Many SEO professionals are too dead set on attaining the top spot of high ranking keywords that they forget that low hanging fruit strategies are also significant in achieving long-term SEO goals. Not only are they easier to achieve (i.e. they don’t require much effort on the part of SEO professionals), they also yield faster and more efficient outcomes.
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What are the low hanging fruit of SEO? How can we attain them to improve sales, site traffic and search engine rank?
• Keep your title tags well-optimized
One of the most vital aspects of SEO both for users and search engine bots are your pages’ titles tags. Make sure that your tags are excellently written and that they contain targeted keywords in order to achieve greater click-through rates and higher rankings in search results. Don’t stuff them with too many keywords though as that could make it look like spam.
A great suggestion is to keep them relevant, unique and short (preferably within 70 characters). Include your brand name if possible. Remember to also add a few differentiating points like “FREE ___”. Avoid using too many articles and fillers like the and but.
• Include optimized meta tags
Just as your title tags are, your meta description tags should be well-optimized as it appears on search results and contributes to site traffic.
For greater online visibility and click-through rates, it’s good to implement the same ideas that you do for title tags. Keep meta descriptions original and relevant; include keywords as well (without overstuffing). Meta descriptions should be approximately 160 characters or less to prevent truncation.
• Utilize site links
Employing site links allows better site navigation for users in that they let users easily find information in search engines. They also result to greater click-through rates. Assess your site link structure and determine areas for improvement. Apply appropriate and relevant links, and use brief but descriptive anchor text.
• Take advantage of rich snippets
Installing rich snippets lets users gain instant and concise information about your brand, thereby decreasing your bounce rate while increasing click through rate. They may come in various forms, including videos, author and photo snippets.
• Use Google Places
9Dotstrategies Google Places Sample
With Google Places, you can mark your business location on a map followed by an online verification process through Google. Through this tool, you can direct more traffic to your site and encourage customers to share, recommend and rate your business. If there are reviews under your tab, you can also create a response to these for better customer interaction.
• Install call-to-action links or badges
Many businesses who have websites employ some sort of call-to-action text, button, badge or banner so that users would be encouraged to take further action on the site, thus increasing their conversion rates. These actions may include newsletter sign-up, offers for cart add-ons or product testing, and requests for user information.
These are just some of the most commonly used low hanging fruit strategies, but there are others that you can still explore to help boost your website’s performance without exerting much SEO effort.
