I was just wondering what I need to do to get my name out there. I'm a seamstress specializing in country/western style wedding attire. I google "Oklahoma seamstress" and no one pops up. How do I get it out there so that if a person needs a seamstress in Oklahoma my name pops up?
Jill aka Territory Mom
The first step to getting found is to pick your keywords and phrases. Jill has decided on "Oklahoma seamstress." That's a pretty good description of what she is. But to pick the right keywords, you have to also know what people search for. What is your customer thinking when they sit down to search for the solution you offer? They don't know your name, or your business yet. All they know is their own problem. In Jill's case, other good phrases could be "custom sewing," or "country wedding dresses."
To help you find the right keywords for your business, it would help to know which terms get searched for most often. For beginners, I recommend the Google Search-based Keyword Tool (though technical types may like the precision of Google Adwords Keyword Tool). Put in a phrase you are considering, and it will show you how many searches use that phrase, and many related phrases to consider.
Make a list of a few of the best phrases that represent the solution you offer. You'll use that list in the second step...
Make a list of a few of the best phrases that represent the solution you offer. You'll use that list in the second step...
Spread the (Key)Word
Now that you know what phrases you want to be known for, get them out there everywhere.- Use those phrases in a natural way throughout your website.
- Start writing blog posts with those phrases.
- Get others to link to you using those phrases.
- Put them in your profiles on different services, like Twitter.
- Go multi media, and include the key phrases on sites like Flickr and YouTube.
Jill already has a simple blog for her sewing, New Territory Co, where she can start to include her keywords and phrases more often. She could also post pictures of her dresses on Flickr, and include her key phrases "Oklahoma seamstress" and "country wedding dresses" in the descriptions. She can even put a link back to her site.
Sometimes, you don't realize that you are leaving out an important word. One client leads safaris in Africa. Well, we didn't say "Africa" very often on the site, because from every picture and everything else we said, you could just tell it was in Africa! But, the search engines couldn't just tell. We had to go back and find natural places in the text to say the word "Africa." Watch for this type of problem in your own writing.
Sometimes, you don't realize that you are leaving out an important word. One client leads safaris in Africa. Well, we didn't say "Africa" very often on the site, because from every picture and everything else we said, you could just tell it was in Africa! But, the search engines couldn't just tell. We had to go back and find natural places in the text to say the word "Africa." Watch for this type of problem in your own writing.
Suggestions for Jill
Consider taking a look at Jill's Oklahoma country wedding dresses site, and see what else you might suggest. (You did notice that I linked using her keywords, right? I thought so.)
SEO and the Art of Getting Found
The art of getting found in search engines is called "SEO" or "search engine optimization." I asked for basic guides to include here, and I think the best came from my friend Bhupesh Shah, @ethnicomm on Twitter. He agreed to share this presentation he created for a local small business group.
He said, "SEO seems to be a daunting task but then again so is surgery if you’re not experienced. :) "
Thank you, Bhupesh.
If you'd like to offer some suggestions for Jill, I'm sure she'd love your comments. And if you have links to other great basic SEO resources, please add them in the comments.
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