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A top Dublin SEO firm will have you racing ahead of the opposition towards the finish line where cash, champagne, and boutiques of flowers await.
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Need SEO Dublin? 15 Secret Tips your competition doesn’t want you to know!
In this blog post, I will discuss everything SEO Dublin and some key areas you should look out for when deciding to hire SEO services in Dublin.
Here are 15 tips strategies and tips you’ll need to know about when hiring Dublin SEO services…..you will not believe the last one!!
1. SEO services in Dublin should start link building
Any link that you receive to your site is like a vote in your favour. The person who does this is basically saying,
“Hey, I think highly of this web page because it’s got quality content and it’s interesting and relevant to the topic”.
Because of this “backlink”, Google rewards your website by propelling it up the search results. Simply put, the more incoming links you’ve got for your site, the more weight it receives in the eyes of the search engines.
So you’ve got to set aside as much time as you can to increase your number of backlinks.
So how can a Dublin SEO agency accomplish this?
One way a Dublin SEO agency can accomplish this is by writing a bunch of good-quality articles that people in your target market will want to read.
If the content is unique, engaging and of a high standard, chances are, other sites will begin linking to it and recommending it to their visitors, resulting in a ton of backlinks and more publicity for your website.
Backlinks for Dublin SEO
Note: Do not be tempted to pay for backlinks.
There are quite a few ‘services’ out there that promise you a certain number of links in exchange for a fee.
However, you want to stay away from these providers like the plague, as the backlinks you receive are usually of a spammy nature. These types of poor quality “paid” links will only have a negative impact on your link building campaign, so it makes sense to steer clear of them and instead focus on building your backlinks organically.
2. The best SEO in Dublin will have an ethical white hat on…
The number of websites offering a wide range of search engine optimization services has risen over the past few years, as more emphasis is placed on the need to rank highly in the major search engines.
Due to fierce competition that exists in the industry, some shady providers implement ‘black hat’ SEO strategies in order to snag clients. This includes tactics like keyword stuffing, employing link farms, cloaking and concealing keyword-rich phrases in an article.
Best SEO company in Ireland
Now, while this may produce some quick results, it will not be beneficial in the long-term. In fact, there’s every chance that the search engines will push your site further down the search results or permanently de-list it from their index altogether.
So if you want your website to capture the top spots in Google, ensure that you spend time on white hat link building tactics, such as writing high-quality blog posts and articles, and then link back to your website using your main keywords.
If you need any help with this, then you can always hire an experienced Dublin SEO copywriter to do it for you.
3. The best SEO in Dublin will understand the concept of creating content for Humans Vs Spiders!
Since SEO and Dublin SEO focus heavily on the importance of keywords, many folks often write their website copy with only the search engine spiders in mind, which often leads to keyword stuffing. This is the concept of repeating your keywords as often as possible in your content, with the hope of getting it ranked highly for relevant keyword terms.
SEO Dublin
However, this is the biggest mistake you can make when it comes to SEO in Dublin. If the information on your site is stuffed full of keywords, then it won’t read particularly well, and consequently won’t do the job of selling your product or service to prospective customers.
This is obviously counter-productive, when the main reason for having a website in the first place is to promote your offer, convert readers and generate sales.
This is why it’s a smart idea to engage the services of a skilled copywriter as they will be able to combine white hat SEO principles with compelling, persuasive and attention-grabbing copy.
4. Dublin SEO should create original and unique content
When creating articles and blog posts for your site, you want to ensure that they are unique, original and interesting.
Despite all the hype about backlinks, keyword placement and meta data, crafting original and intensely readable content is still the most effective tactic for ranking well in the search engines.
Neither visitors to your site nor the search engine spiders like to see stale, spammy, outdated content.
Dublin SEO tips and tricks
Furthermore, never use existing content on a new website. Some folks out there tend to cut and paste their articles across several sites to cut down on time and cost.
However, duplicate content does not go unpunished by the search engines, and you will probably get penalized once they get wind of this. So always stick to writing unique and original content for each of your sites.
5. SEO services in Dublin will understand that results take commitment
Getting your site into the Top 10 of Google is certainly no walk in the park. In fact, it’s a continuous process that you must commit to if you’re serious about ranking highly.
Backlinks need to be steadily built up over time, with blog posts, articles and press releases being churned out on a regular basis to promote and publicize the site.
You will also want to monitor and track the progress of your main web pages, so that you can determine the amount of backlinking that needs to be done to push your site up the rankings.
An honest, ethical and well-executed Dublin SEO campaign will ultimately result in higher positions in search results, more traffic and greater profits for you.
6. Meta descriptions are vital for SEO in Dublin
Meta descriptions are often overlooked when it comes to writing web pages. They no longer have a direct impact on the SEO of your pages, but they can still play an important role in helping your work your way up the search engine rankings.
Meta descriptions are the short bits of information that appear under the title in search engine results. They’re designed to give users a brief explanation of what to find on the page to if they were to click through.
Google no longer scans meta descriptions to determine whether to rank a page or not i.e. using SEO keywords or not in your description makes no difference.
But importantly, Google looks at how many people have clicked on your link – the Click-Through Rate (CTR) of that page – to determine its value. So the more people you get to click on it, the higher your CTR and the stronger your search engine ranking will be.
Remember that kid at school who wouldn’t just put their hand up? They had to bounce on their seat, prop their raised hand up with their other hand with a look of desperation on their face as they chanted, “pick me pick me pick me!”
They’d be good at writing meta descriptions because they know that the secret to being picked first is to stand out.
So if you write meta descriptions that are clear, compelling and have an active voice, you’re shouting at your visitors “pick me!”
That’s not to say we should ignore your SEO Dublin keywords. After all, your SEO keywords should be the main subject of your content. And if your meta description has to explain your content, it makes sense that you’ll include your keywords in there, anyway.
More secrets on how to create superior meta descriptions?
Here’s how to do that…
An SEO expert in Ireland will always include target keywords
As mentioned earlier, your keywords should be the main subject of the page. So by including them, you’re simply highlighting the main subject to potential visitors.
This help to reassure the potential visitor that your page is in fact about what they’re searching for.
An SEO agency in Dublin should use imperative clauses
Using imperative clauses, or commands, within the description tells the reader what they should do next – they have a call to action.
To write an imperative clause, start with the verb – the command. ‘Find out more’. ‘Click to see how we can help’. ‘Sign up to our newsletter’.
There are some really creative ways you can come up with a good call to action, depending on the tone of your content. But if you don’t tell people what to do, you’re assuming they’ll figure it out. And assuming people do what you want is a big mistake.
The best SEO in Dublin will keep it short
Treat it like a Tweet – short and sweet.
Typically, Google displays meta descriptions that are no more than 156 characters long. Sometimes it will display more words. But if you stick to less than 156, not only is your message nice and concise, but you’re not likely to get cut-off.
The best SEO company in Ireland should create content that users engage with
If your meta descriptions are misleading, intentional or not, you run the risk of losing domain authority.
You want your visitors to click on your page and find exactly what they thought they’d find before they clicked through.
Google uses ‘bounce rates’ as a factor when ranking sites. The bounce rates are the percentage of visitors that just visited that page and then `bounced` back off your site again.
If your meta descriptions say ‘Click now and instantly receive your FREE gift’ only to find on the page that, in fact, it’s not free, your visitors will leave. Your bounce rates will increase. Google will see that the page doesn’t quite live up to its expectations and therefore lets it drift into the dark depths of page 2 and beyond.
There are other things to consider when trying to reduce bounce rates, but poor meta descriptions will have a negative effect on them.
Use your voice
Tone of voice plays an important role in making the visitor connect with your brand. And its really important when writing online content to make the reader feel like they’re talking to a real person.
So use the voice of your brand to give the meta description some personality and stand out on the page. Make it feel like it was written by a person, not WordPress or another Content Management System.
SEO services will always include the benefits
Customers need to know how you can benefit them, not what you do. So instead of describing the services, you offer on that page, describe how clicking on that page can ‘save time’ or ‘reduce the costs of…’
It sounds simple, yet so many people forget about the barriers their products and services overcome and instead just describe who they are and what they do.
In short, pay attention to your meta descriptions and don’t let your Content Management System automatically using an excerpt from your page. Use them as a tool that gives people that extra nudge.
7. With SEO in Dublin, do I need to hire an agency or can I go DIY?
You can implement some DIY SEO Dublin tactics, but you have to be realistic.
Selling anything online can be a difficult experience.
Competition is tough, and there is plenty of it.
While a physical store has a physical presence. An online store is much more intangible. You need to create a presence. You need people to visit. You need to know the best ways to increase your website traffic.
So let’s look at some basic DIY digital marketing strategies you can implement.
There are two main ways of driving traffic to your website. Unpaid and Paid.
Unpaid Traffic
There are multiple ways to increase traffic to your website for free. However, they do require a bit of work.
Start A Blog
Putting a blog on your website means you can add fresh, relevant, content on a regular basis. Google loves this. It can also help establish your presence as an expert in your field.
Social Media
Create a social media account and get posting. Find other people and experts in your area and link up. Be active. Engage with people. Be consistent. Create sharable content.
By using social media you are hoping to create a ‘tribe’ or following. You can use it to position yourself as an expert in your field. The more engaged you are with the people you meet the more likely they are to remember you. The greater the chance of gaining potential customers.
On-Page and Technical SEO
On-Page SEO
SEO is search engine optimization. It relates to the content on your website. By adding the right keywords, meta titles, image alt tags, back links etc, you are optimizing your content for the Google bots that trawl through the internet.
The more optimized you are, the better the chance of appearing on the first page of Google’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
You can tell from your own searching history that we tend to pick what we are looking for from the first page of results we look at. Getting to the No1 slot of the SERPs is the goal of every website as it means you will benefit most from people’s organic search habits.
Technical SEO
The functionality of your website is key. A bad user experience may put someone off never to return. You need a website that will run equally well on pc, laptop, tablet or mobile.
While Technical SEO is certainly much harder for the novice to pick up, as compared to On-Page SEO, it is just as important. Pages not loading properly, broken links, and untidy code and scripts means you will be penalized by Googles bots and your website will rank lower.
Paid Traffic
Put simply. Ads. Here you are paying for your traffic and a paid ad will certainly get in front of peoples eyes. But having an effective ad campaign is another complicated matter. Just look at the array of advertising and marketing books out there. Making a successful ad which drives traffic and sales is a challenge in itself. You need the right ad in front of the right audience.
An SEO company in Dublin
There are a number of advertising platforms to choose from. You can pay for ads on Facebook, Twitter, or with Google AdWords, and they do provide some advice on how to best target and implement your marketing campaign.
Improving your online presence and increasing your website traffic is a constant ongoing challenge. The intricacies of all the elements involved which can be as far ranging as how your website runs on mobile, to Search Engine Optimization friendly content, to the tailored marketing needed across all the different social media outlets, combined with its ever changing nature means it is a complicated venture.
What may drive traffic today may not further down the line.
And while the free route can be difficult and time consuming it may just be in your best interests to get an SEO Dublin expert to do all the hard work for you.
8. SEO company Dublin, the secret tips?
With many small businesses scrambling to carve out a market share of their own in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is no surprise that the landscape of e-commerce has become increasingly competitive. More and more small businesses are seeing the value in the various digital marketing methods thought to be suitable only for medium to larger enterprises.
Techniques like SEO are now within reach, even for the smallest of businesses with limited budgets. It just takes a few more steps and quite a bit of elbow grease, but here are some strategies to consider when using SEO Dublin strategies for your business:
9. Make your website mobile-accessible
The majority of inquiries and searches are now made on smartphones, and as such, it is important to make yourself as accessible as possible to mobile devices. Not only will doing so, make your website more convenient to the average user, but you will also be giving it the capacity to rank better on the SERPs.
Google, for example, prioritizes mobile-accessible websites by indexing them above others that are not. The best thing about making your site mobile-friendly is it is not all that difficult to do so.
10. Take the User Experience (UX) into account
Statistics have shown that even a one-second delay in the load time of a website can cause up to a 7% drop in conversions. For any business, that is a devastating number of transactions that they end up missing.
Tools such as PageSpeed can be used to determine the parts of your website that need tweaking in order to load more quickly and smoothly, so you can benefit from that 7% boost in conversions.
The UX doesn’t stop there. Try to put yourself in a prospective customer’s shoes to see if accessing and navigating your website is simple and easy. If the answer is no, then some major tweaking might be in order in terms of site design.
The aesthetic quality of a website also matters as many consumers actually determine legitimacy and trustworthiness of a company based on the quality of their web design.
If you want to feature higher on search engine rankings, you need to start thinking more carefully about semantic SEO.
If I said the words “roller coaster”, “rides”, “attractions” and “days out”, you could take a stab in the dark that I’m referring to theme parks. If I just focused on one of those words and repeated it over and over again, you’ll find it a little harder to figure out what I’m talking about. So why do people still think the key to optimising your content for search engines is all about stuffing it with a keyword?
The above example is a little over-simplified, but it illustrates a point.
This brings us to another key way to increase your SEO potency in Dublin.
11. SEO solutions? Semantic search engine optimization
So what is semantic search engine optimization?
Put simply, it’s about focusing your content not just on one single keyword or phrase, but on a group of keywords that are all connected to the main topic of the page. They create a semantic field, a shared meaning, that helps show search engines a couple of things:
- You’re not using spammy tactics and `stuffing` your content with just one keyword;
- The article is of a certain quality because it focuses on one topic in more depth.
Semantic SEO helps to show what your content is about, in the same way as including your keywords does. Just more thoroughly, and in more detail.
You still optimise your content around one keyword, but then you reinforce that keyword with lots of other words throughout the copy.
It should happen naturally, but to really refine it like any optimisation, find out what people are searching for.
Why would an SEO expert in Ireland use semantic keywords?
The main reason people talk about semantic SEO is to help you feature higher on search engine ranking. It helps Google see what your article is about and that it offers good value because it’s closely related to what search engine users are looking for. These tactics can increase the power of your SEO Dublin.
It also helps you plan what types of articles to write, because you can really see how one subject can become 5 different subjects, and those 5 become 4 more, all interconnected. With a bit of research you can start to see what people are actually searching for related to your keywords, meaning you can start building lots of relevant content.
But I use it for planning. I know what I want to write, but I want to see how I could develop my content through the whole piece. So by looking at related searches, stem keywords and phrases, and results on themed words, I can start to develop my content based on what Google users actually want to find out about.
Start with a bit of keyword planning
Let’s assume we know the type of article we want to write, and that we’re not exploring ideas for future content at this time.
Do a little bit of research, and a little bit of thinking before you start.
But don’t spend hours and hours researching. Your focus should always be on writing content that your audience will like. Write for your audience, not Google.
So let’s go back to the original theme park idea.
Step 1—Core keywords
Create a list of alternative phrases for your main or core keyword. You can start by asking the search engine itself what you could use. So by using my search term `theme parks` in Google it gives me a list of results based on my search terms, current location, and cookies.
At the bottom of the screen, Google also shows us related searches. These are all the other variations of our search term that Google says people are looking for.
You can see here that it is still very generic. But we’re now able to see that `amusement parks` is a popular term to use instead, and other phrases like `top theme parks` and `merlin theme parks` are also related.
And Google highlights them so we can see the related keywords in each of the results.
But don’t forget about your brain! It’s a pretty powerful tool too, so you don’t need to rely on Google on its own.
Step 2 – Themed keywords
You can expand your keywords now by looking at words that aren’t specifically related to the core keyword, but related to the topic in some way, much like the words used at the beginning of this article.
You don’t have to use a specific tool to find these words, but it can help. Take the example below using Google’s keyword planner:
Because `theme park` is a very generic term, there are lots of related phrases. But by taking a look down the page we can see words like `rides`, `attraction` and `tickets`. And I’m sure with very little imagination you can see how easy it is to write a sentence that include those themed words:
You don’t need to pay to get on each of the individual rides, as all the attractions are included in the price of your tickets.
Step 3 – Stem keywords
This step focuses more on your target audience and why they’re going to be reading your page. I’m forever banging on about knowing your target audience and why you’re writing because if you don’t know, you’re wasting your time.
Stem keywords are just prefixes and suffixes for your search term; that is, the words that go before or after it. In particular, the words your target audience will use to go before the search term and after it.
Again, you can use either of the tools mentioned before to help figure out what to use, but you should have a pretty clear idea before you start why you’re writing and who for.
If your article is to give people information about the best theme parks in the UK, your stem keywords are going to be words like UK, best, top, number 1, review, rated. If it’s about the price of theme parks in the UK, you’ll maybe use stem keywords like cheapest, cost, and price.
Other variations on stem keywords are the phrases like `where are` and `how do I`. The phrase `where are theme parks` brings up a very different set of results to just `theme parks`.
So begin to think about which stems need to be included in your content to give Google a clearer understanding of the purpose and value of your content.
12. SEO solutions and the simplified version of semantic SEO
As with all search engine optimisation, if it’s forced you’ve got 2 problems:
- Google will change the algorithm in an update to cut out forced keyword content, much like the Panda 4.1 update has done;
- Your content becomes difficult to read and written for Google, not your audience.
The focus on your content should always be on making sure it reads well and adds value to your visitors. ALWAYS!
If you begin to focus on Google, nobody will want to read it, your visitors will leave after only viewing one page (and only briefly), and your search engine ranking will be rubbish anyway.
Well written content poorly optimised is better than poorly written content that is well optimised.
So focus on writing really good content that speaks to your target audience, adds value to their visit, and makes them want to keep coming back to you for their answers.
SEO Agency Dublin
If you’re doing that, you should be using words that are related to your core keyword naturally anyway. So here’s the simplified version:
- Decide what you’re writing about, why you’re writing it, and who for;
- Decide the main keyword or phrase for the page;
- List a few other words that mean the same thing;
- List a few words related to the theme;
- Write an interesting an engaging article focusing on what you’re writing about, why you’re writing it, and who for.
If you do this, you won’t go far wrong. So don’t spend hours on end planning how to use semantic SEO. It’s a tool in your toolbox, but it’s not the most important one.
13. The best SEO agency in Ireland and Dublin will advise you to master your niche
We have a goal – to make more money and help more people – which ultimately boils down to getting more clients. To get more clients you need to have more sales conversations. To have more sales conversations you need to bring in a steady stream of qualified leads.
Generating qualified leads is a process – that once set up can be repeated and automated. It’s marketing.
Before you even step into creating a website, e-zine, blog or social media pages – you’ve got to determine your business focus. You could call it a niche. You could call it an area of expertise. You could just say it’s who you help and how you help them. It’s your specialty.
How to master your niche? Dublin SEO solutions
First you declare it as yours. Simply said just pick it – you’ll want to do something you enjoy and that’s a little different than everyone else.
Your second task is to go out and show you are an expert at what you do. Don’t write about copywriting, write about healthcare copywriting or travel copywriting or helping people uncover their story. Don’t be a “coach”. Be a “copywriting coach”, an “aligned coach”, a “coach for entrepreneurs”. Something that differentiates you and says what you do at the same time.
SEO Agency Dublin
Once you’ve chosen your focus it’s then time to let everyone know what and how you do it by becoming an expert. That’s where effective marketing and system implementation comes in. Showing your expertise rather than telling is both an art and a science and it requires you to do marketing differently than most others. Being “an expert” happens over time and with a thoughtful, laid out strategy.
This is what sets successful and profitable businesses apart from the rest – they have a focus and they let the world know they are experts at it.
So far we’ve got
- Choose a focus
- Show your focus by being an expert at it
- Add the skills you need to make that happen
As an example, I started my first business as a freelance copywriter. I soon began searching for a niche to focus on (mostly because I had been reading books telling me to). I landed a hospital for a client, loved it, and chose to focus on writing copy for the healthcare industry – I became a ‘healthcare copywriter’.
The best SEO agency in Dublin will do this
The next step is to show your focus by being an expert at it. I did this by changing my e-zine to a healthcare marketing focus. My free report, e-zine, blogging, podcast – everything I wrote was specific to healthcare marketing and I discussed issues and problems specific to the hospitals and marketing directors in the field
Writing this way is both a skill and an art. It’s taking the information everyone else has access to and putting a slant to it.
Now if you are not familiar with your niche, like I wasn’t, you need to quickly add the skills to your toolbox to become an expert. It’s OK to go outside of your area of expertise when choosing your focus, but once you do you need to quickly add the skills necessary to make it happen.
You build your focus as an expert with your marketing. It’s imperative you get this right – this is where most people drop the ball!!
You won’t be successful in your niche, no matter how good you are, if you don’t have your marketing funnel and your systems set up correctly from the beginning.
14. Local SEO Dublin strategies are your best friend
The importance of local SEO in Dublin is particularly noteworthy for businesses that have a brick-and-mortar location to accompany their website. Before even thinking about expanding to a larger market, it is good for any business to capture the local area’s interest. And the wonderful thing about locational SEO is that it takes very little effort but can yield fantastic results.
Make sure to register your enterprise with Google My Business (GMB) and to explore the features of that service to make sure your business ranks highly in your area.
15. SEO Dublin, and using the right strategies
It is certainly challenging on a budget of a small business to employ digital marketing strategies, but it is not impossible. The right strategies and a fairly dedicated effort can be enough to take your business to the next level, but it does take a fair amount of focus and time. With these previously mentioned strategies, you could reach more of your target market and make more profits in the process.
So what mistakes should you avoid?
Read on….
5 common negative SEO factors that a Dublin SEO strategy will avoid
An SEO Agency in Dublin will avoid these five most common ranking factors that can have a negative impact on your SEO campaign.
In order to rank highly in Google, you will need to ensure that you avoid every one of these bad practices and the ranking penalties that they can bring.
1. An SEO Agency in Dublin will avoid duplicate content
Googles overarching mission is to provide its users with high-quality information which is relevant to the search query that they submitted.
It will come as no great surprise to learn that Google has effective measures in place to make sure that the top ten results for any given keyword do not comprise of pages containing identical content. One of the means that Google uses to achieve this is by penalising pages that contain content which originated on another website.
2. Cloaked Content
The idea of cloaking content is not a new concept, infact it has been around for years.
One of the oldest methods involves rendering the text in the same color as the background of the page to make it invisible to the human eye whilst presenting the same text as content to search engines. There are other methods of cloaking text through CSS.
Each of these procedures is against the terms of service of Google and carries penalties.
3. An SEO Agency in Dublin will avoid paid links
Many websites offer people the chance to obtain a link from them in return for cash, often these links can seem as though they would be very valuable for your Dublin SEO efforts.
This tactic, if done improperly, can severely damage your Dublin SEO results!
Before you grab your credit card and go off hunting, there is a catch, buying links is against Googles terms of service and carries hefty ranking penalties. Typically Google will penalize both websites involved in the paid link transaction, and additionally, every PageRank update sees the PR of sites know to have sold links heavily downsized.
4. The best SEO in Dublin will avoid Linking To Websites Of Bad Repute
A simple yet effective SEO Dublin tactic is to link out to websites of repute.
Google and other search engines realise that no person can control who links to their domain, however, the websites that your domain links out to is an entirely different scenario, these links are firmly within your control and google considers each of the websites you link to when it calculates your ranking positions.
Linking out to websites of bad repute will have a negative impact on your own rankings. But on the same end of the coin, if you link out to strong websites, this will increase the effectiveness of your Dublin SEO>
5. Canonicalization
Canonicalization is the process of showing identical (or very simular) content on more than one url.
Often this can occur through incorrect server configuration (not redirecting non-www. to www. or vice versa) but canonicalization can also come about on ecommerce websites that show the same product lists on more than one page.
Even on websites that display the same products on pages that sell in alternate currencies. In this situation, use of the rel=canonical tag is recommended to let search engines know which page you would like them to index.
SEO Dublin, the last word
If you’re still reading this, well done!
I hope you have learned some quality tips that you can implement into your business.
Every business deserves to know how they can experience Dublin SEO success! Why not contact us today and let us help you achieve the success that you deserve? Let us take your Dublin SEO to the next level.
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