The Google search engine algorithm determines how high your website ranks in the search results. With search engine optimization (SEO) tools, you can help your website rank higher in the results, earning your business more traffic, sales and conversions. However, SEO isn’t something that you do once when you build your website. Google regularly updates its algorithm to stay on top of the latest trends–and when its algorithm changes, your site needs to change along with it.
While Google hasn’t released its exact algorithm, modern trends like mobile optimization and video content have been proven to increase your website’s ranking. Advanced SEO techniques take your website further than traditional techniques like utilizing keywords. Both approaches are valuable, but advanced SEO is the key to beating the competition. With the help of an online marketing agency like Send It Rising, you’ll conquer the algorithm and gain more sales than ever before.
The web landscape is constantly changing. Here’s a look at the best advanced SEO techniques for 2021.
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Optimize Your Website for Mobile Use
Every year, more customers start browsing mobile websites as opposed to browsing from their desktops. You might have a sleek, attractive layout for your regular website, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to mobile. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, your visitors might find cramped text, awkwardly placed images, and links that are almost too small to click.
Mobile browsing is so popular that Google has started giving mobile websites priority over traditional websites. Currently, this only applies to new websites–if you have an existing website, Google will continue to use the standard algorithm. However, it’s still essential to optimize your website for mobile use. This doesn’t just help your website rank higher in the results–it also makes people more likely to browse your website and make a purchase.
Mobile-friendly websites arrange their content differently from traditional websites. Typically, they have a vertical layout that makes it easy for visitors to scroll through the content. They make use of large links, buttons, and crisp images. Some websites try to replicate the experience of browsing through social media. Make sure you have your phone number clearly listed so customers can contact you right through their smartphones. To learn more, talk to an SEO marketing company like Send It Rising.
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Produce Video Content
Have you noticed how many websites feature a video at the top of the page? Video content is more popular than ever–and when you incorporate videos into your website, you’ll enjoy more traffic and higher ratings. Videos are particularly attractive for mobile users because they scroll through videos on social media all day. A funny, dynamic or engaging video grabs their attention right away and stands out from the blocks of text and images.
Videos also give you more time to make your sales pitch. With a short three-minute video, you can show demonstrations, explain your product’s benefits and give viewers a complete look that you can’t accomplish with pictures alone. A great video builds positive associations with your brand and shows viewers that you’re dedicated to creating content. Some people will check out your page just because they heard about a funny or insightful video–and if you get enough viewers, you’ll go viral.
However, you’ll need to optimize your videos just like you’d optimize any other piece of content. Here are some tips on getting the most out of your videos:
- Stick to a few minutes or less. You can include longer videos on your website, but use a shorter video for the introduction. Websites like TikTok and Instagram have made people accustomed to short clips that get the point across immediately.
- Use striking images to grab your viewers’ attention. Most people won’t sit through a bland sales pitch filmed in a poorly lit room. Feel free to use stock video clips to make your video more dynamic.
- Feature your logo and company prominently. You could film a hilarious viral video, but it won’t boost your sales if people don’t remember the name of your business.
- Host your video on a popular video hosting platform. People might stumble across it while they’re searching for other content. Just make sure you choose a host that suits your business’s needs and level of professionalism.
- Give your video an eye-catching thumbnail that encourages visitors to click the play button.
- Include a transcript on your website to make the video accessible to everyone. You could also include closed captioning. Avoid using the auto-generated captions on YouTube–sometimes it gets a few words wrong.
- Remember your target audience when you film your video. Younger generations may want a shorter, punchier video, while older adults prefer an instructive video clip. However, you need engaging, entertaining videos no matter what audience you’re shooting for.
Talk to an SEO company like Send It Rising to learn more about filming the perfect video.
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Increase Your Page Loading Speed
While most people have fast Internet connections, that’s not the only factor in your page loading speed. Large images, multiple videos, heavy plugins, and massive files can slow down your website by a few seconds. This might not sound like much, but most people expect websites to load in a second or less. A website that takes too long reminds older generations of the dial-up Internet days.
To increase your website’s loading speed, trim some of the excessive content on your page and compress files whenever possible. If you have video content, try to stick with one video on the homepage. You might need to switch to a different host if you’re getting heavy traffic–some website hosts can’t handle the strain on their servers. Trimming even a fraction of a second can make people more likely to stay on your website.
This is another reason why it’s essential to optimize your website for mobile. Some people will tolerate a traditional website that takes a few seconds to load, but when they browse websites, they expect instantaneous results. After all, their social media apps give them results immediately with almost no loading time.
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Incorporate Local SEO
Local SEO is less important if you have an online-only business with no physical location. However, local businesses can’t survive without finding customers in their area. A plumber can’t fly halfway around the world to repair someone’s leaky pipes–and if nearby customers can’t find your website, they’ll go with a competitor instead.
When Google produces search results, they consider your location. For example, if you search “plumber” while you’re at home, you’ll see a list of nearby plumbers. The list you’ll get is different when you’re in a different location. For this reason, you’ll need a comprehensive marketing plan that makes your business visible in your neighborhood.
If you haven’t already, make a Google My Business page and fill out the information about your business. Don’t assume that the auto-generated page is all you need–the information is often incomplete and inaccurate. A comprehensive Google My Business helps you rank higher in the search results. It also makes it easier for potential customers to find the information they need when finding your listing on Google Maps.
For businesses with multiple locations, make a landing page for each location. This helps your website rank higher every time customers perform a search near that particular region. Make sure you include your contact information on every landing page so customers can reach your business right away.
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Add Rich Snippets
When viewers see your website in the search results, they might see basic information like the page title, URL, and description. Rich snippets add more information that shows visitors what they’ll find on your webpage. For example, if you have a recipe page, the rich snippet could show the first few steps or a list of ingredients. A rich snippet for a business could offer information about your services.
To add a rich snippet to your website, you’ll need to add structured data. Once you have a rich snippet in your code, Google may pull that information when your website appears in the results. Contact an SEO company like Send It Rising to get a rich snippet for your website and start racking up more page views.
What Does Send It Rising Offer for Advanced SEO?
Send It Rising can do virtually everything that we mentioned in this article. Video content, rich snippets, increased page loading speeds, local SEO, and much more–we’ll create it, edit it, upload it or add it to your website. As an SEO company, we’ve got the expertise you need to boost your search engine rankings and get the sales that you’ve been missing.
To get started, check out our free web audit. You’ll learn more about how your website’s doing and what you could improve. Afterward, get in touch with us to learn more about our services. We can help you launch a new website or upgrade an existing site that needs some help competing in the modern industry.
