How to SEO a Website in 2021

Website search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most critical parts of building a website–and yet, many web design companies neglect to include SEO in their plans. Even if their web designer offers this service, many businesses assume that they don’t need SEO web design. Why should they pay extra for advanced SEO when they’re just starting?

 Website SEO is one of the most valuable investments that you can make for your business. An optimized website ranks higher in the search rankings, making it easier for customers to find your business. The more traffic you get, the higher you rank in the search engine results. You’ll get more sales, conversions, and profits that you can funnel into improving your website even further.

 You could hire a web designer, but it’s still important to learn about SEO so you can perfect your website’s optimization. Here’s how to SEO a website in 2021.

How Does Website SEO Improve Your Search Engine Rankings?

 When customers search for a product or service, they’ll enter a string into the search engine bar. For example, if a customer needs a plumber in Dallas, Texas, they might search for “plumber in Dallas” or “plumber near me.” Google searches for websites and ranks them accordingly. If your website appears low on the search engine rankings, you probably won’t get many customers. Most people don’t go beyond the first few pages.

 Google considers several factors when ranking websites. Including SEO keywords in your website doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll rank higher, but it boosts your chances of appearing on the first few pages. As your website ranks higher, you’ll get more traffic and conversions–and new businesses need all the traffic they can get.

 To optimize your website, you’ll figure out popular keywords for your business, then incorporate them into your text. For example, you could incorporate “plumber in Dallas” into your website content. Google is more likely to rank your website highly because your page has the exact keyword that the customer searched for.

 Of course, you can’t cram thousands of keywords into your website or predict every single keyword that customers use. Some websites stick a list of keywords at the bottom of the page, but this could turn people off your business since it looks bizarre and unprofessional. However, you can incorporate the most common keywords naturally into your web content so you optimize your website without compromising the design.

Does Every Web Design Company Offer SEO Services?

 Not all web designers offer SEO services. Some designers focus solely on the look of your website–which is still essential but doesn’t make your site fully optimized. Other web designers offer SEO services as part of a separate package. When you work with a digital marketing company, make sure that they include SEO services in their offerings.

 If you don’t see it on their website, ask your web designer to help you with search engine optimization. Otherwise, you might have to work with another designer who meets your needs. Some digital marketing companies offer SEO as an individual service, so you don’t have to pay for an entire website overhaul.

Why Do Designers Neglect to Include SEO?

 Unfortunately, many web designers and business owners have yet to recognize the importance of SEO. Here are some of the most common reasons that people neglect website SEO:

• They focus so much on the look of their website that they forget that the content is just as important.
• They don’t know how to add web SEO without “keyword stuffing” or including a long list of keywords at the end.
• They have no idea how to find SEO keywords for their business.
• They don’t know much about the Google algorithm–instead, they assume that it’s completely traffic-based.
• They don’t have enough text on their website to incorporate SEO keywords.
• They don’t have a blog section on their website.

 Whatever the case, understanding the importance of SEO could make the difference between a successful business and a business that flounders even after months of operation.

How Do You Optimize Your Website?

 To optimize your website, you’ll need to include relevant keywords in the content. It’s essential to include keywords in your homepage, although you could include keywords in blog posts and other areas of your website. You can include keywords just about anywhere as long as they’re relevant to the content.

 For some websites, this means adding text to your website. Some websites opt for a minimalist look that focuses on colors and icons instead of text. This might be visually appealing, but it makes it harder for your website to climb the search rankings. You don’t need to add paragraphs of text, but try adding information about your business, a list of services, or a discussion of your business’s ethics. This isn’t just good for your search engine rankings–it also allows viewers to take in information at a glance.

Blog Posts

 A blog section is an essential part of your website. At first, blog posts might sound irrelevant–why does a plumber or candlemaker need a blog on their website? Blogs relay information, but they’re also an excellent opportunity to include more keywords. In fact, the blog post that you’re reading right now has SEO keywords, which might be why you found this website in the first place.

 Some people don’t search for “candles in Dallas” when they need candles for their home. Instead, they might search for information about making candles or using essential oils. When you have a relevant blog post on your website, people are more likely to find your business and order your products or services. This is an excellent opportunity to add more SEO keywords without keyword stuffing (i.e., cramming as many keywords into one paragraph as possible.)

 Blog posts also allow you to add more keywords. You might not find a place for “candlemaking in Dallas” on your homepage, but you could incorporate more keywords into your blogs. This gives you a practically limitless opportunity to include every keyword that you can think of.

 On another note, blog posts make your website appear more polished and professional. When you can impart information to others, it conveys that you know what you’re talking about. This makes people even more likely to buy your products or services.

Call to Action

 The call to action is your last chance to make the sale. Instead of leaving your customers with a vague sale pitch, use the call to action to tell them how to get started. A call to action is also the perfect opportunity to add another keyword or two. Include a statement like “Need a candlemaker in Dallas?” to rank higher in the search engine results and hook your existing visitors at the same time.

What Are Some Common Web Optimization Mistakes?

 Bad SEO practices could harm your website instead of helping it. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

• Using irrelevant keywords. People will not be happy if you include “plumber in Dallas” on your page and you’re an electrician.
• Throwing a paragraph of keywords at the end. This makes your website look unfinished and unprofessional.
• Not researching keywords first. Some keywords might be easy to guess, but many popular keywords include strings that you wouldn’t think about.
• Cramming keywords in the content unnaturally. Stiff and awkward web content looks unprofessional–and it’s often hard to read and digest.
• Using only one or two keywords. Different people can use different keywords to search for the same business.

 Take note if your web design company appears to make any of these mistakes. A good company knows how to utilize SEO effectively while still designing an attractive, dynamic website.

When Should You Refresh Your Website?

 After optimizing your website, refresh it periodically to make sure you’re using the most up-to-date keywords. You don’t have to redo your website every month, but check in at least once or twice a year. As trends come and go, people search for different keywords. Sometimes, all you need to do is update your text a little to contain some of the most popular search engine strings.

 You’ll also need to change your keywords if you start offering new products or services. Otherwise, people will only find your website through old keywords that are no longer accurate. Make sure your SEO keywords reflect your current offerings and promote new ones.

Should You Hire a Digital Marketing Company?

 Overhauling your website and finding the right keywords is a challenging, time-consuming process. Instead of trying to do it all itself, hire a digital marketing company like Send It Rising to do the work for you. Our portfolio includes web content for sites like Proven Repellent and Webster and Garino. In each case, we integrated keywords seamlessly into the content. With our research capabilities, we included relevant keywords that customers search for every day.

 When you work with Send It Rising, we’ll do the same for your website. Our advanced technology enables us to find the perfect keywords for every industry or profession. We also don’t stop at basic SEO–we upgrade our SEO services every year to ensure that you get the most traffic, a polished website, and high-quality content that steers your business in the right direction. As Google’s algorithm changes, we change our approach to stay ahead of the curve.

 In addition to advanced SEO, we provide graphic design, content production, social media consulting, web commerce building, security enhancements, Google Ads assistance, and other services for new and rising businesses. We also have a selection of affordable ebooks that educates you on web optimization-related topics. Not sure if you’re ready to dive in? Pick up an ebook, and see for yourself how you can optimize your website.

 To get started, take advantage of our free web audit. You’ll learn how your website is doing and how you could improve. We’re also available for questions and conversations any time–call our number or fill out the form on the website.