The Simple Solution

Understanding the Basics of SEO

So you have a website for your online business. Great!

The next step is making sure people can FIND your website by implementing some basic Search Engine Optimization or SEO tricks.

Now before you get scared of this “techy jargon,” realize that SEO is not rocket science. To prove this, I am going to list 5 simple steps that YOU can do immediately to help your site perform better in the search engines:

1. Figure out what your “keywords” are.

A keyword is a word or phrase that people might type in Google to find your business. An example of this may be “estate planning lawyer California” or “creating a will in NJ”. If a potential client types these phrases in Google and the words don’t appear on your site, you will not be listed in the search results.

So, to make sure you can be found when clients set out for your services, you’ll need to figure out exactly WHAT these people are searching for and re-write your web pages accordingly.

One of the easiest ways to find out what people are searching for is to use the free keyword tool in Google Adwords.

To get started, simply type in what you THINK people are looking for in your area.

Maybe you type in “internet marketing for doctors” and immediately notice that more people are searching for “better online visibility for doctors”. You’ll then make a list of what’s actually being searched and keep handy it for the next step.

2. Change your web pages to reflect your keyword research.

Once you know what people are searching for in your practice area, you’ll need to change (or have your webmaster change) the content on your pages accordingly.

That may mean changing page titles, subheadings and content to include the keywords you found during your research. So for example, a subheading that previously read “Contact Us” should be changed to something keyword friendly like “Contact a New York Small Business Marketing Expert Today!”.

You’ll also want to change the text used to describe the links on the page. For example, a link that previously looked like this—click here should be changed to include your keywords like click here for articles from our GA estate planning attorneys.

3. Grow inbound links through commenting on blogs.

One of the easiest ways to grow inbound links to your site is by leaving comments on other people’s blogs using your URL.

Inbound links are important because the search engines view them as a vote of popularity. So for every link you get, the more popular you appear and the quicker you rise in the rankings.

Again, SEO is not rocket science. You or a staff member should commit to leaving 5 comments a day on other peoples blogs that allow you to put a URL after your name. So as you check the news for the day and like a story, leave a comment. Use your link. This is doubly effective if you start commenting/interacting where your potential clients hang out on the web.

4. Commit to Article Marketing

Article marketing is another great way to increase inbound links and appear more in search. There are HUNDREDS of free article marketing sites (such as ezinearticles.com, etc.) that will allow you to submit articles on any topic with a link back to your site in the resource box.

Ideally, you or someone from your firm or company should be writing and submitting articles to article marketing sites at least once a week. Try to write the article with your keywords in mind and shoot to use those terms naturally at least 3-5 times in the text (especially in the title and sub-headings).

5. Tap Into Local Search

In a nutshell, local listings are powered by separate search engines and often show up next a map before any of the regular listings on Google.

Therefore, ranking well in local search is a great way to get your site on the first page of Google while your waiting to see results from the strategies listed above.

Now Get Started!

And there you have it:  5 simple steps that YOU can take as a online business owner to optimize your website. Of course, if you are in a really competitive industry or a town saturated with providers, you may want to consider a professional company to take your marketing campaign to the next level (email me at lauralee@thesimplesoultionva.com) if you need help finding a trusted resource).

But in the meantime, these steps will give you a marketing edge over the rest of your competition in the area of search engine optimization.

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Online Business Manager and law firm marketing expert, Laura Lee Sparks, is one of the most authoritative and well respected voices on attorney outsourcing, internet marketing and being a virtual assistant for professionals on the web.  Her advice and internet marketing campaigns have helped many well-known professionals reach and surpass the million-dollar mark in their businesses numerous times thanks to her straight-forward advice and ability to make online marketing principles easy to understand and implement.  For further information on virtual outsourcing and online marketing programs or to contact Laura Lee directly, please email support@thesimplesolution.com