Sadly, I can’t remember the last time I ventured onto High Wycombe high street. Like many other shoppers, I have been tempted away by Eden, High Wycombe’s suite of younger, prettier shops.

There is no doubt it is tough times for Wycombe businesses, which is why – whether you are Maurice’s Pet Shop, or a global tech business - having an up-to-date, Google-grabbing website is essential for attracting new business and raising revenue. But in these bleak business times is your website working hard enough? 

With peoples’ attention spans shorter than a gnat’s whisker it is no good appearing on page four of Google’s search results, by then your buyer has opened the first two links, spied what they want, bagged it and run. 

To give your website the edge on Google, it is important that each page is given the full SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) treatment, which is basically making sure that Google understands exactly what it is you do.  

Here are 9 tips to make your website work harder for you:

1. Keywords - The first step to website wonderment is to identify the relevant keywords for your business. This is relatively simple; all you have to do is concentrate on the words that people type into a search engine to find the services you offer.

For example, if you sell fishing tackle, users might type in ‘fishing tackle’, ‘fishing rods’ or ‘fishing equipment.’ You also need to identify location-based keywords, as people often type in what they are looking for followed by the location. For example, ‘fishing tackle High Wycombe’.

Much better than the power of guesswork however, is to employ some nifty tools to find relevant keywords for you, such as, Google Analytics or the Google Adwords keywords function.

2. Once you have identified your relevant keywords, try to use them in your website domain name. For example, calling your website www.billybass.co.uk doesn’t include information about what you do, where as ‘billsfishingtackleinwycombe.co.uk’ does.

3. As well as including a selection of carefully chosen keywords in your META description - the short description of your business below your Google listing - also use your main keywords in each of your page URLs, or web page addresses. For example: www.billsfishingtackle.co.uk/fly-fishing-tackle

4. Another way to improve your ranking is to make sure that you include your primary keyword in all your page headings and subheading tags.

5. Pepper your keywords throughout the text on all of your web pages. You shouldn’t over stuff your content with keywords as it will read oddly; instead use them in the natural flow of the text. Also bold keywords where you use them as this reinforces what your content is about.   

6. If you link to another page on your site, use your keywords in the link as this will help improve your site ranking too. For example, if on page one you are discussing fishing rods and you mention fishing bait, you may want to include a link to another page selling fishing bait. Avoid using ‘click here’ to take your reader to another page, instead make the keyword the link. For example: ‘find out more about fishing bait’
      
7. Meaningful, well-written content is a must for a successful website. Google prioritises sites with quality, authoritative content about a subject, and although it may take time to write (or a little investment if you hire a professional copywriter to do it) it will boost your website ranking.

8. Get back-links. Another way to improve your site ranking is to try to get listed on other reputable, highly ranked sites in your same field of work. You can do this by offering to write a guest post on a subject which you know lots about, or add a tantalising blog to your own site that people with the same interest will share. The up shot is, the more sites that link to your site, the more gold stars Google will give you.

9. As soon as your site is finished, submit it to Google. Don’t expect things to happen overnight, it can take several weeks for Google to index a new site. In the meantime, work on creating some worthwhile back-links from other quality sites that operate in your field.

These are just the basics and there are several more techniques you can use to enhance your Google ranking.  If you are launching, or already have an online business, it is important that your website has all the ingredients that Google loves, this may take a little time but the reward of fresh, hungry custom will be well worth it.

For further free friendlly advice drop by at http:www.melissablamey.com or follow me on Twitter @melissa blamey.

Stay classy High Wycombe.