If it requires more than three clicks to get to any given page from your homepage, you should rethink your site’s structure.
Non-text Content – The most effective ranking system for all search engines is based on HTML text, because text is the easiest thing for their tools to pick up on when scanning websites. Therefore, relying too heavily on images—including anything from search boxes to videos to photos—won’t do you any favors when it comes to SEO. Ensure keywords and phrases are assigned to all non-text content by taking the extra step to name each uploaded image that is included on your site. Some even suggest transcribing video and audio content so that search engines index that content as well. Without the right strategy in place, it’s easy for your business to get tripped up and lost in a sea of search results. By avoiding these basic SEO pitfalls, you have an advantage over the competition when potential customers search for your services.
If you are concerned about your website’s current ranking, Evolved Office provides both website and SEO services to make sure you are leveraging your online presence to its fullest potential. We offer an initial call for keywords and market research, three Google+ posts per week, three micro blogs of custom content, and more to help with SEO. We also offer website design, ensuring mobile-friendly (responsive) designs, proper link structures, custom content, and more. Contact us today to discuss how to increase your website’s search engine rankings.