Monthly SEO Calendar

..because everything is done with a purpose

Step by Step ways to improve your SEO for the first half of the year

KEYWORDSTake this month to focus on identifying the right keywords for your company. These are the terms that your potential customers would type into Google to find you. Once you have established which words are right for you, keep a list and work off of them (contact a professional service, advertising agency or use Google AdWords for more assistance). Try to stay within a budget and do not focus on words that are far too generic. As an example, if you are a company that sells screen printed t-shirts, you want to be specific to the area and products offered. Instead of using the keywords ‘screen printed shirts’, you may want to research ‘screen printed shirts in Ocean County, NJ’. It is important to search for keywords based on search volume and rankings on Google. Keywords are a MUST, so if you feel this is too complicated for you, many reputable ad agencies can affordably assist you with this task.

SOCIALIZE When asked what social media is, the average small business owner will use two examples: Facebook and Twitter. Although these are both valuable and highly trafficked platforms, there are many more you need to add to your list. Begin this month by establishing your business page on at least 5 social sites. This does not mean add your listing and then never touch it or add to it again. Create, update and add information to the following 5 Social Media Giants at least once a week:

1. Facebook2. Twitter3. Google Plus4. Tumblr5. Pinterest

CONTENTFocus on adding relevant and new content to your site. Adding a blog post can be the easiest way to go about this. Bringing you back to January, you want to be sure to work off of your keyword sheet. Writing about topics related to the phrases that you want to win is your goal for March. If you are a pool company, write about pools, but not in the same way as you would write an ad. As an example, perhaps write about ways to open your pool in the spring and incorporate words into the article. You want to give a customer a reason to come back, so establishing yourself as a reliable source in the business is essential. Data, helpful tip and useful information is a great place to start if you are searching for topics to write about.

SITEMAP This month, focus on enabling clean maps for search engines via sitemap. This is essentially a way to organize the site so that Google and other engines can locate the data faster and with a greater rate of efficiency. It seems like it would be difficult, but installing a XML sitemap is simple and affordable in comparison to NOT having it. Research topics of how to build/create your own sitemap or contact a web design company to have it done. It is like asking for directions and being told the name of the town without turn by turn instructions. It’s great to know where you are going, but how do you get there and what is in between here and there? Telling the search engines all that you have to offer can be as simple as adding this feature.

TRACKING It’s time to track your results and identify what is working and perhaps what is not. Going through Google Analytics or contacting a marketing agency for a quick review is highly recommended this month. Think of it as a ‘check up’, you cannot fix what you do not know is broken, right? Beef up those things that are showing great progress and perhaps improve upon or remove the methods that are not. This tool will assist you in identifying your audience, your traffic and the routes that they take to get to you.

META-TAG Make sure that the target keyword or phrase is in your meta title tag and included on all pages and meta descriptions of content. Do not cram keywords into sentences; use the meta descriptions in natural ways. If you need to repeat a word, then utilize synonyms. This will improve your search engine listing by placing it into the appropriate category. Tags assist webmasters to properly analyze and place the company offerings and website. Research and learn how to do this yourself or contact a professional for assistance. This is an affordable, yet highly effective way to gain more exposure and rank higher.