Loading ...If there’s one principle Google seems to rule by, it’s the principle of pleasing site users. All of the search engine’s rules and advice can ultimately be distilled down to this one point. On most subjects, the search engine giant is fairly evasive, but the one hard-and-fast thing the company is willing to say, and say often, is ‘work to please your users.’
The search engine says this so often that it’s a foolish business that ignores it. Although search engine optimisation is usually about pleasing the search engines, in a number of things SEO comes down to pleasing users as well. The usability of a site for human viewers is something that should never be forgotten.
In many areas, it might feel a little anti-instinctual to work to please your site users. After all, you didn’t build your site to suit them… or did you? Many companies forget that without internet users, their website is merely an expensive digital business card. Here are some things that will help you retain users and ultimately boost your site’s search engine optimisation.
- Be a valuable (free) resource: If there’s one thing internet users love, it’s free information. With so much information freely available on the net, any site that attaches an obvious cost to their pages is at a major disadvantage. The cost might be tangible, like a subscriber fee, or something a little more devious, like answering a survey, but it’s guaranteed to put most users off.
- Reward good behaviour: One way to attract internet users back to your pages is to show how much you appreciate them. Posting valued comments on your main pages, listing recent subscribers or running competitions can all help increase the number of return users to your site, and will encourage new users to stay.
- Give feedback: Something that encourages users to return above everything else is when you develop a real, personal relationship with them. Commenting within your own comments section and answering user questions is a great way to strengthen the feeling of community around your site. This kind of interaction makes your site’s users feel as if they have a solid relationship with you.
- Answer their needs: A web page that doesn’t immediately answer its target user’s needs can damage a search engine optimisation campaign by increasing the page’s bounce rate. Your SEO campaign will target certain keywords. If all goes well, an internet user will choose your listing from a long list of your competitors. If your page doesn’t answer the user’s needs, however, they will bounce right back to the SERPs. It is absolutely vital that you identify and clearly answer the needs of your target user group.
- Like them: This is one key to retaining site users that a lot of companies miss, simply because it can’t be faked. If you have no interest in your site’s users as people, everything you do is going to be a little harder. Try to find an angle that really interests you.
Related posts:
- Is your site usable?
- Target Users Can Be Grouped By Locality
- Are Your Pages Deterring Internet Users?
- Help! My site is missing!
- What Google Measures On Your Site
Tags: Keywords, Search Engine Optimisation, SEO campaign
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