Whether you’re planning to manage your SEO strategy internally or considering hiring an external agency, it’s crucial to understand the best SEO practices for your industry.
1. Evaluate Your Corporate Website
Has it been more than a year or two since you last updated your company’s website? If your site design feels outdated or if the structure hinders search engine crawlers from properly indexing your pages, it might be time for a redesign.
Your website is the foundation of your online presence and should make a strong first impression on potential clients. With mobile-friendliness now a key ranking factor, ensuring your site is responsive is essential to reach visitors on smartphones, tablets, and other devices.
2. Review Your Target Keywords
Do you know which keywords effectively reach customers in your industry? Are your site’s pages optimized for these keywords? If not, it’s time to conduct keyword research.
After identifying relevant keywords, take a look at what your competitors are doing. Analyze their websites to see which keywords they’re targeting, and consider adding new pages to your site if you find valuable terms they’re using that you haven’t yet targeted.
3. Keep Your Content Fresh
Content can quickly become outdated, so it’s important to regularly update the pages on your food and beverage manufacturing website.
You don’t need to overhaul everything, but even small updates can make your content more relevant and engaging for visitors. These changes can also prompt search engines to reindex your refreshed pages, potentially boosting your rankings.
4. Optimize Beyond Body Copy
While optimizing the body copy of your pages is crucial, don’t overlook other elements like page titles and headers. This can be done without much effort, but be careful not to overuse keywords in irrelevant areas.
Avoid keyword stuffing, as it can harm your SEO efforts. Focus on writing content that prioritizes the reader’s experience, and you’ll see better results in the long run.
5. Provide Free, Valuable Resources
What do visitors to your food and beverage manufacturing site value most? Consider offering educational resources, like downloadable PDFs, to attract visitors. This can also serve as a strategic way to generate leads by requiring an email address for access.
6. Maintain an Active Social Media Presence
Social media is a powerful tool for building your online reputation and expanding your reach. Create and maintain profiles on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Plan to post regularly, but ensure your content isn’t solely focused on your company. Share industry news and behind-the-scenes insights to create an engaging and informative social presence.
7. Encourage Positive Client Reviews
Consumers trust reviews from other customers more than they trust direct company messaging. Encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews on platforms like Yelp, Facebook, and Google.
However, never resort to buying reviews or writing them yourself, as this can lead to penalties from review sites and damage your reputation.
8. Build Internal Links
Ensure your website has a strong internal linking structure. Internal links help search engine crawlers navigate your site more effectively and encourage visitors to explore other pages, increasing engagement.
9. Utilize PPC Campaigns
If you’re looking to attract new clients, hire staff, or build your brand, a well-managed pay-per-click (PPC) campaign can be highly effective. PPC ads can direct viewers to specific landing pages where you can prompt them to take actions like filling out an application or requesting a free brochure.
While PPC is separate from SEO, it’s worth noting that SEO takes time to yield results. PPC, on the other hand, offers immediate traffic, providing a boost while your SEO strategy gains traction.
