Stop Wasting Time on SEO Strategies That Don’t Work: Check out these SEO Cheat Sheets
Remember back in the olden days when businesses relied on the printed out Yellow Pages to be discovered? (Side note, why oh why am I still getting a phone book delivered to my doorstep? They know it goes straight in the recycling bin, right?) If you had the largest print ad, you might beat out the competition and be rewarded with a phone call from a curious consumer.
Now (thank you world wide web), it’s much easier for prospective customers to find businesses simply by searching Google or checking social media platforms. In fact, the majority of consumers say they conduct online research prior to a purchase. In 2014, 81% of shoppers were using search engines to do their research. That percentage has only increased and grown to include social platforms, which means it’s crucial to have well-optimized websites and social media pages.
Check out Highervisibility‘s mini-infographics for more tips on how to optimize your business pages for Google, Facebook, and Pinterest. The steps they go over can massively help improve your pages and lead to more traffic, more leads, and more revenue.
Facebook SEO
Facebook has more than 1.6 billion active monthly users. It’s one of the largest social platforms for individuals and businesses. With over 2 billion Facebook searches per day, you need to optimize your business page now.
- Create a vanity URL: After you have at least 25 likes, you can go into Settings and create a custom username for your Facebook URL. URL optimization is a ranking factor and impacts organic visibility. Keep it as close to your actual business name as possible. Choose one that you are comfortable using for a long time. If your brand name doesn’t work, use relevant keywords.
- What’s in a name? A lot. The first word of your business page name is the most important. Use something memorable for your Facebook page title/name.
- Make use of the About area: Rework your About section to emphasize who you are and what you offer. Optimize it for search but also build a connection with your target audience through your writing. Emphasize who you are, what your brand represents, and focus on the value you offer.
Pinterest SEO
Over the years, Pinterest has become a powerful search engine. It’s primarily a visual channel but there are still opportunities to optimize your profile and content. You can be creative and strategic!
- Create headlines and descriptions that use search terms. Every pin you create should have an optimized description that uses keywords to describe the image or page you’ve pinned. Optimize for your audience first, search engines second.
- Optimize your board names: Keep keywords and phrases in mind when naming your boards so that it’s easier for users to discover your content. To break through the clutter, be specific in your titles.
Google SEO
Google wants to provide the best possible results when users search for something. Local results will be shown at the top of the search results because those are more relevant to users. If you don’t claim your business listing, you won’t show up in those sought after top results.
- Claim your business listing: Step one in managing and optimizing your listing is to claim it. If one doesn’t exist for your local business, create a listing and submit it for approval. Once you claim your listing you will be able to customize the business information, respond to review, add images, and access insights on how people discovered you.
- Update your business information, e.g. hours, products, category.
- Add images: Show off your products and services.
- Encourage reviews: Ask your customers to leave a review for you on your Google My Business listing.
