Top 10 Quick SEO Strategies For Increasing Your Search Engine Ranking

Increasing your search engine ranking can seem like a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. By taking a few minutes to correct some common mistakes and to implement a couple of simple techniques you can make a significant impact on your ranking in a short amount of time.

Top 10 On-Page Methods to Increase Your Search Engine Ranking

1. Page Titles – Customize each page of your website with a unique page title specific to that page’s content. Use keywords in the title but do not use a list of keywords. Write a 3-4 word phrase that describes the page’s content followed by your business name. A good, clean format to follow is “Local Term – Page Description | So & So Photography” or “South Carolina Wedding Photography Prices | So & So Photography”
2. Blog Post Titles – Most blogs use your blog post titles as the page titles for that individual blog post. Be sure to use some keywords in these titles when possible to ensure they get into your page titles. Remember that the post titles are for readers first and Google second so don’t overuse keywords here. For instance: “Bob & Sue :: Mississippi Wedding at the Crawford House in Hattiesburg”
3. All In One SEO Plugin – Install the AIO SEO Plugin for WordPress to help automate the above two tips and to help with several other SEO factors.
4. Image Alt Tags – Part of the SEO struggle for photographers is that most of our content is visual, not textual. You can offset this by using image ALT tags. Most blog editors, WordPress for sure, give you easy access to your image ALT tags as you are uploading images for blog posts. As with page titles, these should be keyword rich but not lists of keywords. Describe the actual picture and use keywords in the process. Example: “Bob and Sue’s wedding reception at the Crawford House in Hattiesburg, MS”. This will do three things for your site. First, it will make it accessible to disabled users who are using screen readers. Second, Google will see several photography specific and local keywords in your tags. Third, it will increase the chances that Bob & Sue’s friends will find your blog when searching for their wedding images.
5. Image File Names – As with Alt tags, naming your images using relevant keywords can have a small impact on your rankings. Take the time to at least use a local modifier (city, state, community, etc.) in your file names when uploading images.
6. Post Consistently – This is probably one of the most important tips on this list. A consistent posting schedule not only helps your search ranking considerably but it also provides your readers (and potential customers!) with current content. You don’t have to post every day but assign yourself a specific schedule to help you stay on track.
7. Forum Signatures – Use keywords in all of link text in your forum signatures. Don’t spam the forum or post long lists of links, just make the most of the few links you would likely have in your signature anyway.
8. Repair Broken Links – This one seems obvious but it is a common problem for many websites. Simply run through your entire website every now and then to be sure everything is working properly.
9. Website Grader – Grade your website and blog using Hubspot’s Website Grader for more in depth information about specific things you can do to help your ranking and to improve other aspects of your web presence.
10. Google Local Business – www.google.com/local/add If your photography business is not already listed in the Google local business directory go ahead and add it now. It only takes a minute and could go a long way in getting you more local visitors.

Put some (or all!) of these strategies into action and tell me about your results.

Questions about any of these tips? Leave me a comment below and I will try to help you in any way that I can.