As a manufacturer, you know how competitive the digital landscape can be. But…did you know that SEO (search engine optimization) can actually help you get an edge on your competitors?
In its simplest form, SEO refers to the process of optimizing a website for search engines. The end goal of SEO is to increase organic traffic and improve lead generation.
In this brief guide, we’ll cover the most important aspects of SEO, starting first with the top three search engine ranking factors.
Top Search Engine Ranking Factors
When asked “why am I not showing up in search engine results?,” the phrase “it depends” is a favorite among SEO specialists. That’s because there are many factors that affect ranking, or where your website will appear on a search results page. Some of these factors include backlinks, content, and the overall user experience.
Backlinks
A backlink, or inbound link, is any link on a website to another website. So, if an organization posted your website URL on their website, that would be a backlink. Think of them as citations that will help you establish credibility with search engines.
But, there is a catch. “Spammy” backlinks from low-quality websites will do more harm than good. Backlinks should always come from trustworthy domains.
As part of your SEO strategy, consider partnering with a local school or organization, or sponsoring an upcoming event. You can also list your organization in a business directory.
Content
High-ranking web pages tend to be pages that are satisfying user requests in some way. Before creating content, think about these two questions: what information is your target audience searching for and how are they searching for it?
Buyer Personas
To research your target audience, you should start by creating buyer personas. The main purpose of these personas is to help you understand your audience’s needs and interests. This will in turn help you know what type of content you need to produce.
Keyword Research
In addition to creating buyer personas, performing in-depth keyword research will also help you better understand your audience and what they’re searching for. You can use your findings to create a list of keywords that you can use in your content. In general, you should aim to optimize your content for at least one keyword.
Content Creation
Once you know what your audience needs, you can start producing content. This could be in the form of blog posts, case studies, or even white papers. There’s no ideal guideline as to how often to post content. As a general rule of thumb, one or two relevant pieces of content per month can help boost your rankings.
User Experience (UX)
Internet users have a lot of information to sift through, and they don’t want to waste any time. That’s why prioritizing the user experience (UX) is a must. If search engines see that your bounce rate, or the rate at which people are leaving your website, is high, this indicates that something is wrong.
According to Google, if a page’s loading speed increases by just two seconds, the bounce rate will increase by 32%. You only have seconds to pull visitors in! And, even if your website loads quickly, confusing navigation can cause users to immediately leave. Be sure to have your most important information accessible from your navigation bar. You should also find internal linking opportunities on your website. Internal linking, when done strategically, can help users understand where they need to go next.
Tips for Starting Your Manufacturing SEO Strategy
There are many factors to remember when creating a manufacturing SEO strategy, and there is never a one-size-fits-all solution. The best approach is to plan, and then plan some more.
As we mentioned earlier, you’ll need to understand who your audience is and what they’re searching for. However, you’ll also need to think about how you stand out among your competitors. People who are searching for manufacturers are making big investments, so they want to make sure they are choosing the right company. Any information, including awards, certifications, and customer testimonials, can help establish your company as credible and trustworthy.
ABOUT AUTHOR:
Momentum is an industrial marketing agency with over 10 years of experience. Hundreds of manufacturers have trusted Momentum to help grow their businesses through effective SEO campaigns, search advertising, and UX-driven website designs. You can visit Momentum on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram @seekmomentum.
