Having the most attractive and responsive website in the world doesn't mean much if people can't find it.
That's why it's so important to make sure that you're utilizing website best practices to get people to your site. Let's go over some fundamental steps you can take to ensure your clients—and potential clients—can find you online.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is VITAL to your website—especially in today's climate. On average, 380 new sites get created EACH MINUTE, which means its more important than ever that you up your SEO game.
Ways you can do this include the following:
• Utilize keywords in the naming conventions of your pages. Example: if you have a separate page on mortgages, make sure the name of the permalink includes "mortgages."
• Determine which keywords you want to focus on and search for them. An excellent resource for this is Answer the Public, which allows you to search for a keyword and see how people are searching for that same keyword online.
Additionally, keep a close eye on the long-tail searches that people make for your keywords. If possible, work those questions/phrases into your copy to boost your search rankings.
People aren't going to want to visit your site if the content on it doesn't fit or isn't relevant. A few ways you can keep people interested include:
• Have and regularly update a blog. The posts don't need to be lengthy, but having content that is easy to share on social media and via email is a great way to direct people back to your website.
• Have members of your team write guest blog content. If there are thought leaders in your organization, encourage them to write and share content on platforms that make sense within the industry.
• Have interactive features on your website. These could be as simple as a calendar of events, tools (such as calculators), and a dynamic form that clients can use to reach out to you with targeted questions (such as home loan quotes).
Your website is the hub of your content, but it isn't the only vehicle that you can use to reach your customers. Make sure to take advantage of the following:
• Include links to your website in your email communications. If you mention an article/blog post/page on your website, include the link to it in your email to drive people to your site. If they can easily find what they're looking for on your site, chances are they will stay there to continue reading your content.
• Share blog content/news-releases/events and more on your social channels. With the number of people who are active on social media growing by the minute, you must share your content on whatever social platform your company chooses to use. This allows you the opportunity to not only interact with your customers but will enable them to share your content with their contacts as well.
Lastly, always check your analytics. If you want the hard numbers on how your customers are finding you, using analytics tools such as Google will allow you to pinpoint how they are finding your site. Once you know what channels are garnering the best results, and which pages are performing the best, you can use this data to help you improve other pages to continue to boost your content.
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