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In today's digital world, getting one's business ranked higher on Google is extremely important.
To achieve that, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become a heavily discussed topic, and crucial in order to gain lots of traffic from Google.
In fact, doing SEO right could be the deciding factor between a good business and a great business in today's internet world.
While big companies are able to spend huge budgets on SEO agencies to keep their brand topside, this can be a luxury startup companies with little to no marketing budget to spend on marketing agencies.
This guide will attempt to walk through some of the key SEO strategies that can be applied to achieve higher rankings with minimal budgets.
According to SEO Tribunal, Google dominates the web with a 90.46% search engine market share.
With nearly everyone on the planet using Google for search, ranking higher is vital for both credibility and conversions.
So how does one achieve that?
Here are 7 simple SEO strategies that can be applied to rank higher on Google.
1. Taking Advantage of Free SEO Tools
Many startups can greatly benefit from the vast array of free tools available.
Google Analytics and Google webmaster tools are some offerings from Google that can work wonders.
Google Analytics provides information about the search queries which are performing well in SERPs, while Webmaster Tools gives input about the ad experience, broken links, and other important attributes.
2. Content is Paramount
Good content is key for getting more backlinks.
A blog or article should be informative and have useful, engaging, or entertaining content for it to attract a large audience.
Here are few things that make any content worthy of someone’s time.
3. Submitting our Site to Stumble Upon
StumbleUpon is a community that can help websites get some attention.
If content is good enough, they may be distributed to a wider audience, gaining backlinks and more organic traffic.
4. Making Use of the Comment Section
This is one of those things often overlooked by startups.
Responding to a website's community via the comments section is another way to boost SEO rankings — paving the way for more free backlinks.
Commenting on other blogs and linking to one's source website is another way that helps in generating "link juice", driving higher rankings.
5. Getting SSL Certified Websites
Having an SSL certificate installed on one's website is key, especially if they are running an e-commerce website.
People are more inclined to stay on a website with SSL because of the guaranteed encryption.
While exchanging credit card information and other credentials, it is crucial for websites to ensure customers feel safe.
6. Copying the Competition
Pablo Picasso famously once said “Good artists copy...”, and it makes total sense.
Copying the competition and learning how they generate links is not a crime.
SimilarWeb is a tool which helps to keep a tab on rivals — by aiding them in finding their rankings and the source of their backlinks.
This method can be one of the best tools for website owners as well as startup marketing agencies.
Another way to keep up to date with the latest news and standards is to follow startup news websites.
This will prepare a business for what’s going to happen before it catches us by surprise.
7. Reducing the Load-time of Websites
Google cares a lot about user experience.
A website packed with great content but takes a long time to load doesn't work in Google's eyes.
Website owners are encouraged to use Google's Page Insights to gain a deeper understanding on their website's loading speed, and to make improvements where necessary.
Ultimately, improving a site's loading speed isn't just for Google, but for visitors as well.
SEO can be a great asset to a startup company if done right, as it catapults their business into the stratosphere.
But there are certain things they should be on the lookout for.
Google has come out strongly against people who attempt to exploit its algorithms, so staying out of their bad books is a must as this can gravely hurt a website’s online reputation.
1. Not Having a Unique Title
There are still companies out there who use their company name for every page.
This damages the website more than they think.
Having a title that is boring and non-descriptive has fewer chances of getting bookmarked let alone being shared.
2. Below Par Content
Publishing articles that are good but don’t push the boundaries will not do any good. Giving the reader something breathtaking is required to get a link. Lacking original ideas and having no relevance to the topic at hand has a negative impact.
3. Keyword Spamming
Keywords are good. In fact, this is how Google ranks content based on the user query. But spamming them is never good. Google and its algorithm Penguin penalize any website endorsing this tactic.
4. Not Staying in the Know
SEO is a fast-moving area. Staying in tune with the rules implemented by Google is necessary. If not, we might miss out on their latest implementations. This might result in our website getting less traffic and ranking low. Sometimes worse, getting hit by a Google penalty.
For a startup company to be found in today's competitive world, SEO is one of the best ways to achieve that.
The myth of spending a fortune on SEO is not the case anymore, thanks to all the incredible (and free) tools available in the market.
In short — Create useful and sharable content consistently, build backlinks, and follow Google's rules.
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