Understanding Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for Creatives
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can seem daunting, especially for creative professionals who would rather focus on their craft. However, understanding and implementing basic SEO principles is crucial for increasing your online visibility, attracting more clients, and ultimately growing your business. This guide breaks down SEO into manageable steps, tailored specifically for the creative industries.
What is SEO and Why Does it Matter?
At its core, SEO is about making your website and its content more appealing to search engines like Google. When someone searches for services like yours, you want your website to appear as high as possible in the search results. This increased visibility can lead to more website traffic, more enquiries, and ultimately, more business. For creatives, this means connecting with clients who are actively looking for your specific skills and style.
1. Keyword Research for Creative Industries
Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. It involves identifying the terms and phrases that your potential clients are using when searching for creative services. Understanding these keywords allows you to optimise your website and content to rank for those specific searches.
Brainstorming Relevant Keywords
Start by brainstorming a list of keywords related to your creative niche. Consider:
Your Services: What specific services do you offer? (e.g., "logo design", "wedding photography", "interior design consultation", "copywriting services")
Your Style: What adjectives describe your unique style? (e.g., "minimalist logo design", "candid wedding photography", "modern interior design", "persuasive copywriting")
Your Location: Where are you located? (e.g., "logo design Sydney", "wedding photography Melbourne", "interior design Brisbane", "copywriting services Perth")
Target Audience: Who are you trying to reach? (e.g., "logo design for startups", "wedding photography for elopements", "interior design for small businesses", "copywriting for tech companies")
Using Keyword Research Tools
Once you have a brainstormed list, use keyword research tools to refine your selection. These tools provide data on search volume (how often a keyword is searched) and competition (how difficult it is to rank for that keyword). Some popular tools include:
Google Keyword Planner: A free tool from Google that provides keyword suggestions and search volume data.
Ahrefs: A paid tool that offers comprehensive keyword research, competitor analysis, and backlink analysis features.
SEMrush: Another paid tool with similar features to Ahrefs.
Ubersuggest: A more affordable option with a range of keyword research and SEO analysis tools.
When choosing keywords, aim for a balance between search volume and competition. Targeting highly competitive keywords can be difficult, especially for new websites. Instead, focus on long-tail keywords – longer, more specific phrases that have lower search volume but also lower competition. For example, instead of targeting "photography", target "natural light family photography Sydney".
2. On-Page Optimisation Techniques
On-page optimisation refers to optimising the elements within your website to improve its ranking in search results. This includes optimising your content, title tags, meta descriptions, and image alt text.
Optimising Your Content
Use Your Keywords Naturally: Incorporate your target keywords naturally throughout your content. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can negatively impact your ranking. Focus on creating high-quality, informative content that provides value to your audience. If you're unsure where to start, our services can help.
Write Compelling Headlines: Use your keywords in your headlines to attract both search engines and readers. Make sure your headlines are clear, concise, and accurately reflect the content of your page.
Create High-Quality, Original Content: Search engines favour websites that provide unique and valuable content. Avoid duplicating content from other websites, and focus on creating original articles, blog posts, and portfolio pieces that showcase your expertise.
Structure Your Content: Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and images to break up your content and make it easier to read. This improves the user experience and helps search engines understand the structure of your page.
Optimising Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Title Tags: The title tag is the title of your webpage that appears in search results. It's one of the most important on-page SEO factors. Keep your title tags concise (under 60 characters) and include your target keyword.
Meta Descriptions: The meta description is a short summary of your webpage that appears below the title tag in search results. While it doesn't directly impact your ranking, a compelling meta description can encourage users to click on your link. Keep your meta descriptions concise (under 160 characters) and include a call to action.
Optimising Images
Use Descriptive File Names: Before uploading an image, rename the file to include your target keyword. For example, instead of "IMG_1234.jpg", use "sydney-wedding-photographer.jpg".
Add Alt Text: Alt text is a description of your image that appears if the image cannot be displayed. It's also used by search engines to understand the content of your image. Add alt text to all of your images, using your target keyword where relevant. For example, "A bride and groom exchanging vows at a Sydney wedding".
3. Building High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They are a crucial ranking factor because they signal to search engines that your website is a valuable and trustworthy resource. Earning high-quality backlinks can significantly improve your website's visibility in search results.
Strategies for Earning Backlinks
Create Valuable Content: The best way to earn backlinks is to create high-quality, informative content that other websites will want to link to. This could include blog posts, articles, infographics, or videos.
Guest Blogging: Write guest posts for other websites in your industry, including a link back to your website in your author bio or within the content. This can expose you to a new audience and earn you a valuable backlink.
Broken Link Building: Find broken links on other websites in your industry and offer to replace them with a link to your relevant content. This is a win-win situation for both you and the website owner.
Directory Submissions: Submit your website to relevant online directories. While these links may not be as valuable as editorial backlinks, they can still help to improve your website's visibility.
Engage with Your Community: Participate in online forums, social media groups, and industry events. Building relationships with other professionals in your field can lead to valuable backlink opportunities. You can learn more about Mountainlion and our community involvement.
Focusing on Quality Over Quantity
It's important to focus on earning high-quality backlinks from reputable websites. A few high-quality backlinks are more valuable than many low-quality backlinks. Avoid participating in link schemes or buying backlinks, as this can negatively impact your website's ranking.
4. Technical SEO Considerations
Technical SEO involves optimising the technical aspects of your website to improve its crawlability, indexability, and user experience. This includes ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, has a fast loading speed, and is properly structured.
Mobile-Friendliness
With the majority of internet users now accessing websites on mobile devices, it's crucial to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. This means your website should be responsive, adapting to different screen sizes and devices. Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to check your website's mobile-friendliness.
Website Speed
A slow website can frustrate users and negatively impact your ranking. Optimise your website's speed by:
Optimising Images: Compress your images to reduce their file size without sacrificing quality.
Enabling Browser Caching: This allows browsers to store static files, such as images and CSS, so they don't have to be downloaded every time a user visits your website.
Minifying CSS and JavaScript: This removes unnecessary characters from your code, reducing its file size.
Choosing a Good Hosting Provider: A reliable hosting provider can ensure your website has a fast loading speed.
Website Structure and Navigation
A well-structured website is easy for both users and search engines to navigate. Use a clear and logical navigation menu, and organise your content into categories and subcategories. Create a sitemap to help search engines crawl and index your website more efficiently.
5. Measuring and Improving Your SEO Performance
SEO is an ongoing process. It's important to track your website's performance and make adjustments to your strategy as needed.
Using Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Google Analytics: This tool provides data on your website's traffic, user behaviour, and conversions. Use it to track your website's traffic from organic search, identify your most popular pages, and understand how users are interacting with your website.
Google Search Console: This tool provides data on your website's performance in Google search results. Use it to track your website's ranking for your target keywords, identify any technical issues that may be affecting your ranking, and submit your sitemap to Google.
Tracking Your Keyword Rankings
Use a keyword tracking tool to monitor your website's ranking for your target keywords. This will help you to see which keywords are performing well and which need improvement.
Making Adjustments to Your Strategy
Based on the data you collect, make adjustments to your SEO strategy as needed. This could include:
Optimising your content for different keywords
Building more backlinks
Improving your website's speed
- Addressing any technical issues
SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. By consistently implementing these strategies and tracking your results, you can improve your website's visibility, attract more clients, and grow your creative business. If you have any frequently asked questions, check out our FAQ page.