If you feel like it's harder to rank your company's website on search engines, you're not alone. The major search engines are becoming smarter when it comes to analyzing web pages and keeping users in the framework instead of directing them to other sites. That's because it makes more money from ads than organic listings. While that makes it harder for other sites to attract organic traffic, a few SEO techniques will help to drive more traffic to your website.
Understand the Purpose of SEO
It's true that SEO is about driving traffic to your site. But there is more to it than that. Traffic won't help your blog or business unless it also drives growth. For example, if your site is about growing vegetables, you wouldn't necessarily want to attract users searching for flower gardening terms. Instead, you would want to get to the top for terms that people interested in vegetable gardening would use.
One of the reasons search traffic is so powerful is that it comes with intent. Users want to find answers, and if you know how to deliver them, you can bypass large competition in search engines. Intent SEO is what helps you multiply your revenue. Today, SEO is focused more on the motivation of the searcher, so it's even more important to understand what your potential customers are looking for.
Offer a Better User Experience
A search engine's goal is to find the best results for each query. If it fails, users aren't as likely to use that engine again. Think about this goal when you're optimizing your site. If you don't have a quality site, it isn't as likely to rank. And engines are getting better at determining the quality of a site. If it doesn't look trustworthy or it looks like it was put together by amateurs, potential users aren't as likely to use that site. Then you've lost that user, as well as potential revenue.
Your bounce rates will then increase. It's believed that having lower bounce rates results in better rankings. To improve your user experience, try writing easy to read posts by adding sub-headings and bullet points. Place quality images in your posts to further break up the text. Try to speed up your website's loading time to encourage users to stay.
Target Local Searchers
Many people are looking for local information, such as addresses, local businesses, hours of operation, and phone numbers. If you have a physical location, don't neglect targeting people in the area. Check the directory listings to ensure they are accurate. Sometimes search engines have to rely on information from other data sources. That might include directory listings or local business registrations.
Ensure that your contact information is up to date, so the right information gets listed. Consider creating local landing pages as well and target terms people use when searching for local services. So, if you have a gardening shop, that might include something like "flower supplies in New York." Using a local landing page lets you actively target these keywords.