Before you attempt to build your backlink profile or submit your article as a guest blogger, it’s important to get the basics right.
And believe it or not – these changes make a big difference, simply because they provide a solid foundation for an optimised website.

Want to know how to improve your search engine ranking?
Below are 5 ways that you can implement today.

1. Improve Search Engine Ranking With ALT Text Optimised Images

We have all heard the saying: “A picture tells a thousand words.”
This is especially true for users and search engines, particularly Google.

You see, Google’s main focus is to please its users. That is why optimising your images using ALT Text is important.
The reason being is that it benefits vision-impaired users as they use a device called a screen reader, which reads the text of an image.

To optimise your image, describe what the image is in 125 characters or less.
And in case you’re wondering, going over the limit does not result in your site being penalised.
It just means that the screen reader will cut it off.

Now, let’s say you have an image of a person, describe the who, what and where of the person.

– Who is the person?
– What are they doing?
– What is the scenery like?

Below is an example:

ALT = “Businessman wearing a striped collared shirt sitting on a chair holding an iPad and pencil”

For an image of a product, describe the colour, size, shape, pattern, etc.

If you get stuck, use Moz’s guide to help you to write the perfect ALT Text.

You can find this feature in the image editor of any website development platform.

2. Improve Search Engine Ranking With Faster Loading Speed

Let’s face it – no one likes a slow website.

It’s important to note that having a slow website should not be dismissed as something different from waiting to be served at a drive-through.

Keeping in mind that Google’s main focus is to please its users, therefore, a 5+ second page loading speed will harm your ranking.

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Sounds ridiculous, right?
Consider the following research from Google regarding mobile page speed.

Source: Think With Google

A bounce rate is the percentage of visitors to a website who navigate away from the site after viewing only one page.

Although the term ‘probability’ was used, it still doesn’t provide much comfort.

At this point, you may be thinking: “Wow, people are impatient.” but that’s the reality of what we are dealing with.
Therefore, aim to have a loading speed of fewer than 4 seconds.

Now, many factors can cause a slow website but a common problem is the size of the images used. The solution is to compress your images. TinyPNG is an online tool that does exactly that. All you have to do is upload your images and it will compress them for you.
It’s that easy.

To take the guesswork out of finding the problem areas, test your website using Pingdom.
It’s a free online tool that analyses your site and provides a list of recommendations to improve speed.

3. Improve Search Engine Ranking With Header Tags

One of the copywriting basics to grapple is to break up text (copy) with the use of headlines, bullet points and white spaces.
The benefit is twofold: it’s easier to read thereby reducing your bounce rate.

Use the H1 tag for your main headline, H2 for your second headline, so on and so forth.

Below is an example of header 1 and 2 tags applied to each headline:

Source: SEranking

You can find this feature in the text editor of any website development platform.

4. Improve Search Engine Ranking With A Mobile-Friendly Site

It’s no secret that Australians are conducting online research and making purchases from their smartphones more than ever before.
Since this is a growing trend in other parts of the world, search engines now prioritise mobile-friendly websites in the search results.

A mobile-friendly site simply means that you can view a website from a mobile device without having to zoom or pinch to read the text.

Google has a tool called a Webmaster Tool that allows you to test your website and receive recommendations on problem areas.
All you have to do is enter your URL address and click ‘TEST URL’.

Click here to have yours tested. 

5. Improve Search Engine Ranking To Cater To The Auditory And Visual Learners

You have read from previous points that there is a correlation between the length of time that users spend on your site and your ranking.

A way to get users to stay longer is to add multimedia content.  
Multimedia content refers to video or audio.
The benefit is more than just improving your search engine ranking, it also helps the visual and auditory learners.

Youtube is the best platform to get a step-by-step guide on how to add multimedia content to your website. Simply type in the search bar:
How to add video/audio to [insert type of website i.e. WordPress]

In short, create a solid foundation with the use of the free online tools mentioned in this blog to improve your search engine ranking today.

Do you have content goals that you want to achieve? I’d love to help you! Send me a message here

Enjoyed this blog? Please leave a comment in the ‘Leave a reply’ text box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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The post 5 Ways To Improve Your Search Engine Ranking Today appeared first on Toni Wells Copywriter.

While social media platforms like Facebook have its advantages, it should not be the face of your business nor should it be your first port of call. Rather, it should be a marketing tool to complement your website.

With that being said, let’s take a look at 7 reasons why a Facebook business page should not replace a website.

1. Limited Functionality

Each section has varying character limits. For example, the about section has a limit of 155 words compared to an offer description which has a limit of 50 characters. Others range from 600 to 1000 characters. While this is sufficient for most businesses, the disadvantage of a small character limit is that it makes it difficult to portray the benefits without it coming across as ‘hard sell’. 

Even if you look past the issue of a character limit, pre-determined categories prohibit the ability to structure and present content the way you want it to appear to prospects.

While Facebook’s e-commerce platform has improved over the years, the payment options for customers are still limited.

Quite simply, a website gives you the freedom to write content without a character limit and structure content without the use of pre-determined categories. Above all, implement a payment system for a seamless and stress-free experience for customers.

2. Minimal Exposure

It’s no secret that Google’s search results are in favour of websites over a Facebook business page. This lack of exposure, therefore, creates a reliance on word-of-mouth and repeat business. 

The way Google operates is that it will only present information that it considers relevant to the user. In other words, you may find that your Facebook business page is buried away on page 7 of the search results.

At this point you may be thinking: even with a website, there’s no guarantee that it won’t be buried on page 7.

The answer: content is king.

You see, quality and frequency of content are the two elements that you must implement in order to improve your website’s rank.

In short, the best type of content is one produced from a website.

If Google alone wasn’t the biggest hindrance, let’s talk about Facebook’s 2018 algorithm change.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke about this change in a recent post.

In Mark Zuckerberg’s own words:

“The first changes you’ll see will be in News Feed, where you can expect to see more from your friends, family and groups….

“As we roll this out, you’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media.”

All in all, this update creates meaningful interaction from family and friends. Sadly, not so much for businesses like yours or mine.

3. Diminishes Connection

Like all social media, it’s one way to drive traffic to your website but it should not be the place to host all your content.

Like all social media, it’s one way to drive traffic to your website but it should not be the place to host all your content.

Toni Wells Copywriter

Believe it or not, content such as an informative blog plays an important role in fostering relationships and even influences prospective sales.  
A Facebook business page doesn’t have the same capacity as a website to deliver content in a purposeful way. 

Facebook should complement your website, not annihilate it.

4. Prevents A Good User Experience

We all agree that creating a Facebook page doesn’t require much effort. Do you think that users feel this way when they see a business page with no website?

Quite simply, the look and feel are not the same as a well-constructed website.

5. Decreases Brand Awareness

Even if you customise your own page by adding features or redesigning the look, it still doesn’t do justice to your brand. And let’s face it, the URL on a Facebook business page can’t match having your own domain.

A website allows you the freedom to design content that reinforces your brand.

6. You Are Not In Control

Facebook’s constant algorithm updates mean that you never know what to expect and because Facebook owns the platform, you don’t have full control of your own page.

Just imagine if something happens to your page and you lose some if not, all of your content.

A website, on the other hand, gives you the ability to back up your content and if you get stuck, you have access to support from your web host. Trying to get support from Facebook is like trying to get blood out of a stone.

7. No SEO Advantage

Facebook may provide free advertising; however, there is a limit. If you want to increase your visibility, you have to pay a daily fee to ‘boost’ your post.

With a website, you can invest in search engine optimisation (SEO) to increase the quality and quantity of organic traffic from Google to your web page or website. Moreover, it has been proven that organic listing is the best return on investment.

Overall, a Facebook business page has its advantages. However, a website triumphs in all aspects of functionality, exposure, user experience, content delivery, brand awareness, content design and SEO.

Good news is that setting up a website doesn’t cost as much as you think. If you need assistance with your copy but worried about your small budget, speak to an SEO copywriter to discuss your options.

Do you have content goals that you want to achieve? I’d love to help you! Send me a message here

Enjoyed this blog? Please leave a comment in the ‘Leave a reply’ text box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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The post 7 Reasons Why Facebook Business Page Should Not Replace A Website appeared first on Toni Wells Copywriter.

Believe it or not, the cost of having a website during the Web 1.0 era of the 1990s was more than $10,000! Nowadays, you can host a site for less than $5 per month or register a domain name for under $15 per year. 

Fees aside, let’s take a look at 7 reasons why small businesses must have a website.

1. Your Digital Footprint Matters

You can’t foster a relationship without words and in this age of information, customers expect to see a website.

You can’t foster a relationship without words and in this age of information, customers expect to see a website.

Toni Wells Copywriter

When you think about it, customers are constantly roaming the web in search of businesses like yours so chances are that they will choose one that has a website over one that doesn’t.

It is that simple.

2. Provides Credibility

Place yourself from a buyer’s perspective; would you question a business’ existence if you came across one without a website? Indeed word of mouth and business cards are an essential part of advertising; however, the information doesn’t travel as fast as it would take to search the web.

Quite simply, a website is the ultimate credible medium at your disposal.

3. Builds Trust

90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. You can rely on review sites to host these for you but why not make it easy for customers to read reviews and information on your products/services in one area?

Remember, it’s all about making peoples’ lives easier.

4. Eliminates Tyre Kickers

Every business experiences tyre kickers which can drain your valuable time. An informative website will separate the serious from the not-so-serious when it comes to doing business.

5. A Powerful Marketing Tool

You can implement tools such as a landing page to market directly to past and future customers.

A landing page is built to drive traffic for a specific marketing campaign goal such as signing up to your email newsletter.

Email marketing isn’t ALL about sales. Indeed the end goal is to get a sale but the major point to email marketing is about customer relations. Think of it as inviting people on a digital journey. Once you have them aboard, you can nurture that journey with informative content to make their life easier/richer/happier.

6. Instant Updates

It’s no secret that Google loves fresh content.

From an SEO perspective, fresh content is an important factor for improving your website’s rank. Unlike print advertisements, updating your site is instant and easy to do. It is a win-win situation.

7. The Roots Of All Content

A website should be the trunk of all content. Think of it as a tree with the roots representing different content and your site being the trunk. In other words, any information that customers read about your business whether it be from a newsletter or brochure should direct them back to your site for more information.

All in all, a website is one of the best long-term investments your business can have. It is a powerful marketing tool to foster relationships between past and future customers, provides credibility, builds trust and eliminates tyre kickers. Lastly, it is a convenient medium for updating content.

Remember, good things take time, therefore, speak to an SEO copywriter to establish your digital footprint today.

Do you have content goals that you want to achieve? I’d love to help you! Send me a message here

Enjoyed this blog? Please leave a comment in the ‘Leave a reply’ text box below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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2. Select ‘share’

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Be notified of a new blog post as well as monthly copywriting tips that I only share to my subscribers 🙂

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