Did you know that only 36% of small businesses have an SEO strategy?! And many don't know what SEO stands for - it's Search Engine Optimization. FULL transparency: I didn't either so I hired someone to teach me! Basically it helps direct searches on the Internet to your website. A great SEO plan can set you up as the expert in your field. It can push a lot more potential clients to you, AND it promotes your business - often for FREE. SEO is like PR, marketing, and an investment in your business, all rolled into one. But HOW do you get started? Here are my 4 best tips for creating a great SEO strategy for your business!

1. Go Short & Long

First, WHERE on your website do you improve your SEO??? There are a few places. Each page on your website needs to have great keywords. And so does your content. There's a reason that people still publish blogs on their sites (like me!), and it's mostly about fresh content with great SEO keywords. Regularly updated content is a top priority for search engines, and a blog is a great way to provide that!! For the other pages on your site, you can define the SEO yourself or hire a professional to help sprinkle those important keywords through your site. Either way, remember to use both short and long keywords.

Here are some keyword examples. The short ones - like "interior design," "interior designer," and "home decor" - are very popular and very competitive. It's hard to get attention with those (although you NEED to use them!). But you can try longer phrases that may stand out more, like "best interior designer in Kansas City," or "Kansas City kitchen designer." Think about what your clients may be searching for and use those word and phrases!

2. Review Your Website

Too often, designers create a pretty website, and then they completely forget about it. That's not a good strategy! You want to regularly review your website (I put a reminder in my calendar and block out time, so I don't forget!) because search engines use what they call ranking factors. They want to provide the very best experience for people on the web, so they will rank sites higher that load quickly and are really organized. And OF COURSE they need to be mobile friendly!! If your site is clunky, or the photos take FOREVER to load, you're just not going to get the same traffic directed to your website that a competitor might. Check your website for any issues, and also think about where you can add fresh content on a regular basis.

Yep. Here I am working on this blog post!

3. Link Up

Search engines also look for websites that are trustworthy - but what does THAT mean?? They define that trust when other sites link to you. So whenever possible, you want to get links to your site from other websites. Too often we focus only on print media, but I'm here to tell you that getting press online is CRITICAL. Not only will more eyes see it, but that important link back to your website is really key!! You could also get those links by guest posting on a blog, writing a column, or doing affiliate links. But look for ways to get other websites to link to yours.

 4. Think Out of the Box

I'm sure you know that Google is the largest search engine in the world. But do you know what the second largest is? YouTube! WHOA. So if you don't have a YouTube channel (it's free!) you might want to consider adding one ASAP. Post your Instagram or TikTok videos there and use great keywords to grab attention. And of course link to your website! Think out of the box to get more traffic to your website.

To help you with those all-important website fixes, download my FREE Guide to Managing Website Updates. And start designing your SEO strategy TODAY!

PS. If you are a video person...be sure to watch my quick version on YouTube!