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One of the major challenges facing businesses is how to increase their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to foster higher visibility and reach with their website or social media outlets. A quick way to gain a larger audience is to promote your site or purchase an ad through search engines but the traffic isn’t always as valuable through that method as it would be if it were obtained organically. The challenge then becomes, especially for a smaller business, is how to increase your SEO status without breaking the bank. This article will reveal some relatively simple actions to take in order to boost SEO on a budget. Content Creating your own blog articles, infographics, or sharing other relevant information for your target audience is always a great way to boost the appeal of your website. Something to keep in mind while creating the content is to make it as unique as possible because that is what will stand out most in search engines. Using a tool like Google Keyword Tool will allow you to insert your topic in and rank what relevant terms have been searched the most and has the highest competition. Pick a few keywords that can be easily applied to your article in the title and throughout the body that have low competition but high number of searches to contribute to your SEO. Linking Within the content you create and share across your various mediums, insert links as much as possible. Link back to other articles you have written or to other relevant articles on the topic. When a larger website links to your article you will see the most impact on SEO. However, it is still important to focus on quantity over quality because it is harder to attain linkage with larger sites than with other small businesses. Every link inserted contributes to SEO and is relatively easy to accomplish. Social Media Not only is social media a great way to engage audiences, but it also lends to SEO. Search engines like Yahoo and Bing both utilize social media as a ranking signal so make sure your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and any other social media outlet shares your content and incorporates link for maximum exposure and SEO. Also, your followers on the different social media channels may choose to advocate your offerings or content by sharing amongst their own followers. The more shares you get, the more it will boost your overall SEO so utilize social sharing buttons within your site to make it easy for visitors to share your content throughout their social media. Design There are different design elements you should consider, within your particular website, in order to boost SEO as well. 1.Reduce Code Bloat: Minimize code by adding scripts and CSS files to external files in order to reduce the time that search engine spiders have to take to find the actual content. 2.Utilize Meta Description Tags: Give an overview of what the site is about which will attract visitors when they notice your listing during a search. However, you need to make each meta description unique as well in order to differentiate itself in search engines. 3.Reduce Repetitive Wording: We cannot stress enough how important unique content is for SEO, so make sure that you limit repetitive wording within the actual website itself. 4.Footer Links: By adding footer links, you add to ease of navigation throughout your website but also can boost SEO rankings. You do this by using target SEO keywords within the text located in the footer links and making sure everything links up properly. SEO is a process that requires time and patience by most businesses and will never come overnight. Instead, by utilizing techniques like those mentioned above you can improve it steadily and increase your odds of building your sites SEO. Also, there are organizations like the National Association of Distinguished Professionals that can mentor you in additional ways to increase your SEO. Utilize all the resources you can obtain because it is becoming ever more apparent of the importance SEO has for a sites success. Sources: Cleanthous, Alex. "9 Ways To Improve the SEO of Every Website You Design." Six Revisions. N.p., 10 Apr. 2010. Web. 20 Aug. 2013. <http://sixrevisions.com/web_design/improve-seo-website-design/>. Rickerby, Andre. "4 Ways to Improve Your SEO and Increase Your Traffic." The Etsy Blog. Etsy Inc., 28 May 2013. Web. 20 Aug. 2013. <http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2013/4-ways-to-improve-your-seo/>.
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