I recently read a trend report from data analytics company Style Sage, which broke down some of the top searched home industry words on the internet. The report found significant increases over the past three months in search terms related to the outdoor room: “portable air conditioner” (+533%), “outdoor rug” (+251%), “air conditioner” (+231%), “Weber grill” (+160%) and “patio furniture” (+143%).
Obviously, a good chunk of this growth can be attributed to the season—people are in the market for outdoor items to enjoy summer weather. But even so, the data shows how much consumers are relying on the internet to research (and possibly even buy) the items for their outdoor space.
Knowing that, it’s incredibly important for you and your business to show up in those searches. Here are a few simple tips from GoDaddy.com for ensuring your business shows up in internet searches.
- Create or Optimize a Google My Business Page
If you don’t already have one, it’s time to create a Google My Business Page. This will improve your standing with Google, and increase your likelihood of showing up in organic local searches.
If you already have a page, be sure to optimize it, particularly leading into the season so that you will land at the top of searches. Doing things like posting photos of new products, adding keywords to your profile, and regularly sharing offers and events will improve your business’s chances of showing up higher in search results.
2. Generate Google My Business Reviews
We all know reviews are a powerful tool online that can hurt or help your business, and they also can help keep you at the top of searches. Encourage customers to leave reviews by incentivizing them—offer a discount or small gift as a token of gratitude for leaving a positive review.
3. Add your business to relevant local directories.
There are so many platforms consumers can use to find your business—if you have a profile. Adding a business page to platforms like Facebook, Yelp, etc., can help make it easier for potential customers to find you. And be sure to maintain those profiles with regular updates and posts—a dormant profile can deter potential customers.
4. Optimize your homepage meta title and description
The meta title and description are lines of code on the backend of your website that tell search engines more about your website. To optimize, choose the main target keywords related to your business and be sure to use them in the title and description.
5. Make sure your NAP is correct
NAP—short for name, address, and phone number—might seem like a no-brainer to have not only on your website, but any other directory on the web listing your business. But if there are typos, incorrect numbers or different versions of your address across the web, this can hurt your search placement. Make sure you’re consistent with the spelling of the business name, format of the address and correct telephone number.
Want more? Check out the full list here.