Wouldn’t it be nice if everything were simple so that you could do it quickly and implement it naturally? In the now classic film, “War Games,” starring Matthew Broderick, he plays a computer whiz kid who inadvertently taps into the NORAD special war computer and starts World War III.
As he goes through a multiplicity of passwords, he finally learns something about the designer of the game that he’s trying to hack into and figures out the password. As he enters the password, he says, “it can’t be that simple.” But it was. He had figured out the brains behind the program and he got in.
There are plenty of complex topics that you’ll be confronted with as an online entrepreneur. Sometimes, it will take you just a bit of digging to really figure out how things work. There will be other concepts, however, that you won’t believe are as simple as they are.
One of these concepts has to do with SEO. While Google has made it clear that keyword stuffing is out and should not be overused, the proper and natural use of SEO on your website is crucial to bringing the results that you need to produce sales and revenue.
But how do you do SEO in a way that both customers and Google will reward? Here are a few do it yourself SEO tips that may help you to maximize your earning potential while doing it in such a way that you won’t be penalized by Google.
Best Do It Yourself Tips on SEO for Beginners
Try these do it yourself SEO tips when creating content for your site and blogs.
1. Use keywords in a natural but consistent way
In order to create SEO that works for your site, you need to engage both real readers and Google search bots. That’s right; you have to please both man and machine! If you use strong keywords that speak to your target audience while also keeping your site high in the searches, you will see that your results will improve.
Keyword stuffing is out. Never use keywords aimlessly or repetitively just to attract views. This will get your penalized in Google quickly and get your site dropped in the rankings. Just use keywords that work naturally in the text that make sense with your other content.
2. Use long-tail keywords in addition to shorter ones
By using a long-tailed keyword in addition to shorter ones, you will get your site crawled more by the search bots, as well as appeal to a wider audience of people who are searching through a variety of different terms. For example, if you sell designer jewelry, you may want to use “designer jewelry” as well as the longer-tail keyword, “shop designer jewelry” or even “designer jewelry by Chloe and Isabel.” This is just an example but it would work if you were a Chloe and Isabel merchandiser and it would get more people into your site than using the shorter term alone.
3. Ask your customers how they found you
One unique and innovative way of getting more information about what keywords will work best is to ask your customers what search terms they used to locate you. You could create a survey in which you include the question, “What terms would you use to describe our business?” This not only tell you how they searched to find you but also what they think your business is about, which is valuable information when building your e-commerce brand.
4. Consider your bounce rate
When planning your e-commerce store, you need to look at your traffic metrics and study your bounce rate. Your bounce rate is the rate at which people are leaving your page without performing any action. This usually happens within a few seconds so look for visitors who came on your page and bounced back off quickly.
Many of these people did not mean to come to your site or they clicked a link to your page then exited out too fast. Regardless of the reason, your bounce rate should be no more than 50% or you need to re-evaluate what you are doing and work on ways to increase interest and engagement for new visitors. Some of this may be related to your use of SEO.
5. Create videos and use keywords in the video description
Some people miss a golden opportunity when they create videos for YouTube by forgetting to include powerful keywords in their video descriptions. Powerful keywords include emotionally-charge terms such as “empower yourself,” “save time and money,” and “improve your life,” to name a few. Remember that more people purchase based on emotion than on intellect or reason.
Use your brand name, as well as your products or service that you are advertising in your video content and give a short but detailed description of what your product or brand can do for your target customers. Make sure to include a call to action in every video along with a clickable link in the video description.
Remember that creating a connection between your video content and your sales website or landing page is essential to closing the sale.
Mastering SEO
Finally, be yourself and find a way to brin your personality into your brand and connect on a personal level with your customers. No matter how good something is, your won’t sell much of it if you don’t make a psychological connection. People buy because you make them feel good and they feel they can trust you.
Think of Mom and apple pie when planning your SEO and business strategies not corporate mergers and bottom lines. In essence, your e-commerce business can be anything you want it to be, providing that you are determined to make it work and to never give up.
Try these do it yourself SEO tips and techniques and let us know how they work for you. Perhaps even create some tips of your own as your experience base grows and share them with us! Business is a lifelong learning experience and mastering SEO is just one step in the ladder to success.
No one is an expert until they have done something for several times. But you can only learn what you need to know by implementing sound ideas in a practical and innovative way that appeals to your specific target audience. You know your customers better than anyone so think about what they want and give it to them. It really is “that simple!”
What are your best do it yourself SEO tips for beginners ? Tell us below or tweet us!