Cultivate Your Garden

So you've got a fantastic new website! If you worked with The Blue Ocean, then you know we built it with solid SEO foundations, ensuring clean code and a user-friendly structure. But here's the thing: SEO isn't a 'set it and forget it' deal. It's an ongoing process, a bit like tending a garden. Let's explore what you can do to keep your website thriving in search results.

As your web development and business strategy partner, we've laid a strong SEO foundation by:

• Optimizing HTML Structure: Ensuring clean, semantic code that search engines can easily understand.
• Implementing Mobile-Responsive Design: Making sure your site looks and functions flawlessly on all devices.
• Ensuring Fast Page Loading Speed: Optimizing images, leveraging caching, and utilizing efficient code.
• Creating a User-Friendly Site Architecture: Designing intuitive navigation and logical page organization.
• Implementing basic on-page SEO: Ensuring that all pages have appropriate titles and meta descriptions that search engines can parse/
• Ensuring the website is secure: Implementing HTTPS for all pages on the site

Now, let's focus on what you can do to maximize your SEO and keep your website performing at its best.

Think of your website's content as its personality. Search engines love fresh, relevant, and valuable content. That means:

• Regular Blogging: Share your expertise, answer customer questions, and keep your audience engaged.
• Targeted Keywords: Understand what your customers are searching for and naturally incorporate those keywords into your content.
• High-Quality Content: Focus on providing real value. Don't just stuff keywords; create content people want to read and share.

Imagine other reputable websites pointing to yours. That's a referral link, and it's a strong signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy. The more influential the site, the more search engine "juice" that link will garner. 

Here's how to build referral links:

• Partner with Influencers and Noted Domain Experts: Collaborate with industry leaders and ask them to link to your content.
• Guest Blogging: Write articles for other relevant websites and include a link back to your site.
• Build Relationships: Participate in popular industry forums and online communities to build and maintain "street cred" in your area of expertise. Include links back to your site when it can help a reader better understand your expertise. (Careful here: excessive self-promotion on forum sites can quickly feel "spammy." Aim to be a valuable and active participant and good citizen in these communities. The rest should take care of itself.

Find the social media channels that make the most sense for your business, and where your target customers live. Instagram probably isn't the best channel for a law firm, and LinkedIn might not be the right choice for a visual artist. Find the right fit for your business and your potential clients.

Here are a few relevant forums and social media platforms to build brand awareness and generate backlinks.

• LinkedIn: Share your content, engage in industry discussions, and build professional connections.
• Reddit: Participate in relevant subreddits, offering valuable insights and linking to your website where appropriate.
• Instagram/Facebook: Share engaging visuals and content, and interact with your audience.
• Other Platforms: Research other platforms that are relevant to your industry and engage with the community there.

In addition to everything we've already discussed, here are a few more best practices to ensure a healthy digital presence.

• Local SEO (If Applicable): If you serve a local area, optimize your Google My Business profile and ensure your website lists your location details.
• Image Optimization: When uploading visual media to your website, use descriptive filenames and alt text for your images. This helps search engines understand what your images are about.
• Regular SEO Audits: Periodically assess your website's SEO performance and address any issues. There are many tools available to do this, and The Blue Ocean is an expert partner for you to consider.
• User Experience (UX): A website that is easy to navigate, and that provides a good user experience will result in returning customers. Search engines track how long users stay on a site, and how many pages they visit. This is a very important factor.
• Analytics: Regularly review your website's analytics data to track your progress and make informed decisions about ongoing digital strategy.

SEO is a journey, not a destination. By understanding the foundation we've built and actively engaging in these ongoing strategies, you can significantly improve your website's visibility and attract more customers. 

We're here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions or need assistance with your SEO strategy, don't hesitate to reach out.