Because search engine optimization (SEO) is such a buzzword, many businesses recognize they need it, but don’t exactly know what SEO is or how to effectively optimize their SEO. That’s OK! SEO can be confusing! Let us break it down for you.
I’ve written about this before, but a quick recap: The focus of SEO is “search engine.” When you want something, such as a Charlotte web designer, what do you do? You pop that phrase into your search engine of choice. Search engine optimization means employing a strategy so when someone Googles “NC web design,” your business doesn’t show up on page 1,000. You and I both know people rarely search beyond page 1. So that’s SEO in a nutshell: ranking higher in search engines. How do you have an effective SEO strategy, whether you’re looking to do that in Charlotte or somewhere else? Keep reading.
Be Patient
The first thing to remember about effective Charlotte SEO optimization is it takes time. I know! Patience sucks! Why can’t you slap up a website and have the customers or clients start rolling in on day 1? Unless you have a large social media following, business doesn’t work that way. It takes Google anywhere from four weeks to three months before recognizing new SEO. In part that’s to make sure a website is legit and not spam or a scam. (But frankly, the internet is still the modern Wild West so lots of websites slip through the cracks.)
In other words, it could take between six to 12 months for you to start seeing a return on investment with your Charlotte SEO strategy (or Denver SEO strategy, or Chattanooga SEO strategy, or . . .). You’re playing the long game with SEO so that’s my first tip. Patience.
Be Attractive
My second tip is to build yourself a beautiful website. If you’re here, you already know we do that. Web Symphonies builds gorgeous websites that are blazing fast, and feature-rich. Yeah, we’re an NC web design company, but we’re not limited by location. So, you know, reach out to us.
A high-quality website is important because if Google can’t crawl and index your website, it doesn’t load quickly, or is beset with problems, then why the heck would it recommend you to people by putting you in a coveted position on page 1?!? It wouldn’t. That’s tip number two: be attractive.
Be Smart
The other thing to keep in mind is this isn’t 2003. Gone are the days when you can expect to use general keywords for SEO and expect that to work. You’ll notice that I repeatedly write things like “Charlotte web redesign,” or “website design Charlotte” in these blogs because I’m going for local SEO. Web Symphonies isn’t trying to compete with huge website design conglomerates. We want to attract people in Charlotte looking for a web designer because that’s a winning strategy. There’s no point in being general with your keywords these days because the market is already saturated. Again, this is not the early days of the internet. To be successful with Charlotte SEO (or SEO anywhere, really), you have to be smart. Think of the keywords you want to start ranking for and then research them.
Numerous programs help you determine how many people are looking for specific terms. A tool we like is SEMrush. It gives you information on similar keywords, related ads, product listings, and more. The tool also scopes out your competition by identifying how much traffic they’re getting and from where.
In other words, SEMrush helps you find out exactly which keywords will boost your web traffic. If this sounds complicated (because it kind of is), let us do the heavy lifting. Contact us about working together.
Be Almost Everywhere
Lastly, if you want an effective Charlotte SEO strategy, do more than create a website. People become interested in businesses not only by using search engines but also by scrolling through social media. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been tempted, or even purchased, a product because I saw an ad for it on Instagram. People aren’t just “surfing the web.” They’re also watching TikToks and scrolling through Facebook. You don’t have to be on every platform because you don’t want to stretch yourself too thin, but make sure people can find you other places besides your website.
Search engines crawl not only traditional websites but also social media and even maps! You don’t have to have the numbers Kim Kardashian does to be successful. If you have a small, but loyal, customer base, you’ll be just fine.
I’ve given just the basics about what to remember for effective Charlotte SEO optimization so be sure to contact us for more details. I can’t give away all of our secrets for free now can I?
Looking to improve your online presence with SEO optimization services in Charlotte? Contact us today and unlock the full potential of your website’s optimization.
