Where are you ranking on your preferred search phrase in Google?
If you find yourself on page 3 or beyond you can consider your website dead!
These days no-one looks beyond page 3, but don't fret, all is not lost. Here are some simple tips to help your Google Search ranking.
1. Find your words - Use your words!
If you are not using your search phrases throughout your website how can Google know they are important? Keep your site alive by determining what people are likely to type into Google to look for you and use those words!
The quickest and easist way to find your words is to ask people, "What would you type into Google to find a business like ours?" Don't prompt them, don't provide them your version of what you think your business is, just ask. This is all about what others, your potential customers, are likely to type. Or better still, ask customers that contact you, how did you find us? If it's Google, 'Do you recall what you typed in to find us?"
Another option is to use the Google keywords tool. There are a few restrictions on this tool now, such as needing a Google AdWords account, but it is a very useful tool. If have have trouble managing it yourself Nick can help you, just give us a call to arrange an appointment to get you started.
Once you have decided on the best search phrase for your business you will need to use those words throughout your site. It's a no brainer really, if you use the words, Google can find the words! If you don't, it can't!
Obviously you can't just use them over and over again in every paragraph. But where it makes sense to humans to use that phrase, stick it in! You should also be using that phrase and variations therein to name your images too. The names of you images aren't usually obvious to humans but Google can see them. How beneficial do you think the image IMG1234.jpg is to our Google chances as opposed to web-design-melbourne.jpg!! Hmmmm?!?
2. Home page title tags.
This is one of the very first things Google will see on your website and Google rates it highly. Hover over the browser tab on the home page of your website, if it says something generic like 'HOME' go and fetch a shovel and start digging, that puts you one foot in the Google Grave! Use your search phrase here too.
Once you've found your words, and have sprinkled them throughout your website, your page titles should be next, or first really as they are one of the first pieces of code Google sees! If Google thinks it's important to you then it must be important to your customers! Your home page title tag is the bomb!
And this is how your Home page title tag comes up in a Google Search.
In a Joomla website adding a Home Page title tag or Browser Page Title, is as easy as logging into the Administrator > Menus > Main Menu > Home (Edit). Click on the Page Display tab and voila! Add your preferred search phrases in the Browse Page Title field and click SAVE.
Pssst! It's a great idea to also add relevant Browser Page Titles to all of your other menus too! But don't forget to run a site Backup first, just in cases!! :)
3. Google Maps & Reviews.
Have you claimed your Google map? Do you ask for Google reviews? No?!? Ahhh! You may need to start searching for a cemetery! (If you do you'll find one as they HAVE claimed their map and got reviews!!) If you see 'Own this business?' on your Google Map result, your map has not been claimed!
You will often see map results whenever you search for anything in Google. Have you wondered how some maps seem to 'belong' to a business but yours just lists the physical address? You need to tell Google that it's yours! Just Google yourself, if a map result displays and you see an 'Own this business?' link... Click it! And Claim it! You will need to have a Google account - MAKE SURE YOU USE YOUR BUSINESS ACCOUNT not a personal one. If you don't have a business Google account, just make one (click here) using a business email address. You are usually promted to use/create a gmail email address but just below that you should see a blue link that says 'Use my current email address instead' click that!
Once complete, claim your map! You can then add your own photos, opening hours etc. After that you should start asking your loyal customers for Google reviews.
If you're loved by Google customers, Google loves you too, the more love the higher you are likely to appear in a Google Search result. So don't be shy, and ask your happy clients to give you a Google review. We can even help you by creating you a Google review badge link to place on your website, in your email signature or on your invoices to make it super easy for your customers.
Sometimes you may receive a bad review, it happens sometimes unfortunately, our advice is to absolutely answer that review. When you are calm!! There should be no finger pointing, or anger in your answer, just be factual. Explain the situation as it happened, with no emotion, just the facts! And only reply once! Don't start a Google review war! Answer once then ignore. And try your darndest to get a lot more positive reviews to push it away and show your potential customers that overall you are great!
There are millions of factors Google use in their search algorithm, these are just some quick and easy tips. If you would like to learn more or need some help with the above, please give us a call, 1300 278 385.
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