Hawaii SEO – Why Your Website Needs SEO (Part 1)

SEO text wallpaper

Previously, I discussed All About SEO. Now, we will talk about why your website needs SEO. When you are running a website for a first time, you can’t expect to gain a desirable amount of traffic right away. This is where SEO comes in. By optimizing your website on search engines, SEO will allow you to gain more traffic for your website. You might be wondering “What other things can SEO do for my website?“, here are some reasons why your website needs SEO:

  1. Your website will rank higher on search engine results.

When you practice sustainable SEO on your website, you are enabling your site to rank higher in search engine results. SEO will really help your site, especially in visibility. Users will immediately see your website if you rank high in search engine results. If you are running a business-oriented website and you don’t do SEO, nobody will see your website and you won’t have any sales at all.

  1. You are building your website’s trust and credibility.

When you website starts to gain more traffic, this means that people see it as credible and trustworthy. When your website becomes credible and trustworthy, you are increasing its discoverability. It is really important to pay attention to your website’s credibility to gain users’ trust. Factors that will increase your site’s credibility are: good on-site SEO, quality backlinks, and social profiles.

  1. Your website will have organic traffic.

In order to complete a conversion or engagement, you should have organic traffic on your website. Organic traffic pertains to the number of naturally generated visits of internet users on a website. When we say naturally generated, it means no money was involved so it wasn’t paid in any way. When you search something, the top results are usually paid ads. However, if you click the results below those paid adds, that is organic traffic. When there are more clicks, your website traffic and ranking increases. Through SEO, you are encouraging organic traffic.

  1. Your website can offer better user experience.

Since people are busy, they need to find the things they want quickly. By having SEO, you are also improving user experience. When someone visits your website, the user experience is crucial in converting visits to sales. If your web page takes a long time to load, there is a high possibility that the user will leave your site. Since you don’t want that to happen, you should improve your website layout and page speed. When you have good SEO, you will have a positive impact on the user’s experience which will benefit your brand.

READ: Tips on Improving User Experience and Increasing Conversions

  1. SEO Is Relatively Cheap

When you use SEO for your website, it will be relatively cheaper than going for paid ads. Having good SEO is an investment and it will benefit you in the long run. SEO is also currently one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies.

Now that we’ve established the reasons why your website needs SEO, you just have to remember that your main goal is to reach your target audience as much as you can. These reasons will put you at an advantage so make sure you apply it to your website. Next, I will talk more reasons why you should have SEO on your website. If you are wondering what investments you can make for your websites, read HERE.

Hawaii SEO – All About SEO

What is SEO?

SEO stands for ‘Search Engine Optimization’. It concentrates on improving the rankings of organic search results. When I say organic, it means no payment is involved. Major search engines like Google and Bing show and rank web pages and other content based on what is most relevant to the user.

In SEO, you are optimizing your web pages so that they will rank higher in search results. Aside from higher ranking, you are also gaining more traffic for your website. When you use search engines like Google and Bing, they will provide you with long list of links that can help you. These links, or search results, are ranked according to algorithm.

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SEO has three categories: on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO. Read below to know more about each category:

On-page SEO factors

When we say on-page SEO factors, these are things you can influence within your actual website. The ranking factors in this category is mostly within the publisher’s control. On-page SEO is where you serve the needs of your web visitors. Thus, your web pages should be search engine friendly.

When you decide on the title of the article, keywords, or anything related to your web pages, you should keep in mind the needs of your target audience. When you provide necessary information, your site becomes more relevant resulting in higher rankings. Aside from that, you are also helping search engine crawlers navigate your site and help users find the information they are searching for.

Off-page SEO factors

Keep in mind that search engines don’t solely evaluate based on what is visible to the users. Aside from what is on the page, search engines also evaluate the site’s reputation, the quality of a site’s backlinks, many other factors to be able to deliver the most relevant results. Off-page SEO factors also include links form other websites, social media attention, and other marketing strategies outside your actual website.

The most important thing in these off-page factors is the number and quality of links they point towards your website. The more significant sites that link to your own site, the higher your rankings will be. Even though these factors aren’t easy to control compared to on-page SEO factors, they still must be taken into account when you are optimizing your website.

Technical SEO

Last but not the least is Technical SEO. It is referred to as “technical” because it has nothing to do with the actual content of the website. In technical SEO, it aims to optimize the overall structure of a website. With technical SEO, you are actually helping search engines access, crawl, interpret and index your website without any difficulties. Here are some practices to improve your site’s technical SEO:

Constructing 404 Pages – A 404 page is also known as an “error page” or “Page Not Found” page. You can actually optimize your technical SEO through your 404 pages. You can read more about crafting 404 pages in All About 404 Pages (Part 1) and All About 404 Pages (Part 2).

Improving Website Speed – No one likes slow websites. By improving your website speed, you are also improving your site’s technical SEO. Read more about how you can improve your site’s speed on Ways to Speed Up Your WordPress Site (Part 1) and Ways to Speed Up Your WordPress Site (Part 2).

In conclusion, SEO is the practice of optimizing websites to make them reach a high position in search results. You will get many benefits when you practice sustainable SEO. Next, I will talk about why having SEO is important. If you are interested about improving user experience, refer to Tips on Improving User Experience and Increasing Conversions.

Hawaii SEO – Things to Do Before You Publish a Blog Post (Part 3)

If you want your blog posts to be seen and read by many people, then apply the Things to Do Before You Publish a Blog Post. Below, I have curated the third and final part of the series. Read and follow them carefully if you want your posts to be noticed.

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7. ADD LINKS TO OLD POSTS

You are telling people to check out website in order for people to see what you have to offer. How can these people explore your website if you don’t link relevant pages together? This is the purpose of adding links! Of course, you would want them to stay longer on your website. You would want them to explore your blog posts.

Adding links will give them just that; they will have further reading about a topic they are interested about. Provide additional information about your point by redirecting them to another post. This may be a tutorial or simply just an additional information about a topic.

So, take time to add links to your old posts and refer them to newer ones. Same goes for the new posts, redirect people to the previous related post. Linking related articles together will help increase your page views. Visiting more pages would mean more time spent on your site!

8. OPTIMIZE YOUR POST FOR BETTER SEO RANKINGS

Search Engine Optimization (or SEO) is important part of websites today. If you want to get noticed by search engines, especially the tech giant Google, you need to follow their rules. Refer to the Google Webmaster Guidelines to know more on how you are going to optimize your website.

Stay updated on the latest news posted on Google Webmaster Central Blog to know the changes in crawling and indexing websites. Search engines, like Google, will bring traffic to your site, and it will only happen if you SEO optimize your blog posts and web pages.

9. DON’T FORGET TO ADD TAGS AND CATEGORIES TO YOUR POST

So, what are categories? Think of it this way: categories are like the chapters of your blog. In order to bring order and structure to all your posts, you will categorize them into different sections. Categories will be about the general gist of your post.

Meanwhile, tags are very specific identifiers of your posts. For instance, if you added a category of desserts, and tags your tags will be cookie recipes, cake recipes, pie recipes, and so on. The same is true if you add a category of wardrobe, you would have specific tags about tank tops, maxi dresses, formal dresses, sweaters, and etc.

Basically, tags and categories are there to help your readers narrow their search. With these things added, the readers can easily find the specific content they want. First, they can click on the broad categories provided, and then, they can proceed to clicking the specific tags.

Conclusion

Now, I am done discussing what to do BEFORE you publish a post. For my next post, I will be discussing what to do AFTER you publish your blog post. Don’t miss out on this new series of tips!

 

 

Hawaii SEO – Things to Do Before You Publish a Blog Post (Part 2)

Having a successful blog post does not magically happen! For your post to get noticed, you put immense time and effort into it. Things just doesn’t happen effortlessly. As discussed in Things to Do Before You Publish a Blog Post (Part 1), there are steps to take in order to craft a successful post.

silver MacBook Pro

If you want to improve your blog posts, then this article is for you. Before you publish your posts, be sure to follow these simple optimization tips.

4. PROVIDE AN ALT TEXT TO YOUR IMAGES

Adding an alt text to photos and images is an important factor in SEO. The website crawlers cannot see the images. So, they rely on alt text in order to know what the image is about. Then, they send their data back to search engines.

These search engines will then rank your content if it is relevant or irrelevant to the user’s search. That’s why even as simple as an alt text can be a detrimental factor to your SEO rankings.

Also, alt texts are important for social media postings. Once there’s an error retrieving your photo, the alt text will automatically appear as the image description to explain the photo that should be popping up. Thus, it is important to add enticing alt text so people can still know what you are tyring to point out. In fact, you can even add a call to action if you wish!

5. INSERT A FEATURED IMAGE

In WordPress, you have an option to add a featured image to your blog post. Think of the image as the book cover, and it should best summarize your post.  Aside from the blog post title, what stops the wandering eyes are beautiful photos.

When you will share your blog post on various social media sites, the featured image will show up. The featured image can either be an image you uploaded or an image you embedded directly to your blog post.

For you to add an image to your blog post, you need to add a new post. This can be accessed through your WordPress dashboard: Posts > Add New. Once you are on the new post page, scroll down until you see the Featured Image box on the lower right portion of the screen.

Click the Set featured image option, and choose any image that you want to use from your computer or from your media library. If you need help in finding photos, I suggest you check out What Are Royalty-Free Images and Where to Get Them.

6. TAKE TIME TO EDIT

This really does not require a special skill to be honest. All you need to do is to re-read a post just to check spelling and grammar. More than anything else, it really just takes up your time. Maybe that’s why people hate the editing part especially if you are re-reading a series of posts.

I have discussed other tips on Essential Writing Tips For Blogging and Tips on Improving User Experience and Increasing Conversions. Be sure to check these related articles out!

 

More tips posted on Things to Do Before You Publish a Blog Post (Part 3)

 

Hawaii SEO – Things to Do Before You Publish a Blog Post (Part 1)

Blogging is essential for your website. In fact, I have already discussed this on Why Is Having a Blog Important for Your Website? You would not want your blog posts to be unnoticed. It would be a waste of your time and effort if no one ever bothers to read your blog post.

person typing on laptop computer

In this article, I will help you create blog posts that will be noticed and read by a lot of people. These are the tips to follow in order for your blog post to be exposed to as many readers as possible.

What to do before you hit the publish button?

1. WORK ON YOUR POST TITLE

What does the readers see first? It’s your blog post title. Thus, you have to make sure your title grabs their attention. Through your title, you are selling content to the people on the internet.

It can make or break your post. That’s why it is important to think about an effective title. Ideally, the title should pique the interest of the readers; it should be intriguing and interesting for them to click.

Blog post titles should be short but concise. Get to the point and summarize your article in one short phrase. Strive to be descriptive in your titles. If you need help in writing the catchy blog post titles, check the list of title tips here.

2. DIVIDE YOUR POST INTO DIFFERENT SECTIONS

After readers see the title, they decide to click it. Upon reading the post, they will scan if there is, indeed, something interesting to read in this blog post. Readers don’t usually start analyzing from top to bottom. Instead, they will scan the blog posts for interesting points or they will go directly to the information they need.

So, having said this, it is best to divide your post into different sections. No one wants to read a post with just one huge chunk of texts. Write in a way that people can easily digest and read your paragraphs. Additional tips are shared on  Important Tips to Make Your Blogs Easier to Read.

You can use the different heading tags (H1 to H6), list you points using bullets and numbers, add quotes and images. Adding these things will bring order and clarity to your post.  Moreover, add your focus keyword into the headings, and it will make your blog post SEO-friendly.

3. DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION

Adding a call to action encourages your readers to act. By the end of your post, you should add something to motivate them to do something. It does not have to be grandiose. In fact, it can be as simple as encouraging them to leave a comment or share their personal opinion on the topic.

Perhaps, you can also redirect them to another blog post. Entice them to read a related article on the topic. Another option is promote your email list, and encourage them to sign up. Inform them about a freebie, and it might just help you gain a new subscriber.

When readers act on your blog post, they will definitely remember your website. For sure, they will be back for more blog posts so always encourage them to share their personal thoughts and ideas.

Want to proceed to the next? Things to Do Before You Publish a Blog Post (Part 2)

Hawaii SEO – Tips in Choosing the Right Domain Name for Your Website (Part 4)

So, we have finally arrived at the last stretch of web domain name tips. If you haven’t read my extensive explanation on choosing the right name, kindly refer to Tips in Choosing the Right Domain Name for Your Website (Part 1).

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8. No numbers or hyphens.

People assume that website names are just with alphabet characters with no spaces. That’s why adding numbers and hyphens into the mix will definitely cause confusion. As much as possible, don’t incorporate them into your domain name.

For instance, people may type theonelove.com instead of the actual name the1love.com. So, don’t add anything that will just bring confusion.

9. No double letters.

Aside from numbers and hyphens, don’t use a name that would include double letters. For instance, Ballland.com will be prone to misspellings because of ball and land, which are joined together. Choosing a domain name with double letters will be prone to traffic loss.

Avoid having consecutive letters in your domain name. Instead, make it easy to type and make the letters distinguishable.

10. Stay away from trends.

Next, avoid anything that will eventually fade like fads and trends. Choose a classic one that will still stay relevant even after many years. Moreover, avoid slang words that people may not know about because 1) they probably don’t know what it means and 2) they won’t know how to spell it.

11. Thinking of it as marrying your domain name.

You have to be certain about your domain name. It’s not something you can easily abandon once you don’t like it anymore. Once you let a name go, you will also lose the brand recognition, the trust, and the rankings tied to it.

Be careful just haphazardly renaming it or deciding to choose another name. It may hard for you to win the trust of your audience again. You have to win them over again, and it’s like starting from scratch.

Personally, I don’t recommend renaming your website once it has been around for quite some time already.

12. Use domain name generators.

If all else fails, you can always resort to using domain name generators. Of course, I want you to come up with a name on your own. However, if you are stuck, then generators can give you ideas. You can use the suggestions and turn it into some fresh.

Here are 2 tools you can use to generate domain names:

  • Wordoid. This tool is NOT just exclusive to domain name, but Wordroid will also help you think of company names and product names.
  • Lean Domain Search. All you need is to type a specific keyword and this tool will help you find available domains related to your chosen keyword.

Final Thoughts

  • Before choosing on a final domain name, please think it through. I recommend choosing a name related to your field or industry. This gives people an idea what your website is about.
  • Next, think of the long term plans of your business. For instance, if you name your website cookieswonderland, then you may want to expand your products other than cookies. You may want to expand to having muffins, cakes, and other pastries. So, think of this possibility also.
  • Check out other related articles like Website Investments You Should Spend OnThings to Establish Before Building a Website, and What A Successful Website Needs.

Hawaii Website Design – How to Have High-Quality Photos for Your Website

When it comes to a business website, high-quality visual content is extremely important. This will help your brand stand out among others. Aside from that, you are also creating a credible and professional image for your business. Whether you are collaborating with a designer or doing it yourself, you need to have high-quality photos for your website. Today, I will talk about how you can obtain high-quality visual content for your business website.

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Do I Have to Hire a Professional Photographer to Take Photos for My Website?

The answer is no. You don’t really have to hire a professional photographer. However, if you have a budget for a professional photographer, you can consider hiring one. When you have a professional photographer, you are assured with high-quality pictures for your website. Remember, professional photographers can get extremely expensive. If you don’t want to spend a lot on a professional photographer, you can try to post a job listing to hire someone for a more reasonable rate.

On the other hand, there isn’t enough budget (or no budget at all) to hire a photographer. When you are just starting your business, you tend to have lots of other expenses. But fear not! You can still get high-quality photos for your website without having to spend at all.

Moving on, you don’t have to hire a professional photographer as you can actually take the photos yourself. This will help you save money and you have complete control over your content. Here are some tips you can follow to have high-quality photos for your website:

1. Rule of Thirds

The “rule of thirds” is a basic composition rule in taking professional looking photos. To follow this rule, you must imagine breaking an image down into thirds both horizontally and vertically. As a result, you will have 9 parts like in a tic-tac-toe board. You should place the most interesting or eye-catching part of your subject on the intersection of those lines. In this way, your photo becomes more balanced.

2. Focus on the Subject

Professional looking images require the subject to be in focus. Make sure you are close enough but not too close to the point where the photo cannot be cropped later on. When you are using a smartphone, you should be able to tap on the screen to lock focus. By focusing on the subject, your photos will look more appealing.

3. Have the Proper Resolution

The resolution of your images should be high enough so that it will look good regardless if it’s viewed on a large or small screen.  A good standard to follow is 72dpi. If you are using a smartphone, don’t crop or resize the original image because the standard size of a smartphone image is usually fine. On the other hand, if you are using a professional camera, there might be a need to resize it.

4. Use Editing Tools

If you are not satisfied with the photos you’ve taken, you can always edit them. Keep in mind that when you edit your images, it’s best to make minor adjustments only. You can adjust the light and exposure without having to add filters. Speaking of filters, try not to use filters at all. If you are using a smartphone, you can try out editing applications such as Picsart, Snapseed, and/or VSCO.

Hopefully these tips will help you in having high-quality photos for your website. If you are interested, I also wrote about DIY Product Photography Tips. Next, I will discuss about what to put on a website.

Hawaii Website Design – All About 404 Pages (Part 2)

Previously, I discussed All About 404 Pages (Part 1) and I gave out three tips on how to craft great 404 pages. Today, I will continue to talk about more tips on crafting 404 pages that will benefit you and your web visitors.

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Above all else, the main goal of a great 404 page is to make the web visitors okay with not being able to find what they need even just for a moment and redirecting them back on the right track. Here are more tips to help you in crafting a great 404 page:

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Keep it simple means do not overload the user with loads of irrelevant information. Be simple and straightforward. When it comes to adding links on 404 pages, only include links that are relevant to solving the issue faced by the user. When it comes to the overall layout of your 404 page, you can keep it simple while still being artistic. Simple and attractive layout can soothe the user’s frustration.

CREATE CONTACT FORM

While you can simply provide a support email address, it is more ideal to create a contact form. When a user encounters a problem on your site, it will be easier for them to alert you about it through contact forms. Now, do not include the contact form directly on your 404 page. Instead, you can add a link on your 404 page that will lead the user to your contact form.

MAKE IT FUN AND FRIENDLY

We all know how frustrating it can be when we stumble upon a broken link. To lessen the user’s frustration, you can choose to craft a fun and friendly 404 page. This is an opportunity to show your brand’s personality and capture the user’s attention. You can include humorous elements to your 404 page but make sure it has a connection with the rest of your page. Aside from humorous elements, you can try to incorporate warm and lively tones to give that friendly feel to your website.

ADD A CHAT BOT

This is not necessary but it is an option that you can take into consideration. When it comes to chat bots, users find it helpful while some find it annoying. As much as possible, you don’t want to annoy your web visitors so try not to add a bot that instantly pops up when a user lands on your page. A much better option would be to simply add a “Click to Chat” option. This will encourage the user to engage with the bot first rather than getting annoyed by intrusive chat bots.

Ideally, you don’t want anyone to find your 404 page. But if they do, make sure that your 404 page contains everything that will help the user to interact more with your website. Inform the user what had occured and how he can easily get out of the situation. For the next discussion, I will talk about how to get high-quality stock photos for your website. If you are interested about typography, read Everything You Need To Know About Typography.

Hawaii Website Design – All About 404 Pages (Part 1)

When you are on a trip with poorly-given directions, your entire experience could possibly be ruined. However, it doesn’t always have to end in a disaster. This is just like when a user visits a website and ends up on a 404 page. In your 404 page, you can actually do more than simply informing your user that something went wrong.

Error, Not Found, 404, Lego, Mistake, 4, 0, Number

There are several reasons why a website visitors ends up on a 404 page. It could either be because they clicked on a broken link or typed in a wrong URL. Most of the time, when users stumble upon a 404 error page, they exit right away. This is why it’s very important to craft a 404 page that is informative so that you can guide your users back on the right track.

Back in the day, the usual set-up of a 404 page is bland messaging with little to no visual elements. However, as years pass by, there are sites that go over and beyond when it comes to their 404 pages. Your website should have an interesting and interactive 404 page to encourage your visitors to engage more. If you are able to create a wonderful 404 page, you can avoid your web visitors from being lost and confused. When it comes to crafting 404 pages, the main goal is to successfully redirect your users through clear navigation and support.

Now that we’ve established what a 404 page is, I will share some tips in crafting great 404 pages.

  1. Be artistic

You have a lot of empty space at your disposal, so make the most out of it. Creating a whole page with interesting elements can ease the user’s frustrations. Just make sure that it’s related to what your business offers and suits your overall brand image.

  1. Make it interactive

Inserting interactive elements on your 404 page can be eye-catching. It could be a simple as adding animated elements that respond to cursor movements to something grand like the now-famous dinosaur game by Google. By making an interactive 404 error page, you are briefly distracting your web visitor. It’s entirely up to you how to make your 404 page interactive.

  1. Incorporate navigation tools

Your web visitor might have been briefly distracted by the interactive elements of your 404 pages, they still have to find what they were looking for in the first place. You can help them achieve this by incorporating navigation tools on your 404 page. By doing so, you are creating a 404 page that is easy to navigate. This will also result in reducing the user’s frustration. Your web visitors will appreciate it if you add a search function or even  links that will redirect them to the working parts of your website.

“Do not rule out the possibility that a visitor may have arrived from a different website. Since they might have little to no knowledge about your website, it’s best to redirect them to your homepage. This will encourage your web visitors to engage with your website more.”

Those are some of the many tips in crafting great 404 pages. Keep in mind that a 404 page is also an opportunity for you to improve user experience, showcase your brand’s personality, and eventually convert a lost visitor into becoming an engaged customer. Next time, I will give more tips on crafting 404 pages. If you are interested about microcopy, read Microcopy And Why It Matters.

Hawaii Website Design – Tips on Improving User Experience and Increasing Conversions

Last time, I talked to you about How You Can Use Microcopy on Your Website. Today, I will discuss about improving user experience and increasing conversions. I will tell you what it’s all about, why it’s important, and share some tips as well. If you want your website or brand to be successful and stay relevant, you must invest in great user experience.

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What is User Experience?

User Experience, often dubbed as UX, refers to the overall experience of a user resulting from the use of a product, system, or service. The user experience helps determine whether your website has seen an increase in conversion rates or in bounce rate.

Why is User Experience Important?

If you are running a business-oriented website, a great user experience will help you establish your brand. It can also attract more customers for your website. Another thing that UX can do for your website is to influence your customer whether they should buy your product or not. Investing in great user experience will help you in increasing conversions and creating a strong customer base.

How to Improve User Experience and Increase Conversions

Now that you know what user experience is and its importance, I will now share some tips with you. Hopefully, these tips will help you in improving user experience and conversions.

• Inform your users

You might be wondering, “how exactly will this help me in improving user experience and conversion?”

Users need to know everything about a certain product from its benefit, purpose, and value. When you inform them with the correct information, you are reducing the user’s doubts and establishing trust. Once they know what’s in it for them, you are empowering your users. This will eventually lead to increased conversions.

• Remote user testing

• Great user onboarding

• Fix 404 pages