Having a strong online presence is essential for any successful business. Good SEO practices can help your marketing team gain visibility and boost your store’s growth. After all, the better your store’s website performs in search engines, the easier it is to attract paying customers to it—making SEO optimization an essential skill for any modern marketing manager. In this blog post, we’ll discuss why an emphasis on SEO should be part of your customer experience strategy and explore the various ways you can use this powerful tool to increase user engagement, satisfaction, and profitability. Read on to learn more!
While many marketers base their SEO practices on how to outsmart Google by “game the algorithm,” a more practical philosophy is to focus on things that improve the overall customer experience. Ultimately, Google makes money by selling ad space; the more it can keep people coming back, the more ads it can run.
The formula is simple: Happy Googlers = more time on Google. More time on Google = more ad revenue.
It’s a symbiotic relationship in which Google rewards sites that deliver exactly what their users want and penalizes those that fall short. Like a credit score, Google keeps a history of every interaction its users have with your site and rates you accordingly. With that in mind, let’s break down some key ways to improve your customer experience and make Google work for your business.
Relevant and valuable content
This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many websites need help understanding what relevant and valuable content means. A few years ago, it was common for marketers to publish as many blog posts and web pages as possible, simply stuffing their content with repeated industry keywords without paying much attention to the quality of the information. This tactic, known as “keyword stuffing,” was an effective way to trick Google into considering a web page to be more relevant — the logic being that a page containing more of the words a user searches for must be more relevant.
This shortcut was successful while it lasted, but eventually, those australia phone number library who abused it were severely punished. As Google improved its algorithm, it implemented a way to detect sites with keyword stuffing issues and flagged them as a hit to their search rankings.
Proper use of keywords remains an essential SEO practice for ranking higher in search results. That said, Google has become more sophisticated at determining whether those keywords are being used authentically and naturally. Even if you can trick Google into making your keywords appear natural, and thus rank higher in search results, users who visit your page but don’t find what they’re looking for will quickly leave the page. The more Google sees users leaving soon after opening your page, the more it will associate your page with a poor user experience. Instead, focus on providing users with quick, meaningful information that will stay with them.
They had a positive experience – Make this your top priority and Google will reward you for your efforts.
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In addition to content, Google scores your site based on how easy it is to use. Things like slow page loads, poor mobile device response, or difficult-to-navigate menus can all lead to an unpleasant user experience. In the age of instant gratification, customers won’t stick around for long if your site is hard to use. Practice good digital hygiene by regularly checking your site to make sure it’s functioning properly. Retailers need to remember that this simple step could be hurting their quality score without them even realizing it.
Trust and Credibility
Trust and credibility work as a feedback loop. Customers are more likely to trust a site that ranks higher on a SERP than a site on a later page. The more consistent you are in providing a great customer experience over a longer period of time, the more credible you become in Google’s eyes. It takes longer to build a reputation than it does to destroy it.
Local SEO
Local SEO is crucial for stores that rely on local customers. Optimizing depending on your availability your website for local SEO can help you appear in the local pack, which is a group of retailers that appear on a map when someone searches for a specific product or service in a specific area.
By appearing in local packs, you are more likely to attract adb directory customers looking for your products or services. This makes it easier for customers to find your store, improving their experience and encouraging them to buy from you.
summary
All in all, it’s impossible to know how Google’s algorithm will change over time, and chasing short-term SEO practices and strategies can lead to headaches down the road. Rather than trying to outsmart Google, focus your energy on providing the best customer experience possible, and trust that your page rankings will increase as more potential site visitors come to your site and drive traffic to your store.