If your business has a website and desires it to be found by potential consumers, investing time and resources in SEO this new year will result in more traffic and site searches.
If search engines aren’t finding your website, then this is an indicator that your site probably doesn’t have the right mix of content and optimization to rank high enough—or even at all. However, there’s a catch: You need the tools to figure out what’s going wrong with your SEO. The good news is that today SEO is far from impossible.
Today, many such tools (including some free options) can help your business with your SEO efforts. However, it’s important to remember that when it comes down to making SEO effective, there is no magic bullet—you’ll need a combination of tools and expertise for your business to succeed online.
What is SEO, and Why Does it Matter to Your Business
Search engine optimization or SEO is a technique that can help improve your website’s ranking on search engines. This technique can improve the number of visitors that your website receives. The most popular search engines include Google, Bing, Yahoo, and various other international search engines. Nearly all businesses use SEO techniques in some form or another, including listing their business information on directories and providing contact information where appropriate on their sites. This listing not only helps people find them but also the listing improves your organization’s listing on search engine results pages.
The Tools You Need for Effective SEO
There are many different tools that you can use for effective SEO. Some of these tools are free, while others are paid. The most important thing is that you use the right tools to help you achieve your desired results.
One of the most popular SEO tools is Moz’s Open Site Explorer. This tool helps you track the backlinks that are acquired by your website. It also helps you find out what is working for other websites to apply those techniques to your site.
Website
Getting your business ahead of the rest is all about understanding and mastering a few simple principles. These include optimizing your website to make it as user-friendly as possible and writing content that is consistent and appealing. This is just a shortlist of the keys to getting more traffic to your site and converting visitors into buyers.
Google Business Profile
Another popular SEO tool is Google’s Google Business Profile. This tool allows you to list your business information on Google so that people can find your business quickly. It also allows you to track the number of visitors your website receives from Google.
Your Google Business Profile is a robust tool for driving customers to your store by dominating the first page of a Google search. The only thing required from you is to share complete, correct, and up-to-date general information about your business. If users wish for more info than that, then Google will send them to your website. An up-to-date and detailed Google My Business listing helps in appearing in the Google search results.
Business Listings
A business directory is a searchable online index of businesses. Listings are grouped according to a category or type in a readily digestible format, the key information of the businesses listed within the directory. The purpose of business directories is to provide people searching the internet with relevant information about your business, such as contact information, location, and other ways to interact with your business. 46% of all internet searches are for local businesses.
Maintaining accurate business listings across dozens of platforms can be tedious and tricky; using a tool like Listing Sync allows you to control your listings from one centralized dashboard. Utilizing this dashboard helps your business display accurate information at all times and disallows third parties to manipulate or change any information. The features work together to ensure your business listings stay up-to-date to make it easier for consumers to find your business in local searches and on the street.
How to use SEO tools
When using SEO tools, it’s essential to understand how each tool works and what it can do for your website. To use these tools effectively, you’ll need to know how to use, and most importantly, what your results mean. If you’re unsure, it’s a good idea to speak with someone who understands SEO well to understand the meaning behind your results quickly.
SEO is only as effective as the tools supporting it. You can use many different SEO tools and strategies, but they’re only helpful if you apply them properly. If you want your business’s website to rank well on search engines, make sure that you have a combination of both free and paid SEO tools in place for maximum effectiveness. We’re here to help your team identify which tools or strategies are most helpful in boosting your site rankings and will come with the data to drive your decisions that ultimately result in bringing customers to your business.
Request your consultation and digital report card today to see just how your business is being seen online!