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What is SEO, and how to do it

VA working from home

SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” It is the process of optimizing (improving and enhancing) a website or online content to improve its visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). The goal of SEO is to increase the quantity and quality of traffic to a website from search engines through organic search results.

Techniques used in SEO include optimizing the website’s structure and content, as well as building backlinks from other websites to the site being optimized.

The problem is that most businesses don’t set their websites right from the start with the basics, so they need to do some work before they can start doing SEO.

You can’t improve something that does not yet exist, so before we look at doing SEO, let’s have a look at your website and see how you’ve set it up.

Optimizing the website’s structure and content

Optimizing a website’s structure and content refers to the process of making sure that the website is easily crawlable and understandable by search engines. This includes a variety of technical and content-related best practices.

Some ways to optimize the website structure include:

  • Using a clear and consistent navigation structure
  • Using a hierarchy of headings (e.g., H1, H2, H3)
  • Creating a sitemap (see below)
  • Making sure the website is mobile-friendly
  • Ensuring that the website is accessible to people with disabilities

In terms of content optimization, there are several best practices to follow, such as:

  • Using relevant keywords throughout the website’s content
  • Creating high-quality, unique and informative content
  • Using alt-text for images
  • Creating meta tags for the website’s pages
  • Writing interesting and compelling titles and descriptions for the website’s pages
  • Use structured data

By following these best practices, a website can be more easily indexed and understood by search engines, which can in turn improve the website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

It should be noted that SEO is an ever-evolving field, and changes in the algorithm of Search Engines could make some practices outdated, it’s important to keep updated with the latest trends and best practices.

Empty office waiting for clients
Empty office waiting for clients to arrive

how do you create a “sitemap” on a WordPress website

A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website and is used by search engines to crawl and index your website more efficiently. There are several ways to create a sitemap for a WordPress website, including using a plugin or manually creating the file.

One popular method to create a sitemap on a WordPress website is to use a plugin, such as Google XML Sitemaps. Once the plugin is installed and activated, it will automatically create a sitemap of your website and update it as you add or remove content. This plugin also can ping the main search engines such as google, bing, yahoo and more for updating the crawler about the new content.

Another method to create a sitemap is by using online sitemap generator that can take your website url as input and generate a sitemap for it. Once you have the sitemap file, you can upload it to your website’s root directory and then you can submit it to search engines like Google Search Console.

It’s worth noting that many SEO plugins, like Yoast or All in One SEO includes the functionality of generating and updating sitemap for your website.

SEO processes SEO experts regularly use

There are many different SEO processes that SEO experts use to improve a website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). Here are a few examples:

  1. Keyword research: Identifying the keywords and phrases that people are using to search for products or services similar to those offered on the website. These keywords are then used throughout the website’s content, meta tags, and URLs to help the site rank for those terms.
  2. On-page optimization: Optimizing various elements of the website, such as title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and content. This can include using relevant keywords, ensuring that the site is mobile-friendly, and making sure that the site is accessible to people with disabilities.
  3. Technical SEO: Analyzing and making sure that the website is technically sound and free of any errors that could prevent search engines from properly crawling and indexing the site. This can include implementing structured data (Schema.org) and making sure that the site is secure (by using HTTPS)
  4. Backlink building: Obtaining links from other websites to the site being optimized. This is an important factor in improving a website’s visibility and ranking as search engines use links as a way to measure the credibility of a website.
  5. Content creation: Creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content that is relevant to the target audience. This can include blog posts, articles, infographics, videos and more.
  6. Analytics tracking: Setting up and monitoring analytics tools, like Google Analytics, to track website traffic, bounce rate, time on site, and other data points to make informed decisions about website improvements.
  7. Monitoring and Reporting: Regular monitoring of the website’s progress, keep an eye on the SERP ranking and report back to the client or stakeholders.

Where do you go from here?

These are just a few examples of SEO processes that SEO experts might use to improve a website’s visibility and ranking. SEO is a ever-evolving field and SEO experts would have to keep updated with the latest trends and techniques.

This is why SEO is one of the things Small Business owners regularly outsource to marketing professionals, particularly if you use Google ads. If you don’t get the SEO basics right, Google doesn’t know exactly who to send to your website.

Even if you pay more for your ads, this won’t help you get sales if your website can’t convert them into clients, and you also waste more money on retargeting to people that are not your ideal clients.

Small Businesses can’t afford to do that.

If you’d like to know more about what you can do right now, you can book a free chat HERE.

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Steps to earning extra income now even if you have no money

The steps to starting a business and earning extra income

You may think startups are a young person’s game. However, there is a big difference between being a startup and starting a business.

Just like being an Entrepreneur, which is a buzz term with the kool kids who proudly wear the badge of being known as a startup business owner. For most successful Entrepreneurs, the first thing they generally do after they start a business is get someone else in to run it. In fact, research shows that 60% of new businesses are run by someone over 40 years old. It is a different skill set.

Our own research into who was interested in bootstrap startups revealed (surprisingly) that over 60% of our market for this was over 50 years (young), with the largest segment 65+. But when you think about the fact that last year in Australia, 200,000 retirees went back to flexible employment arrangements to get paid to do what they love, this was no surprise to us. Our network is full of them, and they are all willing to give back their experience to people their grandkids age as their own kids likely don’t listen to them.

Startup Group
Startup Group

What is a “bootstrap startup”?

Bootstrap startups are businesses that are started and run with little or no external funding. This means that the founders rely on their own resources, such as personal savings and revenue generated from the business, to finance the startup. Bootstrap startups are often attractive to entrepreneurs who want to maintain control over their business and avoid taking on debt or giving up equity to outside investors.

Many different types of people may be interested in bootstrap startups, including entrepreneurs who want to start their own businesses, people who are looking for an alternative to traditional employment, and individuals who are looking to create a more flexible and independent lifestyle. Some people may also be attracted to bootstrap startups because they allow for more creativity and innovation, as the founders are not bound by the expectations or constraints of outside investors.

There are a few reasons why bootstrap startups may be becoming more popular. One reason is that the cost of starting a business has decreased in recent years due to advances in technology and the proliferation of tools and resources available to entrepreneurs. This has made it easier for people to start businesses on their own, without the need for significant external funding.

Another reason bootstrap startups are more popular.

Another reason is that the economic climate in recent years has made it more difficult for startups to secure funding from traditional sources such as venture capital firms or banks. This has led more entrepreneurs to consider alternative financing options, such as bootstrapping, to get their businesses off the ground.

Finally, the rise of the gig economy and the increasing popularity of flexible work arrangements have made it more attractive for people to start their own businesses, as it allows them to have more control over their work and personal lives. This has contributed to the popularity of bootstrap startups as a viable career option.

The steps to starting a business and earning extra income
The steps to starting a business and earning extra income

Where is the best place to start?

Having a strong online presence is important for businesses today, as more and more people are using the internet to find products and services.

Here are some tips for building a strong online presence:

  1. Build a website: Your website is the center of your online presence. Make sure it is well-designed, user-friendly, and up-to-date.
  2. Use social media: Set up accounts on relevant social media platforms and use them to connect with potential customers. Post regularly, interact with users, and share valuable content.
  3. Encourage online reviews: Online reviews can be a powerful way to attract new customers. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your website, social media accounts, and review websites like Yelp and Google My Business.
  4. Use search engine optimization (SEO): Make sure your website is optimized for search engines so that it appears at the top of search results when people search for keywords related to your business.
  5. Use email marketing: Email marketing can be a powerful tool for reaching out to potential customers and keeping them informed about your business.

We recommend doing this as an 8 week campaign as part of a 3 month seasonal marketing strategy. It’s important to stick to the plan and let the campaign run its course. You do what’s called a 90 day reset, which given you a break and the opportunity to improve your strategy for the next 3 month.

But you don’t stop your marketing after 8 weeks. If you turn off your marketing machine, it is hard to start it up again. This is when do the things again that worked in the first 8 weeks to see if it is repeatable success. This is when you do you split test, or A/B tests, so you can improve the result and freshen up your content.

You keep doing what is working for you, and Include them in the next season’s marketing. Not everything will work, but it helps you build your customer focus and get repeat business, which is an important step to becoming a profitable business.

By following these tips, you can build a strong online presence that helps attract new customers and grow your sales.

Online-presence-help-done-for-small-business
Online-presence-help-done-for-small-business

Steps to improve your customer service right from startup

There are several steps that small businesses can take to focus on customer service:

  1. Set clear customer service goals: Clearly defined goals can help you stay focused on providing excellent customer service.
  2. Train your employees: Proper training can ensure that your employees are equipped to handle customer queries and concerns effectively.
  3. Foster a customer-centric culture: Encourage your employees to prioritize customer satisfaction in all interactions and make sure that they understand the importance of providing excellent customer service.
  4. Stay responsive: Respond to customer inquiries and complaints in a timely manner, and make sure that you follow up to ensure that their concerns have been addressed.
  5. Seek feedback: Ask your customers for their feedback on your products or services and use their input to make improvements.
  6. Be proactive: Anticipate customer needs and proactively offer assistance to make their experience with your business as seamless as possible.
  7. Show appreciation: Acknowledge and show appreciation for your customers. This can be as simple as thanking them for their business or offering them a discount on their next purchase.

By following these steps, your small business can focus on providing excellent customer service and build trust and loyalty with your customers.

Don’t think you can do this yourself? We hear that a lot.

No matter what your age the technology to do all this is very simple and user-friendly. You can book a free advice session, and tell us all the excuses you have for not doing what you love. Book a quick discovery call HERE and we can debunk the myths and get you on your way.