In the UK almost 89% of all internet searches are done on Google, this actually increases to 93% when using mobile devices. Whether you like it or not Google needs to be considered when you planning online activity.
You are probably inundated with offers to help “Boost your search engine results. In reality, there is a lot you can do to help yourself, despite it feeling like a very technical (and ever-changing) subject.
This week I want to share a few tips with you so you can improve your chances of more traffic and sales without spending a fortune.
Does Google like your site?
Often websites have had makeovers, sometimes only tweaks and other times a complete overhaul. This can cause a challenge, particularly if the old pages no longer exist. Google “crawls” your site checking all the pages it expects to see are still working. When it hits a page that used to be there but has now disappeared, it hits an error page. Called a 404 page. It doesn’t like this, so you need to fix it.
It can be quite a laborious task, but you need to tell Google that those pages have now moved and where you want it to go next. This process is known as a “301 redirect”
Google is 100% transparent and records all these errors in a place called Google Webmaster Tools. It’s free to use and if you aren’t doing so, you should register as soon as possible.
For companies using WordPress sites, you can install a plugin called Simple 301 redirects. And one by one, you take the error pages from webmaster tools and redirect them to a page on your website that is appropriate.
Linking your website to Social Media
Make sure you have a link to all your social media channels you use on your website. This just “connects the dots” for Google so the site can benefit from extra credibility in Google’s eyes assuming you have some interaction going on.
YouTube
As Google owns YouTube it’s very keen to promote relevant videos in the search results. Ideally, upload to YouTube and then embed it on your website too in the relevant place.
Google+
Get active on Google + and post links to your articles, blogs and offers on to theirs. If you struggle to get started search for a page called Plus Your Business by Martin Shervington. He has lots of free guides on getting started.
Also, make sure your business address is listed properly, this is pulled directly into Google search results to give your customers a more visible option to get in touch.
Mobile Friendly
Finally, make sure your website is optimised properly for Mobile. In the next 3 weeks, Google will change its processes and will actively penalise those sites that are not mobile friendly.
