Unless you’re completely unplugged and off the grid, you’ve probably caught wind that Google has again shaken up the internet marketing community. The most recent Penguin update caused some webmasters to have mixed reactions. Others felt they were again smitten by the update, while some chose to be nonchalant about it. As always, the most common advice you’d hear from the industry gurus is that change is the only thing you should expect to stay constant in this industry. The saying that you have to follow Google’s rules comes in a close second among the top lessons you’d hear.
Nevertheless, the lessons mentioned below can already be regarded as universal truths as far as internet marketing is concerned. If you’re currently in search of tips about how you can guide your online marketing campaign without being penalized by Google’s updated algorithm, here’s an infographic that can help you. The tips it contains are especially potent on local SEO campaigns.
4 Steps to Ensure Your Business Reaches Its Online Potential
Domain Name
If you want to rank at the top of Google for local web searches, then your website’s domain name is a great place to start.
If you include keywords in your domain, it is much easier to rank near the top of Google for those terms. In fact, in some smaller towns, it might be all you need.
If you want to rank on Google for “Omaha Hair Salon” then purchasing omahahairsalon.com (if available) is a great first step.
Title Tags
The title tag is one of the first things Google sees on your site.
If you look at your internet browser you will notice the title tag in action at the very top . . . above even the address bar.
The title tag should include keywords that your customers might search Google for.
Sometimes the simple combination of keywords in Domain (from the last step) and in the title tag is enough for first page Google placement.
Content
The world of Search Engine Optimization is constantly in flux. Google is constantly tweaking factors in how they rank sites.
There is one constant though – they always work towards providing their users with relevant and fresh content!
That is the biggest key to ranking in Google. Figure out the local based keywords you want to rank for and create relevant content based on them.
A web platform like WordPress makes adding fresh content as easy as sending an email.
Create helpful content written for your potential customers, and add it to your site regularly.
Links/Social Media
If you want to dominate the search engines, you can’t ignore some off-site work.
Social Media – First off, make sure you have a presence on the 2 major social media sites (at least!). Your business should have a Twitter account, as well as a Facebook fan page. This is where your customers are, so don’t avoid it.
Backlinks – Simply put, a link back to your site helps you rank higher in Google. Backlinks aren’t as powerful as they once were, but they still help. You can find a lot of info on the web about backlinks.
Start by trying to get backlinks from friends and family with websites, or other websites you may own. Also, make sure to include a link to your site on all your social media pages.
And now the infographic – click for full size.
Helen L. Gardner is an affiliate marketer who recently became an associate of a trending affiliate business. She currently spends her day evangelizing people about what is 4Life and how it can help anyone achieve success.