We often get asked the question - How do I get my website to come up in Google?
Well the answer could be a one liner "let us do it for you" - but this is a short article on the main things you can do for yourself or ask your web designer to help you with.
click to expand steps
01
Start with a good website
It's all very well putting in lot's of effort to getting your website found, but if the site is poor in quality and information it can have a negative effect on your business. Make sure that your website is packed with compelling and genuinely useful information for your Dream customer.
02
Make sure it is Search Engine Friendly
Ensure each Page has a proper Title (seen in the bar along the top of the window and on the taskbar button along the bottom)-
Each Page should contain different Description Metatags (special hidden code that suggests what description to use and what words people might use to find your site)
-
Use Search Engine Friendly URL - e.g. bbc.co.uk/weather
-
The website is regularly updated at least once a month with some change (e.g. news, or events)
03
Submit your website to Search Engines
You can go to
Google,
Yahoo,
Bing, etc. and 'invite' them to come and 'crawl' your website (that means an automated programme will attempt to index the content of your website looking for text and metatags. Here is a link to register your website with google for free
http://www.google.co.uk/addurl
04
Continually Research your Keywords
Keywords are the words or phrases people might use to find your website. For instance typing the word easykey into Google will bring up this site at number one. Impressed? - You shouldn't be! Afterall easykey is an unusual word - so it is a rather large needle in a relatively small haystack. What if someone searched for word training essex ? (for people who have never heard of Easykey)
Find out what search phrases were used to find your website - you might be surprised e.g. in the last week the easykey website was found using the phrase An important choice to make: your browser You need to keep changing the content of your website using phrases and keywords that are targeted at who you want, (there is no point in using keywords that no-one is searching with)
05
Get links to your website on other websites
There are many websites out there that offer free or low cost links to your website. With some careful selection, a link to your website on the right kind of site for your target audience can bring in some quality leads. What would you rather have - 5 visits a day from your dream clients or 240 visits from anybody? There are many directory style websites - choose carefully Read here for more on this
So if you are an estate agent covering the Pelhams area for example - sponsoring the community website at
www.thepelhams.net with a banner will target an audience of people interested in that area. If you are paying, always check out the number of hits and particularly the number of unique visitors to the site. For example the Pelhams website currently averages over 5,200 hits a day comprising of over 360 different visitors a day.
Here are some useful links to websites offering free links to businesses:
-
HotFrog - UK-wide Online Business Directory
-
-
-
Another strategy is to trade reciprocal links with your non-competitors. So think laterally - If you are a hairdresser your target audience is probably interested in holidays, new cars, garden design, distinctive furniture, beauty treatments, eating out etc... Now find popular websites in your geographical area and offer to link to their website if they link to yours.
06
Use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) services
Search Engine Optimisation (or SEO) describes the service of using a professional computer consultancy to do all the leg work for you. Don't be taken in by cold telephone calls or emails promising to get you onto the first page of Google.
Read about How to spot SEO Scams.
07
Learn More
