Trying to get your website to beat the competition can feel like a hard slog. The mere mention of SEO might make you want to run a mile, but hold up because it’s actually quite common sense. If you want to improve your website ranking and drive more traffic to your business’ site, then check out our SEO tips to try in 2021. Many of these you might think you’re doing already – and if you are, great. However, chances are your content’s got stale or your website needs a refresh, so it’s really worth spending some time thinking about which of these SEO tips you can easily implement.
1. Think about search intent and how your websites match up
Are you really giving web browsers what they actually want when they land on your site? Search intent isn’t a new concept and yet it’s where many websites fall down. For every search term entered into Google, their algorithm will be figuring out exactly what that person wants and matching it against the best websites. So, for example, someone searching for ‘hand cream’ is most likely going to want to buy a hand cream, so Google will deliver up the top sites selling that product. If your website just provides information about hand cream, rather than selling products, you’re going to be way down the list. When it comes to traffic, you want to be attracting the right types of audience.
2. Focus on high-quality content
We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again – if you’re not providing value to your visitors, they won’t be coming back. People are time-poor, and they haven’t got hours to spend endlessly browsing websites to find what they want. Make sure the content on your site is giving people real value such as helping solve a problem they may have, or giving them the information they need about a certain topic. As well as that, your content needs to be focused on your business’ chosen keywords, otherwise, you may as well be talking to a brick wall.
3. Mix up your content types – we’re talking video
Video can be a scary concept. Putting your face on camera isn’t for everyone, and yet video content is what people want. They’re everywhere, and for good reason – a well-made video is educational, informative, (possibly) funny and attention-grabbing. You’d be forgiven for thinking you need to focus all your efforts on YouTube when it comes to video. However there are lots of other ways to get your content seen, and a primary one right now is Instagram Reels. Reels are Instagram’s answer to TikTok, and they’re favoring this kind of content over any other on their platform right now.
4. Optimise your site for mobile
If your site isn’t optimized for mobile you’re losing over half of your potential visitors. In the 21st century, your website must perform well on mobile otherwise you risk frustrating any visitors who land on your site while on their iPhone. Google is also placing a huge emphasis on mobile sites, more so than desktop, so if mobile has been a second thought for you, you’ve got some serious work to do.
5. And remember voice search too
According to Google, 27% of the world’s population is using voice search on mobile. It’s mainly used when people are on the go and don’t have time to type or, simply, they’re feeling a bit lazy. Mostly people will be searching for a specific set of things: their nearest restaurant / pub /shop, a recipe, a specific product or to find how-to guides. So make your content specific to the kinds of questions people might be asking in voice searches – for examples if someone might search ‘what is the best brownie recipe’ and you’ve got the answer for that, start some of your paragraphs with that exact phrase. Since everyone using voice search will be doing so on a mobile, this is an extra reason to have your site optimized for such devices.
6. Use influencers where appropriate/possible
We’re all familiar with seeing Instagram posts using the #AD hashtag, essentially meaning the person posting it has been paid to promote a certain product. But you don’t necessarily have to part with your cash in order to get an influencer on board. Try finding people who are either writing / talking about your industry and therefore have a natural affinity with it, and send them some of your products in return for a review / post. When it comes to finding influencers, don’t always gravitate towards people who have hundreds of thousands of followers but aren’t necessarily aligned with your brand. Wouldn’t you far rather target something who has 50k followers but a super engaged audience who are your target market? Be smart and you can use influencers to really grow your brand.
7. Don’t forget local SEO
Arguably local SEO actually became less important in 2020 because less people were able to go out and about. However, as the pandemic starts to ease and people gain their freedom back, local SEO is going to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Local SEO means optimising your site so that you’re attracting people who literally live locally to your business. This will be particularly relevant if your business is, for example, a hairdresser or a takeaway. If it sounds baffling to you, check out our guide on optimizing your site for local SEO.
SEO tips in 2021
So there you have it: our top SEO tips to get your content noticed in 2021. For more help on all things SEO please get in touch at info@bybodigital.com
