Get tips on using SEO or WordPress development tools effectively, from Uptick Marketing's Jamie Parris.
From business owners to bloggers, incorporating SEO while building a website with WordPress may seem overwhelming. You already have to come up with an idea, draft and edit it, then post and market it — optimizing it may feel like a reach. But if you skip search engine optimization (SEO) — or use it half-heartedly — the people and clients you want to reach on the web may have a hard(er) time finding the services and expertise you have to share.
Our recent Lunch & Learn at Innovation Depot helped attendees learn the basics of SEO. Jamie Parris of Uptick Marketing offered several handy tips on incorporating SEO best practices, and we’ve gathered them together in a few quick tips. (Want the whole talk? Click here to get the slides from Jamie’s presentation.)
Whether you have an existing website or blog or are just developing one, here are some tips to get you started:
DO start with keyword research, which identifies the terms you want your business to be associated with. Then work those keywords into your site’s page titles, URLs, copy and headings.
DON’T worry so much about tags, Jamie says. “They take a lot of work and have no SEO value.”
DO use “real” photos that you’ve cropped yourself before uploading. If you have huge images that take a long time to load, Jamie says “Google will think twice before sending traffic to your page.”
DON’T forget to use a plug-in. Jamie recommends the Yoast plug-in (also known as SEO’s BFF), which allows users to see how well they’ve done at optimizing, and to make changes.
DO link back within your own site. Internal links are easy to implement. Jamie suggests using blog posts and service pages to create internal links within posts as additional destinations for users.
“Remember, SEO is just a way to connect clients with high-quality content,” Jamie says. “It’s life and death for companies today, for whom gaining online exposure is critical.”
You may not become a content development pro overnight. But by spending a little time implementing these tips, it will become easier for customers to find your company and expertise quickly online. And over time, those interactions and leads may translate into a greater return on your investment in a website or blog.
Want more tips on on using SEO or WordPress development tools effectively? Stay tuned for our next free Lunch & Learn, scheduled for September 20.
