Staying ahead of the curve with your traffic strategy
When you are doing search engine optimization, it is important to use an analytics program. An analytics program helps you track all of the statistics in one program. When you have this installed, you can see which keywords are bringing you the most traffic. You can also see which keywords are converting the best for you. Once you see which keywords you are ranking high for, you can concentrate on getting to the top of the search engine rankings for those keywords. Also, you can get yourself ranked in other keywords and check if you are getting any traffic from those.
Another factor to keep an eye on is when Google or any of the other search engine’s algorithm changes. Google uses a very complex algorithm to rank websites for keywords. An algorithm, by definition, is a complex sequence of steps used to solve an equation. There may have been a time when you were wondering why your website dropped from the first page of Google to the fifth. Other times the algorithm may have liked your website and you may got a major boost in the ranking of your website. Instead of making a knee-jerk reaction and drastically making changes to your website, it is better to take some time to try to find out exactly why those other pages were moved ahead of you. Take some time to browse all of the websites on the first page of Google for your keyword and determine what all of those pages have in common. Also check out what those pages have that your website does not.
Remember that just because your site dropped in the search engine results pages, it is not the end of the world. If you are building a solid business, you should have been making repeat customers and the customers you are targeting should already know about your services. If your entire business can be taken out by a simple change in Google’s algorithm, then you need to evaluate how you are running your business. If another company can completely whipe out all of the profit you are making from your business, then you really do not have a long-term business. The search results should be a strong component of your business, but if you allow it to be your entire business, you can run into problems.
One way you can combat the algorithm changes is by having many websites that lead to the services offered on your website. If you have three or four websites that point to your main website which offers the services and products for your website. If you offer products for weddings, use a few different domains for different wedding gifts, wedding favors, etc. This is only necessary if your business completely relies on the search engines to do business. If you have other avenues of revenue, then you will have time to figure out exactly what changed in the algorithm. Many times there are drastic changes in the search results early on, but after time when everything settles down it is very common for everything to go back to a similar place to where it was to begin with.
Many times, social events can effect your business in Google. You need to be aware of popular items or services that your business can offer. If there is a new craze for a certain wedding favor that many couples are using, it is important to find out about it as soon as possible. If you are able to do this, you will have little competition on Google for these keywords. Doing this will give you a boost in sales for a period of time. Sometimes it can be a short-term boost, other times it can be a lasting source of income. If you do research on your keyword and industry on a regular basis, it will keep you ahead of all of the other businesses you are competing against. Here are some FREE tools to stay ahead of the competition.
So exactly how can I apply these tools to my Wedding Business? Great Question!! Let me explain this to you. There are two types of back links Off-Topic Links and On-Topic Links. An Off-Topic link is a link coming from Site A to Site B where the two sites are unrelated. An On-Topic Link is where Site A is linking to Site B, and both sites share common keywords like “Atlanta” and “Wedding” somewhere within the content. If you were a wedding service provider in Atlanta, you would benefit MUCH more by having a On-Topic backlink with your keywords like mentioned in scenario 2. Google Alerts will notify you the moment a new blog is posted with your keywords included in the content. It is then your job to click on the page, add a relevant comment to the blog post, and include an Anchor Text with your keywords. i.e. “Atlanta Wedding Photographer” Do this 6-10 times per day, and you will start to see your site climbing the search engines rather quickly.
If you are trying to build a long-term business online, it is important to factor all of this information into your search engine optimization. SEO gets visitors to your website from Google, but it does not build a long-term business for you. Making lasting relationships with the visitors to your website is what makes a long-term business.
