What do Google, Bing, and Yahoo have in common? They’re search engines that are used over 5.6 billion times a day, and they have the capability to raise your website to the glorified #1 search result or bury your business way back in the results pages. As we all know, no one likes clicking on the second page of search engine results, so ranking higher is vital to stay alive and relevant.Â
One thing to consider is that SEO is constantly evolving. New updates are released daily, new trends are regularly discussed, and new strategies are often formulated. SEO experts use a variety of tactics such as competitive keyword research, onsite SEO, content strategy, and link building to help companies rank higher in searches. Having a long-term strategy is key to achieving high-ranking results with sustainable traffic.
So how do you start tackling SEO in Houston? By looking to Houston Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts, of course!
Why Local SEO is Important in Houston
Let’s start local. Welcome to Houston, one of America’s largest, unique, diverse cities. Houston is the 4th largest city with over 2.3 million residents in the US. Space City also has over 160,000 businesses, ranking it higher than the national average and 14th among the other states. From energy and life sciences to manufacturing and aerospace, the Houston region offers a dynamic infrastructure to support these thriving, core industries and more.
Think of how many people you pass on the street. Many of these people could be your clients, but they have hundreds – maybe even thousands – of businesses that are your competitors. This is why Houston’s SEO is unique and important. You have more eyes to target and persuade than a lower populated city.
We’ve told you before that we’re not just any Houston SEO company, but let’s dig deeper into the ever-growing SEO world and how you can master it locally.
Learn to Love Your Google Business Profile
Did you know that Google has one of the best small business SEO tools in the world? To top it all off, it’s 100% free! This magical service is called Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business), and it’s one of the easiest ways to showcase your business. When people Google your business, they’ll see a section on the right-hand side that provides your company’s name, some reviews, your location, photos of your products or services, and even more. They can also view this content on Google Maps. It’s even better when these align with local listings, so your customers aren’t confused about your business’s information.
You may have thought that Google updates that themselves, but you’re actually in charge!
It’s a great platform to show off your products or services, connect with your customers, and more. If you have a robust Google Business Profile with great customer reviews, people are more likely to click on your website’s home page.
Break Down Your Website Structure
Before you think of the design of your website, you should think of its content and structure. An organized website structure is necessary for SEO to work properly. Think of all the pages that you’d like on your website. Do you know what each page’s content is? Have you thought about how all the pages connect to each other? These questions are important to consider to ensure that your website doesn’t have low crawlability.
But wait, what is crawlability? It’s when a search engine robot crawls and searches through your website to understand what it’s about. It essentially acts as though a human were viewing your page, checking to see if the website flows properly, and that they can easily find the information that they need. This can involve seeing if the website’s design is compatible on all digital platforms, checking to see if the text is easy to read, that the images are loading quickly, and much more.
In simpler terms, your website needs to be user-friendly and mobile-friendly. If not, then people (and the search engine robots) will leave your page, which is not ideal.
Tying the Knot With Keyword Research
If you want to rank in a specific city, you’ll need city-specific location pages. These are website pages that are designed to target a specific city and the surrounding ones. Many customers find it easier to purchase products or services from their local city or ones nearby. The easier it is to find your website, the easier it is for you to secure a new customer.
This is why developing your keyword research and content strategy early on is needed. These two go hand in hand and are crucial for SEO. To rank higher on search engines, your website must include keywords that people are searching for. If your website contains terms that are not often used, then people will not find your website easily. Don’t make it hard for yourself and think in the eyes of a consumer.
Ready to Dive Into Results?
Identifying the best strategy for your business and then executing it can be tricky – not to mention it can take a lot of time. Houston Search Engine Optimization is unique in the sense that there isn’t only one way to succeed online, but there is often a best way.
So, how do you master your business’s SEO when you’re busy owning and running a business? You ask us for help! We’ve spent the last decade helping companies rank locally in the search engine results. We’d love to help your business next!
