Does anyone use the yellow pages anymore? In the world of computers, social media and Google, how do make sure people can find your equine business online?
Choosing the right keywords and optimizing your webpage for them is a huge step in making sure the right clients can find you online.
What are Keywords?
Keywords are what people type into Google to find an answer to their “query.” Keywords define what your webpage is about. If you condense everything on the page down to a few simple words and phrases, those are your keywords.
They need to be relevant. Say, you write an article about how to measure for a new helmet. You could use the keywords “riding helmet,” “horseback riding helmet,” “how to measure,” helmet fitting,” “horseback riding helmet fit,” and “riding helmet size.”
These short keywords are easier to optimize for than “longtail” keywords such as “how to measure for a riding helmet.” Your page and meta description should include a mixture of short keywords and “longtail” keywords.
Of course, there’s a lot more that goes into the search engine’s decision than just keywords. Let’s talk about the bigger SEO picture.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s defined as: “the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a webpage in a search engine’s unpaid results.”
Okay- what on earth does that mean? Basically, it’s placing keywords in places where search engines will find them. They help tell the search engine about your article’s intent and help you pop up in the results when people search for your content.
If you have an article about how to make DIY hoof polish, it would be nice if that popped up first whenever people searched for “DIY hoof polish,” right? SEO is what you need to make Google more likely to include it in the top results.
Aside from keywords, other factors that help you rank are backlinks (how many other websites are linking to your page or article), how up to date your information is and how many articles your website contains.
It’s Not Magic
SEO isn’t magic. If you’re in your business for the long haul, you’ll probably be in the SEO game for the long haul too. Ranking first in search doesn’t happen overnight. It’s going to take time, maybe even years.
The internet may seem like an instant place, but just like putting miles on a horse, or building a business, you need to put your nose to the grindstone and have the patience to stick with it. That’s how you truly build a sustainable online presence.
Consider the Real People
SEO isn’t all about numbers and optimization. If you don’t consider your audience and what they’re searching for, you’ll have a much harder time ranking. Writing good content that your audience is searching for and wants to read is key to improving your rankings with Google.
How to SEO a Page in 5 Steps
- First, pick a primary keyword to optimize for that describes what your page is about, but also has low competition and a high search rate.
- Next, make sure your primary keyword is in the title, in one heading, and in about 7% of the body text. It also should be in your meta description, tags, and even the file name of your featured image
- Don’t go overboard and try to stuff the keyword in as many places as possible where it doesn’t fit. This is considered “keyword stuffing” and search engines don’t like it.
- Lastly, put some related keywords, (that are actually related to the article/page) in the body text or headings. This will help the search engine narrow down exactly what the page is about!
- Spread it on social media. Email people and ask them to share your page or article. There are many ways you can get backlinks to your page. However, that’s a story for another day.
SEO and keywords, although important for visibility and business growth, can be intimidating. The world of SEO is steadily changing and evolving. If you’d like some help optimizing your website and gaining some SEO tips, contact Catherine for a free 30-minute consultation about your business needs and SEO journey.
