Is Your Business Website SEO Friendly? Tips for Using the Right Keywords

In 2016, 130 trillion web searches were conducted using Google.

But that’s no surprise. When we have infinite knowledge at our fingertips, it would be a shame not to utilize it. But aside from using this popular search engine for weather and sports updates, Google is also where consumers are likely to find out about their next big purchase.

Which is great news for startups and local businesses from a marketing standpoint. In fact, around 45% of all companies say that their content marketing is heavily integrated with their search engine optimization strategy.

By understanding how search engine optimization (SEO) works, business owners bring in more traffic for their site, therefore increasing profit and visibility.

The importance of landing on the first page

Type anything into a search engine and press enter. The search results on that first page are likely to get that first click. An entrepreneur’s main goal when implementing SEO practices is to land on that first page. It’s what gets you noticed, making your page visible amid thousands of other websites.

The better search engine optimization your page has, the better chance it has at getting to the top instead of buried under hundreds of other webpages. So how do you get to the top? Using the right keywords—the words typed into the search engine and are associated with your page—is the solution.

Finding the right keywords

The first step in finding keywords that bring in as much traffic as possible is to select low competitive words. It’s easier to rank higher when you choose words that aren’t as popular, which would normally send you to the bottom of the list. Make them specific and relevant to your content.

You can also: 

• Use keyword generators to discover new keywords and gauge their popularity.
• Incorporate a blend of long keywords—more like key phrases—and short keywords.
• Research your competition and find out what keywords they’re using to bring in their audience.

Keyword tips for ‘near me’ search

If you run a local business, you’re going to want to utilize ‘near me’ as a keyword. Some popular ‘near me’ searches are ‘dentists near me’ or ‘restaurants near me’ for example.

Whether you’re a small fashion boutique, or offering landscape services, optimizing for this keyword allows potential customers to find you with ease. A few tips for ranking in the ‘near me’ category are as follows:

• Add ‘near me’ into the anchor text of your links.
• Make sure people can leave you Google reviews. Businesses with positive reviews tend to rank higher than those that don’t.
• Optimize your Google My Business page by adding as much information as you can.

Incorporating keywords into your blog

Starting a blog is probably one of the best things you can do when creating your brand’s web presence. You can incorporate your keywords into the title, headings, subheadings, and into the content itself. Make sure you’re not overdoing it, and place your keywords strategically. Using too many keywords can lead to stuffy and overly saturated content. Which is something you don’t want when you’re trying to grow your audience.

Wrapping Up

Using keywords strategically can help you rank higher in Google, and give your business the recognition it deserves. If you haven’t done so already, unlock your brand’s full potential by utilizing keywords to improve your search engine optimization.