shines Here at shines & jecker labs, we build websites, so we end up dipping our toes into the SEO and online marketing pool by way of providing customers with the best product we can. That being said, we are not SEO specialists or marketing experts, and at this point, our intent is not to grow our business to include those particular services in a robust fashion. All the same, we get routine requests for SEO and marketing help, so here is our resource guide to educating yourself on what you really need to help you in your quest to find the best support for your needs. This article will focus on WordPress sites because that’s what we work with most frequently.
First things first: let’s talk bots.
Throughout this article, I’m going to use the term “bots.” What I’m referring to is the little pieces of code that search engines use to read your site in order to figure out when they should send people to you.
How easily can bots get around your site?
When a search engine bot finds your site, it’s going to be more able to make sense of your site if you’ve given it what it needs to get around.
Terms to Search & Implement:
- XML Sitemap
- Robots.txt
- Google Webmaster/Search Console
Plugin Support:
Yoast is the most popular for managing this kind of functionality and a bunch of other SEO things.
Go Deeper:
WordPress SEO 101 – Torque
Ultimate WordPress SEO Guide for Beginners – WP Beginner
Get Help:
We offer support for this on sites that we host and maintain.
How accessible is your site?
Google cares about how easy your site is for humans to understand, which means paying attention to accessibility. Essentially, this means making sure that the person requiring the most software support on the smallest, slowest device on the worst network can still effectively find the information they need.
Terms to Search & Implement:
- Responsive design
- Responsive images
- Site speed optimization
- Nested headings
- Meta-info on photos for SEO
Plugin Support:
Yoast will help with things like the meta-info on images, but some of this testing will require deeper technical work than a plugin can offer.
Go Deeper:
Developing Bot Vision – shines & jecker labs
Struggles Seniors Face When Surfing the Web – shines & jecker labs
Get Help:
We offer support for this on sites that we host and maintain.
Are you a local business?
If you’re a business with local customers trying to attract local attention (e.g., foot traffic to your store), there are some special considerations to keep in mind.
Terms to Search & Implement:
- Google My Business
- Backlinks
Plugin Support:
Sorry, folks. There’s no magic band-aid for this one.
Go Deeper:
Clean Up Your Bad Backlinks – Yoast
2017 Local Search Ranking Factors – Moz
The Best Types of Content for Local Businesses – Moz
Get Help:
We offer consulting and tech support to get you started. If you have larger on-going needs, you’ll be better supported by someone with a focus on SEO and content marketing.
Are you thinking about marketing?
This is the area we get the most questions that tend to receive the least follow-through, because the truth about online marketing is that you need to invest a lot of human resources to make headway.
Terms to Search & (maybe) Implement:
- Social media marketing
- Content marketing
- eNews marketing
- Google Analytics
- Google AdWords
Plugin Support:
Yoast, again, has some helpful features for content marketing, if you choose to use them. Jetpack includes an option for pushing blog posts directly to social media.
Go Deeper:
5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Use AdWords – Forbes
Being Human – shines & jecker labs
Great Content Brutally Murdered By Lazy Headline – shines & jecker labs
70 Email Marketing Stats Every Marketer Should Know – Campaign Monitor
Get Help:
We offer consulting and tech support to get you started. We provide support in creating and implementing online marketing plans, but many customers find it more cost effective to carry out the plans internally.