How to Optimize Your Content for Voice Search

10/13/202010/13/2020 mwon

How often do you use voice search on your mobile device?

Chances are, you do it regularly. Half of all searches are expected to be voice-based by the end of 2020, and 30 percent of people browse the web without using a screen at all.

That means businesses and organizations need to make sure their content targets voice searches effectively, but how?

Structure keywords to fit phrases

The proliferation of voice search is driving an increase in content designed to answer questions and suit specific types of phrases.

For example, you might unlock your phone and ask Siri where the nearest vegan restaurant or movie theater is. You’re looking for a fast answer for an immediate issue, rather than a specific product or service. Content intended to suit voice search should be written with question-focused searches in mind.

Pay more attention to local SEO

If you operate a business that caters to the local community primarily, take advantage of local seo techniques to increase your reach. So, if a user asks “what time does Local Coffee Shop open on Saturday?”, your content should help them find your business hours within moments.

Make sure your company profile’s details are correct on Google and cover all the information customers might need to know.

Optimize your site for mobile devices

Your site should be optimized to be mobile-friendly across devices. Otherwise, people may click through but leave when they realize half the content is missing. Even if a page takes too long to load, prospects might lose interest and try a competitor — the probability of users bouncing rises 123 percent when a mobile page takes 10 seconds to load.

Mobile pages should load quickly, be easy to browse on small screens, and display all media properly. Your content must be easy to scan, allowing users to scroll down to find relevant details easily. Follow proper content hierarchy and position the most important information at the top of the page.

Incorporate FAQs into your content

As question-based searches are increasingly common, one simple but effective way to boost your content’s compatibility with voice queries is to add FAQs.

These should answer questions directly and concisely, so anyone who navigates to your site to read them finds the information they’re looking for. While there, they might be impressed by what they see and decide to stay longer. This could translate into conversions, whether that’s a purchase or registration for a newsletter.

Think about the sort of questions prospective and existing customers may have about your business, products, services, etc. For a little inspiration, check out your leading competitors’ websites to see what they’re addressing in their FAQ pages.

Follow these simple tips to optimize your content for voice search and increase your visibility.

Want some expert help to achieve better results? Find out how our Orange County SEO agency can help your business succeed today!

4 Simple SEO Tips to Help Boost Your Ranking

08/28/202008/28/2020 mwon

For some of us, search engine optimization has been a part of everyday life for so long, we can’t remember a time without keywords, metadata, and all that jazz.

But for newcomers, SEO is a strange, complex concept. And it can be hard to know what steps to take first.

That’s why we’ve put our heads together and come up with these four simple SEO tips to help you get started.

Get Your Keywords Right

Keywords are a fundamental element of good SEO. These ensure search engines display your website for certain queries and help users find your business. For example, if you specialize in women’s hats, keywords might include “women’s designer hats Orange County” or “pink women’s wedding hats”.

You can use a number of research tools to discover the right keywords for your business, but this can be time-consuming and daunting if you’re new to SEO. Working with a professional digital marketing team takes the hard work out of the process.

Understand Intent Behind Searches

What are people looking for when they enter a specific combination of words into a search engine?

The three user intents are:

Informational: The user is looking for information on a topic, such as a how-to guide.
Navigational: The user is trying to reach a certain website, such as a local store or YouTube.
Transactional: The user wants to purchase a product or use a service.

The user intent determines the keywords you should use for each page. For example, informational intent might require keywords such as “how to bake a chocolate cake” or “how to change a car tire”.

Make Meta Descriptions Informative

Meta descriptions are the few lines of text which appear on search engine results pages. They tell you what you can expect if you click on the link, and should be optimized to maximize relevance.

This means thinking carefully about the user’s intent (see above) and the most important keywords. For example, if someone’s looking to learn how to bake a chocolate cake, the description should emphasize that the page features all the details they need to make the perfect cake. Use clear, simple language that engages users.

Create Content with Readers and Search Engines in Mind

Good content is informative, engaging, and written for humans before search engines. Yes, keywords are essential for boosting your ranking, but you can’t cram them into every paragraph. You might have gotten away with this a long time ago, but search engines will penalize you if your keyword density is too high.

Focus on answering users’ questions, helping them find the right products/services, and guiding them around your website. Understand who you’re writing for and keep the target reader in mind for every page of content written.

If you’re a beginner in SEO, these four tips can help you get your campaign off to a good start. But working with an Orange County SEO team will bring you real results much faster and leave you to focus on running your business.

Want to learn more? Get in touch with our Orange County SEO experts now!

How to Generate Great New Blog Post Ideas for Your Business

07/25/202008/28/2020 mwon

Blogging is a key element of any successful SEO campaign, as businesses which publish blogs earn 97 percent more links to their website than those that don’t. But while there’s plenty of incentive to blog regularly, finding exciting new ideas can be tough when you’re writing multiple posts each week.

Fortunately, you can try a few tricks to generate blog post ideas that excite you and your audience. Here are a few of the best.

Speak to your readers

One simple but effective way to generate blog post ideas is to engage with the people you’re trying to attract — your readers.

Create a brief survey to learn what your audience wants to read more of, and offer an option for them to share their own ideas. You can send this as an automated email whenever people subscribe to your blog posts or newsletters, or distribute them on a regular basis (e.g. once per month).

Alternatively, interact with readers in comments sections and on social media. Ask which topics they prefer to read about, whether they would like to watch the same content in a video instead, and anything else that could be beneficial.

Study the latest trends

Take advantage of Google Trends to gauge the popularity of particular keywords and topics.

Google Trends provides a function to view trends across various areas, such as Sci/Tech and Business. Alternatively, you can browse trends based on keywords.

It’s a fantastic tool for staying up to date on trends related to your business and industry. And geographical information is included, to aid with targeting specific locations.

Monitor industry news for relevant stories

Pay attention to the latest news in your industry or industries relevant to your company, your products/services, and your audience. Even the smallest change in regulations or the hype surrounding an upcoming product launch can inspire an engaging blog post that appeals to your target readers.

On a similar note, any expos or conferences you attend can provide plenty of fuel for numerous posts. Capture photos and videos to enhance your text with original visual content, as posts featuring images tend to get 94 percent more views.

Take inspiration from content published on other websites

Read lots of articles, blog posts, and press releases? Watch insightful videos and listen to business podcasts regularly?

You might see or hear things that inspire, frustrate, or even outrage you. Take advantage of these reactions and consider how you can share your own views on the same topic.

This may take the form of a blog post written as a direct response to the original source material, linking back to it. It’s possible that the original writer/video host/podcaster will see your post and link back to it. That could drive more traffic to your site and help you gain authority.

It should go without saying that any quotes you use should be referenced properly and credit must be given where it’s due.

Take advantage of these techniques to generate blog post ideas that appeal to your audience, and you could see real results over time.

Want to work with our Orange County SEO agency to reach a wider audience? Get in touch to find out how we can help you!

4 Reasons to Add Videos to Your Landing Pages

07/15/202008/28/2020 mwon

Do any of your landing pages include videos?

No?

That could be a mistake.

Videos have become a key part of successful digital marketing campaigns, across social media, advertising, and product pages. But why do they work so well on landing pages?

Here are the top 4 reasons.

Videos on landing pages can increase conversions

Adding videos to landing pages can boost conversions by as much as 86 percent.

That’s unsurprising when you consider that 90 percent of consumers claim videos help them to make a purchase decision, and 79 percent would prefer to watch a video than read about a product.

Watching a video is faster and more convenient for visitors than reading a blog post, description, or sales pitch. They can sit back, relax, and absorb the relevant information in less time that it might take them to scroll blocks of text.

Videos show products and services in action

A text-heavy landing page might tell prospects how wonderful a particular product or service is — but readers have to paint pictures in their mind.

Pictures can show goods from multiple angles — but they’re all static.

Yet videos are dynamic and show products in action.

For example, four concise paragraphs can list a new smartphone’s features and native apps beautifully, but only a video can show the fluid visuals and smooth performance.

Videos can build brand recognition

Incorporating videos into landing pages can help to build brand recognition. Adding your logo at the beginning and end is an obvious trick, but you can do so much more.

The brand personality your business has cultivated should be present throughout. So, companies known for a lighthearted and informal tone may create lively videos with plenty of humor.

Whether prospects are familiar with your business already, landing page videos have to align with the tone of the ad which directed them to the site. It should suit the surrounding text and visuals too.

Videos should be crafted with the target audience in mind, based on a concrete understanding of your ideal customers. Define what they’re looking for when they click on an ad and what they expect to see when they reach the landing page. Don’t invest in flashy visuals and cutting-edge animation just to show off — keep everything relevant to your customers.

Videos help landing pages to make a stronger impression

People remember information presented through visuals six times better than text or audio.

That means even if your landing pages don’t convert prospects, including a video increases the chance that they’ll remember your business and/or the message conveyed down the line.

They might come back at a later date, and your retargeting campaign could be more effective if prospects already have a positive connection to your brand.

Adding videos to your landing pages can make a massive impact on your conversion rates and customer engagement. But actually writing, filming, and editing videos that grabs prospects is a challenge for any first-timer.

Understanding your business, audience, and the possibilities available based on your budget will help to make the process easier.

Want to work with our Orange County digital marketing experts to transform your landing pages? Get in touch today!