At Uptick Marketing, we’ve been known to rave about the importance of digital marketing, as well as to nerd out on digital marketing trends. When it comes to important aspects of search engine optimization and digital marketing best practices, we’ve always got your back.
So, you have gone to the effort to create a user-friendly, informative site. Next, you’ve got to write intriguing content and insert keywords into that copy. Then, you have to make sure that visitors can find it! These are all ways in which SEO comes into play. Performing SEO makes your content easier to find. (That’s part of why I so enjoy the process of optimizing a client’s site for search engines – I am helping them get discovered! Showcasing their talents to the world. You too, can become the digital marketing superstar that you were born to become!)
To become a star, you should master the art of publicity. It can be argued that many of the biggest names in the entertainment industry (Beyonce and Radiohead, for example) have pulled some grand stunts that have garnered them major publicity points.
That being said, most stars also have managers and coaches to help them put their best foot forward. Here are a few tips to give you an extra boost to SEO greatness:
Write Quality Content
It’s pretty simple – write about something that people actually want to read. Looking for recognition? Maintain an interesting site. (Compelling content tends to influence rank.)
Put yourself in the shoes of someone who is new to a topic. If I am a huge fan of film and cinema, I may search [BAFTAs], an acronym for British Academy of Film and Television Arts. But a more casual fan may search [british film awards]. Make sure to anticipate these possible search behaviors and include a mix of these keywords in your writing.
Use Keywords, Naturally
After you’ve brainstormed interesting topics for your content and blocked off a chunk of time where you cranked out some stunning content, it is now time to slip some keywords into the copy. If you do this correctly, it should be near impossible for anyone to even notice. There is a process for finding the best keywords, but after that, they should be so natural that you should be able to slide them into your content without seeming random or out of context.
Consider Your URL Structure
Search engines have a software program, also called a bot, that searches and indexes content. This way they can provide relevant results to the searcher’s query. Therefore, URLs need to be organized well for easy site navigation. Folders come in handy here. (But you don’t want to have way too many folders.)
So, take a URL like this:
example.com/digital-marketing/seo-expert/tips-for-creating-good-content/blog
And structure it something like this:
example.com/blog/seo-tips-from-expert
Because URLs show in the search engine results pages, they should be descriptive of the post’s title and content. (However, don’t get carried away with describing your content. Shorter URLs are generally better. A good rule of thumb for URL length is not to exceed 100 characters.)
When a URL is long, it can get confusing – to both search engines and to users. Instead of focusing on length, create a URL that is straightforward and holds important words. You want users to remember your content, so use relevant words.
As you can see, URLs are very useful and practical. However, often, it is appropriate to use them to pique interest. It would behoove you to master the mystery of the clickable URL. Something that makes people want read your information. It could, perhaps, include the magical words, “3 Tips to Help Catapult You to Digital Stardom.” Or something like that.
Lots of research shows that when URLs include keywords and are user-friendly, they carry better SEO value. In other words, good URLs make it easier for search engines to find and index your site and content, which makes the site more appealing to users as well!
So – keep URLs simple to understand, and use them to convey information about the content.
Catch Your Big Break
Follow these tips to get three steps closer to fulfilling your dream of SEO fame and prestige.
If you’d like some help along the way, Uptick Marketing would love to coach you through SEO, and we are here to assist you with any of your other digital marketing goals.
