Many of you have ignored your website for the past 2 years. Now is the time to start putting some serious effort into SEO, and this whole crazy social media/web 2.0 stuff. So, stop the black-hat link-building campaigns and stop the keyword stuffing techniques, because 2008 is about getting back to the basics.
I recommend that you follow these 6 easy steps to improve your search engine optimization efforts in 2008.
1. Check your site map and website navigation. Make sure that your interior pages are linking properly, and that your shopping cart/lead generation form is not buried deep within the site.
2. Make sure you are targeting the correct keywords on each page. Each year, searchers are getting smarter, typing in phrases that are more targeted. There are excellent keyword research tools available. Make sure that each page on your website is targeting 1-3 keyword phrases.
3. Reread and rewrite your content. Make sure your website copy conveys your company message, theme and mission. Be sure to write for your target audience, whether it’s teens, males, females or senior citizens. To enhance SEO, stop stuffing 10 different keyword phrases into the first paragraph of every page. Optimize each page of your site for 1-3 targeted keywords. Rewrite your header tags to include the keyword phrase that is being targeted for each page.
4. Name the images on your site. Recent search engine stats have indicated that 10% to 16% of all searches are for image results.
5. Spend some time with your online shopping cart, booking engine, or lead generation form. If it was made before 2005, then you might need an update. There have been some excellent improvements to online lead generation forms in the last 3 years. An updated, easy-to-use lead generation form can add a huge boost to your website conversions or leads. There is plenty of data available to help you pick the best form for your particular industry.
6. Once these website improvements are completed, add social booking buttons on key pages to help increase traffic and add to your link-building campaign. Popular social media/bookmarking sites include: Digg, Delicious, Reddit, StumbleUpon, and Furl; and the list grows longer each day. You can opt for an all-in-one social bookmarking button from addthis.com, which is quick and easy to integrate into your site. You can even edit which sites you want to include.
Try these easy website improvements, and you should see improvements in usability and online conversions without spending a huge amount of money.
Be sure to check back later this week for Part 2: Optimizing Your Paid Search Campaign for 2008.
