by Willie Ammons
Digital Marketing Expert and Website Designer
If you have tried to get more customers for your business through the internet, you have probably heard the term “SEO”. The question is, what is SEO and why is it important?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization”. It means that your website is optimized to show up on search engine results for a particular set of keywords. There are several types of SEO, but in this article we are going to focus on On-Page SEO.
We are talking about changes that can be made directly on the website itself. You are probably wondering how to find your keywords. It’s actually pretty simple. If you were a plumber in Charlotte, your primary keywords would be, “Plumber Charlotte”. If someone in the Charlotte area is looking for a plumber, these are the words he would typically use for the search.
Primary formula for keywords
While these are the primary keywords, there are several sets of keywords that you would want to rank for. The primary formula that is used to find your keywords is actually pretty simple. It is simply [Service] + [Location]. Now once you have the keywords that you know you would like your site to rank for on Google, the work begins!
Using your keywords to your best advantage
Now that you have your list of keywords, you have to put those keywords into the content on the site. Your site may have a sentence that reads, “If you are looking for a plumber in Charlotte, you have come to the right place.” This is a perfect example of how you can place the keywords in your content, without it sounding like you are trying to stuff keywords into your website. If it doesn’t read well, Google will assume that you are “Keyword Stuffing”, and they will penalize your site.
Share your expertise through your content
Not only do you want to make sure that your keywords are in your content, but you want to make sure that you have ENOUGH content. I always recommend at least 1000 words of content on the home page, and at least 500 words on each service page on the site. Google LOVES content, as a lot of content tells Google that you are an authority on that subject. (Or service.)
Good content leads to more business
Whether you do your own SEO, or you hire an agency to do it, you’ll want to know that your content is packed with keywords and ready to go. Once your keywords are entered into the content on your site, it can take up to 90 days for Google to index the changes so your keywords will available to search. Once indexed, your site will begin to perform better on Google search results. This means more calls, more leads, and more business for you! SEO is absolutely key for any business that wants to generate leads online, and now you can get started on your own On-page SEO!
Willie Ammons is a former United States Marine and the Founder/Owner of Local Reach Consulting. He lives in Sherrills Ford with his wife Megan, and his two boys Willie and Liam. Local Reach Consulting is a digital marketing agency that helps business owners generate “MORE business, for YOUR business” through website design, search engine optimization, and lead generation.
