Today’s guest post comes from SEO expert, Liz Lockard. I must admit that, in the past, I’ve haven’t cared much (ok, at all) about SEO. But thanks to Liz, I now realize that SEO isn’t about gaming the system, but rather getting inside the minds of your customers. (Something I LOVE doing!) Liz’s strategy is all about small, actionable improvements that you can take to improve your traffic. Thanks for sharing, Liz!
Ah, SEO, what a confusing little stinker. Am I right?
If you’re new to the term, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization – put simply, the art of getting found by your ideal clients (if you’re doing it right) through the likes of Google.
How can we get more of the traffic we actually want? In less than 5 minutes, no less?
It all starts with using words your customers are using.
No seriously. Start using THEIR words. Not yours.
Get out of your own head on this. Is your customer looking for a copper pendant necklace in particular? OR is your customer looking for a great necklace for a scoop-neck blouse? (Are they? This question is for you to find out from your customers)
Perhaps SOME of your customers know exactly what they want – and search for your products with the tech-spec words like “navy boy sandal size 4” – and those words are still necessary and valid…
But think of how much MORE traffic if you either incorporated these what-do-I-really-want-the-product for words into your product descriptions. Or better yet, Write up a blog post on the best necklaces for v-neck dresses and showcase what you’ve got.
Where do you use these words?
Use them in your Product Names (which are often the default SEO Title of the page in most online shop platforms)
Use them in your URL of the page (instead of random SKU #s)
Use them – most importantly – in your product’s description! Get creative here. Dry manufacturer descriptions are yesterday’s news. Let’s go with something original – both your customer & The Google will thank you.
….and that’ s just in 5 minutes.
Why? Because your ideal client’s aren’t using special Google language to search for you online… they’re using their own words to find what they’re looking for. Do you show up?
Okay, what if you had more than 5 minutes?
You might want better photos. Say no to stock or poorly lit images. And to use those words we were just talking about in those photos.
You might want to encourage reviews of your items to add to the content to the page.
Perhaps an FAQ section would not help only your customers but also The Google for capturing more content on the page.
And… that’s just what you can do ON your site.
Your Turn
Have you ever tried to improve the SEO for your site? What have you tried? Where do you get stuck?
About the Author:
Liz Lockard is a Google nut who loves helping small businesses get more of the right kind of traffic to their websites so they can actually get more customers and clients from that traffic. Her SEO program, Your SEO Roadmap, is currently open for enrollment. If you’re ready for more traffic without the hassle (and the headache), you can check it out here.
Please note that links to SEO Roadmap are affiliate links.
I heard from http://fineartstudioonline.com that SEO is pretty much ignored now by search engines.
Another great insight into SEO. Thanks Liz!
Hi, after reading this remarkable paragraph i am too cheerful
to share my know-how here with colleagues.
I love this fresh take on re-thinking descriptions!
I’ve read quite a lot about SEO and apply more and more on my blog, but the truth is they are still often ‘my’ descriptions… I’m not thinking about what someone else would type into google!
My current practice has been to optimize everything I can so that if someone is looking for exactly this, mine is going to come as hight up the list as possible! But that’s floored from the beginning because that may not be what they’re typing in at all!!
Thank you for an insightful post 🙂
/Steph