10 Tasks You Can Do Now to Improve Your Website’s SEO

Googling your business name again? Don’t worry, we all do it. There’s something strangely addictive about checking your Google ranking, after all. We hope for the best but even if it’s not as good as we'd imagine, there’s still some grim satisfaction to be gained, because we know that with a little elbow grease, we’ll start to see our site rise up the ranks.

The hard part is knowing exactly which tasks will help you improve your website’s position. There are plenty of background tweaks and content checks you could work on, but without a solid idea of what you need, you may be concentrating valuable resources on areas of your website that won’t actually make that much of a difference to your Google ranking.

That’s why I’ve put together 10 tasks you can get on with straight away to improve your website’s SEO, with no gimmicks or shortcuts included. Read on...

1.Fill in adequate meta descriptions

We all know how important meta descriptions are, but when it comes to filling in all those metadata forms in the back-end, it takes a very disciplined person to complete them perfectly every single time.

If you have a lot of products on your site, or a lot of separate pages, you might need to put together a task team to get this done in a timely manner. It’ll all be worth it when you see your domain authority creeping up.

2. Buff-up your security

Google loves safety. So much so that sites with good security measures in place for their visitors get brownie points when it comes to Google rankings.

The first thing to check if your rankings have suddenly slumped is your security certificate. It’s easy to forget to renew it but it can have big implications for your website’s reputation online. Incorporates a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a huge step towards completely securing your site against security breaches. Ask your IT team to create a security plan and implement their suggestions as quickly as possible.

3. Include more pictures - and optimise them!

People find information much easier to digest when pictures are used to break it up. Google recognises this and naturally favours sites with useful, relevant imagery with all the correct metadata filled in.

Good, original photography of your company and the work or products you create is the best possible source for these images. If you’re not in a position to take new photos currently, try looking at free-to-use stock imagery websites like Pixabay for some temporary placeholders. However, be warned: irrelevant, cheesy stock imagery is not a good look for any business.

4. Put a blogging schedule together - and use it

Regularly updated, useful content is always favoured by your customers and that means Google loves it too. Blogging is still the number one way to keep that content lemony fresh, and the beauty of a blog post is, it can be about anything. So, if you’re looking to tell people about a new service you offer, do it here. If you’ve just taken on new team members, a blog post is a great way to shout about it.

Word of caution though - always make sure you slip in one outward-bound link and two inward-bound links in each post. It really helps with your credibility.

5. Be mobile-efficient

Is your website mobile-friendly? Is it actually mobile-friendly?

Here’s how to test it. Send the homepage url to everyone in your office and ask them to open it on their phones. By the natural order of things, there will be a range of different models and ages of smartphones in use throughout your team, giving you an accurate representation of what your website looks like to almost any phone user.

Now the hard part: which bits of your site look weird? Which don’t function? Note it all down in an audit document and send it through to your developers so they can fix what’s broken and send your ranking back up the charts.

6. Make it snappy

If visitors to your website are having to wait for ages for your pages to load, they aren’t going to stick around. Google penalises websites with long loading times because it makes them look bad for recommending them - so make sure your pages load fast!

There are a number of ways you can do this. Look into reducing the size of images on your pages, you could ask your developers to reduce the code size on certain pages, or if you use Wordpress, you could look into plugins that help slim down your load times.

7. Consider your keywords

When was the last time you gave a thought to your company’s researched keywords? If your customers are searching for terms that will lead them directly into your lap, use those keywords liberally, and in useful places.

Headings and subheadings are your best options, but including keywords within block text is another great way to show google that your content is relevant.

8. Make sure it's easy to read

Nobody likes a showoff, especially when it comes to web content. Google loves it when you get straight to the point, and likes it even more when you write in clear, concise sentences.

Instead of writing out a long paragraph about your company on the “about” page, why not chop that content into short, snappy paragraphs with purpose? If you’re writing about a complicated process or service, consider bullet points to help readers take in the information. It really will make a world of difference.

9. Get some authority

If you’re looking to stand out, it might do you some good to align yourself with well-known brands within your field. Some businesses offer guest blog posts to company websites who are more internationally renowned than themselves in order to get some much-needed kudos. Others find it beneficial to link with their local Chambers of Commerce and other local networking groups, with reciprocal hyperlinked badges on their homepages to make sure the world knows they work as a team.

10. Revise/Remake

Scan through your old blog posts from more than 12 months ago. There’s some great stuff on there, isn’t there?

Look, nobody says that your relevant, fresh content has to be totally new every time. Even the best companies revise their content. It’s necessary, especially when you work in a sector or industry where things don’t really get shaken up very often.

You’ll find that some of your best blog posts, or some of the posts that had the most hits, can actually be separated out into two or three different new blog posts. Read through the content and see how you could update it, using new findings, statistics or projects you’ve worked on. Voila - great new posts that your customers will really find useful.

If you would love to give your website the SEO content overhaul it deserves but you just haven't got the resources or time to spend, why not contact me for a chat? Let's talk about how we can work together to get your website climbin' back up those all important search engine ranks.

Until next time...

What's a call to action and why use them?

A call to action - or a CTA - is probably the most important part of any page. When you’re writing copy for your website, it doesn’t just need to instruct. It needs to take your visitors by the arm and guide them gently (but with a little force) to the areas of the site you’d like them to see.

Think of it like giving a tour around your home. You’d spend a while showing off your kitchen, or your newly-decorated living room, but you’d probably skip the downstairs loo in favour of looking out of the back door into the garden. A good CTA will help your visitors see the pages you want them to see - and glance over the pages that might not be useful to them.

For example, if a visitor comes to your website via a blog post that has interested them, you’ll want to send them directly to a page of your business’ site dealing with what that blog post covers. That way, you’ve piqued their interest and capitalised from it, rather than let them tail off and travel on to the next website that takes their fancy.

What’s a good CTA?

 A good call to action is short and to the point, and encourages visitors to take action. Things like:

Click here to find out more!

Contact me now to learn how.

Learn more.

See more amazing pics here.

See for yourself.

Click now to find out how.

Did you feel the need to click on those sentences even though they weren’t links? It’s okay. Copywriters all over the internet have created CTAs that speak to you directly and they’ve become such a natural form of navigation, you might find yourself clicking without realising it.

Where do you put a call to action, then?

Writing a good call to action isn’t natural to a writer who doesn’t spend much time online, which is why digital copywriters are such naturals at incorporating them. It’s about placement as much as it is about the words they use.

Placing your 'action phrase' into the right part of your page will encourage visitors to click. But remember, you don’t want them bouncing straight off your page without at least taking in some of your content.

The best suggestion is to place your first clickable link after your first main paragraph, to grab hold of your quick-reading content skimmers. Then, place another one two-thirds of the way through, with a slightly different message. Finally, end your piece with some punchy words that encourage your fine-tooth-combers to take action after they’ve fully considered your piece.

Done. Except…

Make your content flow towards your CTAs

Your calls to action will not be effective if you don’t tailor your content to ebb towards them. As Billy McCaffrey says at Wordstream, command verbs in your paragraphs can really make a difference when it comes to causing your visitors to act on their impulses.

What are command verbs?

Do!

Go!

Buy!

Shop!

Order!

Read!

Download!

Click!

Telling your customers what to do is something you can only really do online, so make the most of it!

A good use of command verbs:

Want to save money? Buy now. Our early bird offers expire on Wednesday, don’t miss out!

A bad use of command verbs:

We have lots of offers on our site at the moment. Buy now.

Can you see the difference in how you feel? The first sentence feels exciting, like being let into a VIP sale. The second… not so much.

Take a look at your content and see how you could increase its effectiveness using command verbs. You might be surprised how quickly you see results!

As a digital copywriting specialist, I’m here to help you with any and all of your CTA conundrums. Let’s chat about how I can help you make your website more effective at ensnaring your inbound visitors.

How to Run a Website Audit

If you’ve been busy running a business, there’s every chance you’ve not had time to look at your website in a while. It’s understandable. Once your site’s up and running, there’s a big temptation there to let it purr in the background, bringing in enquiries and signposting towards your services without much input needed from you at all.

Although there’s nothing stopping you from using your website in this way, it’s worth thinking about whether you’re getting the most out of this huge resource. You pay for URL and your server space, so why not get the most you can for your money?

Your Website is Your Shop Window

If a shop had the same display in the window day in, day out, would it entice you to go in and spend your money there?

While it might not be hugely important to look flashy and new at all times, simple housekeeping tasks each month can help to refresh your content and entice returning visitors to take action.

Take a look at the following tasks page-by-page and see if you could fit them in monthly, or even three-monthly:

●     Services - Have you added any new ones? Are any out of date?

●     Products - Are your product descriptions still up-to-date? Do you have more to add? Have you got any new photographs to showcase them? Should some be taken off the site?

●     About Us - Is this still up-to-date? Have you won any awards or new business that could be included here?

●     Testimonials - Who have you worked with recently that you could request a testimonial from? In an age of reviews, new clients are more likely than ever to trust customer feedback.

●     Contact Us - Is this page as enticing as it could be? How many people visitors use it per week? Is there a way to make it easier to use?

If you can keep on top of your content bit by bit, it’ll seem much less of a mammoth task.

Next, you need to think about:

Sprucing Up Your Whole Website

Every once in a while, perhaps every six months or so, it’s really good practice to have a full look through every page of your website to make sure customers are getting as much out of their visits as they can.

This can be daunting, but there are ways to break it down. Take a look at this task list and see how you could make the job easier for yourself, using your site and site analytics.

Readability

●     How easy to read is your website, on the whole?

●     How many of your key messages or business aims shine through?

●     Do your call to actions suit the content they’re placed in?

●     Are there any parts that stop the flow of information?

Navigation

●     How easy is it to get from page to page?

●     How many clicks does it take most visitors to complete a transaction?

●     Which pages cause the most bounces?

●     Which pages are the most popular?

●     Do any pages take a long time to load or have formatting issues?

●     Are there any pages that are unnecessary? For example: indexing pages, home pages, temporary holding pages, or pages that could be amalgamated with other related pages?

Tone

●     Does the content on your website fully convey your company's attitude?

●     Are there aspects of your content that seem out of place, or copy and pasted?

●     Is there any part of your website you don’t like, for no real reason?

Note answers to each down with examples of pages you’d like to improve, and you can come up with a plan together with your team.

You can also look into this full website content audit template by the Moz site, which is really comprehensive.

Get a Copywriter to Do It!

Copywriters are excellent digital content creators and spend their lives online. That’s makes us ideal for carrying out your time-consuming, always put-off web content audits.

We look into your web content objectively with a fine-tooth comb, picking out parts you may never see yourself and improving your pages in ways you might never have suggested.

Interested in spring cleaning that website? Get in touch today.

How to Increase Business Sales (In 5 Simple Steps!)

You’re at your wits’ end with your business: your products aren’t selling as fast as you’d hoped, your email inbox is drier than the Sahara Desert, and your mailing list is still just 15 people long. What to do?

First, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Even the most successful companies have to adjust their business strategy from time to time.

Instead, then, read on for five easy steps to increase sales for your business. No more tearing out your hair in frustration; let's get cracking!

Show You Can Be Trusted

In short, are you credible? It’s not enough to tell clients that they should put their hands in the pocket (or fingers to keyboard to type in their debit card digits!) to buy your products. Why should they trust you any more than a random bloke on the street offering up a dubious-looking 'brand-new' iPhone for £20?!

Here’s where you can whip out those testimonials and case studies we know you’ve been itching to use. Displaying evidence on your website of third-party support, even as small as including the logo of companies you’ve worked with, can show potential clients that you can be trusted.

This CXL article lists other ways to increase trust with customers, as well as some great tips to boost conversions for your website.

Build Up Your Social Media Presence

You can keep telling yourself you’re fine with your 50 Instagram followers and 15 mailing list subscribers, but if your sales seem to be taking a nosedive, it may be time to build up your following.

Make sure you choose the right networks. Compare social media demographics with your business’s target audience to avoid making a beeline for the wrong people. If you write content for businesses, for example, LinkedIn might be a better platform for you than Tumblr.

Post regularly and with content relevant to your business, too. You’re more likely to grow a loyal customer base if you stay connected with them once a week, as opposed to once a month (or, dare I say, once every few months). Keeping your social media accounts updated shows your clients that you’re available. 

(Shameless plug: if you need a hand with managing your social media accounts, have a look at my portfolio and give me a shout!)

Offer Freebies

I love free stuff. You love free stuff (and if you say you don’t, you’re probably lying!). Giving freebies to people who visit your website is a good way to give them a taste of the products or services you offer without a monetary commitment.

You can also offer free incentives to get people to join your mailing list. In exchange for subscribing to your mailing list, offer free guides, eBooks, or anything else specifically tailored to your business. It’s a win-win situation for both parties!

Don’t Get Cold Feet About Cold Emailing

Cold emailing isn’t exactly fun. After all, the name itself doesn’t exactly invite warm feelings.

Still, perhaps by reaching out directly to potential clients, you’ll bring your sales from all right to amazing.

Do your research and personalise your emails to individual clients. People don’t want to get a spammy email that looks like it could’ve just as easily been sent out to 50 other people. Show why you’re emailing THEM instead of the hundreds of other businesses out there. Also be sure to show how you and only you can help them with their problems.

Check out HBR's guide to cold emailing for some more excellent tips.

Promote Time-Sensitive Sales, Discounts, or Promotions

It seems counterintuitive to discount products in order to boost sales, but customers are attracted to savings, even if the savings are marginal.

This can include offering a discount when people sign up for your mailing list, bundling products and services for a reduced total price, or dropping prices for a limited-time promotion. Be sure to clearly define start and end dates for promotions, just in case a client decides to continue working with you after a promotion ends.

Have any other tips to up business sales? Do feel free to share in the comments below.

For updates, you can find me on Facebook and Twitter.

Why hire a copywriter?

You know how important good content and communications are for your business, but perhaps you just don't have the time to put fingers to keyboard and get cracking. So what now?

If you’ve never outsourced your work to a copywriter before, it may be time to try that out. After all, what better way to make your website stand out than with the help of a professional who specialises in copywriting for businesses?

There are plenty of reasons to hire a copywriter - and I’ll be going over five of them in this blog post. Read on...

They Free Up Your Schedule

You can say 'cheerio' to your hectic schedules when you hire a copywriter. You shouldn’t have to spend hours figuring out why no one’s clicking on your website, or what the heck crawl stats are (hint: you can find out in Moz's Beginner's Guide to SEO). Pumping out engaging content takes up a lot of time, so leave that to the pros!

Copywriters will do the technical stuff you’re struggling to do and give you the time to focus 100% on your business. Rather than stressing over how to write copy that draws traffic, you’ll now be able to give your undivided attention to the things that really matter.

They Can Really Sell Your Service

Yes, copywriters write, but they also spend time doing research that leads to richer, more vibrant content. You’ll find plenty of copywriters who specialise in an industry-specific niche. If you sell handmade baby clothes, for example, you’d do well to find a copywriter who specialises in the industry that caters to mums.

A copywriter can capture the essence of your service and sell it to your audience in a way that is both engaging and fascinating.

They Provide Consistent Content

Let’s be honest for a moment: churning out consistent, new content can quickly get tiring. It can be easy to recycle old content by tweaking a word here and there, publishing it, and hoping readers won’t notice you wrote about the same topic two months ago, but please don’t do this.

When you have a freelance copywriter on your side, you don’t have to worry about that. They can whip out fresh, high-quality content to capture your readers’ attention like nothing else. Even better, avoiding duplicate posts will turn your site into a Google-approved page. Who can resist that?

They Know How to Speak ‘Google’

There are plenty of SEO guides out there on the Internet, but it can still be tough to learn if you’re also trying to juggle your business on the side. Rather than try to force-feed this information to yourself, hire a copywriter who’s already familiar with SEO.

Copywriters can keep your website looking up-to-date and polished. No matter how many tweaks Google makes to its search engine, copywriters will keep on top of it so you don’t have to. Leave the technical mumbo jumbo to them.

 They Can Boost Sales Organically

Adverts are important for maintaining an online presence for your business, but organic traffic is just as important. After all, you’re more likely to get legitimate, long-term customers this way, rather than hoping someone scrolling through Facebook clicks on your ad.

Copywriters will reach out to potential clients by creating fresh, original content for your social media accounts, and then by crafting equally brilliant content on your site that will keep visitors once they get there. By going the organic route and going easy on the adverts, you could see a significant bump in your sales.

So now that I’ve given you five reasons to hire a copywriter, I’m here to give myself a (shameless) shoutout. Need a hand with your business? I’m a copywriter based in Yorkshire - but I can work on your project remotely - wherever you are in the world. Let's chat!

For updates, you can find me on Facebook and Twitter.