Printers and SEO: 5 Steps to do SEO Right

SEO is a buzzword that’s been floating around the printing industry a lot lately.

From the random sales calls from SEO consultants who have “done you a favor” of reviewing your website to industry talk between fellow printer peers, it can be hard to figure out what you need to be doing to do SEO right.

To cut through the clutter, focus on these five tips to ensure you’re on the right path.

1) It’s all about your website.

Great SEO starts with a good website.

If you want to be found online, sell something! Realize that today people aren’t going to your website to read your company information. They are looking to do business with you and to do it RIGHT NOW!

To do SEO right: Upgrade your website to allow for online ordering and e-commerce capabilities.

Pro tip: Stay away from large files or JPEGs that make your website take forever to load (here’s looking at you Flash Player). You have very little time to snag your website visitor’s attention, so remember that every second (more like every millisecond) counts.

“If you’re not meeting your visitors’ needs, it doesn’t matter how ‘optimized’ your site is.”
-Stoney Degeyter

2) Do your research.

If you were asked what the number one thing your visitors look at on your website was, would you know what it is?

How does last week’s website traffic compare to this week’s traffic? Learn to gather and process data with tools like eye-tracking software and general reporting software. This will tell you which topics perform well, where to place your key information on your website, and so forth.

To do SEO right: If it can be tracked, track it. The more data you have, the easier the next decision will become.

“Google only loves you when everyone else loves you first.” — Wendy Piersall

3) Extra! Extra! You’re in the publishing business now.

Whatever business you’re in, your website and/or blog is now a venue for your industry/niche.

That’s just pure fact, and it means it’s time to retrain your brain to start thinking like a small magazine or newspaper publisher. From this point on, you need to use your site to engage, educate, and inform. You need quality content that resonates with your ideal customer enough that they have you bookmarked for easy future reference.

To do SEO right: Come to grips with the fact that you’re not just a printer, you’re a consultant, a content publisher, and an industry leader.

Pro tip: Your website content is important, but don’t forget that regular blogs can entice more people, generate more social media buzz, and create increased brand awareness, which will ultimately result in more sales and leads, which brings us to our next point:

4) Blog, Blog, and Blog Some More

The more you blog, the better you’ll get at it.

Nobody starts out being a great writer, a great blogger, a great SEO ninja, or a great marketer. But the sooner you start ‘practicing,’ the sooner you’ll get better at it.

Remember, you don’t have to be perfect, you only have to be helpful.

When you blog, here’s what happens:

The SEO value comes in when you create content.
When you create new content, the search engines scan it. (They like to scan new content that’s fresh and relevant to your readers.)
Then, when you promote it on your social channels, you gain links and authority, which then builds trust.

To do SEO right: Don’t forget the golden rule about SEO and content: No matter the type of content you’re producing, your one goal for blogging (and to accomplish your SEO goals) is to build trust and credibility with your prospective buyers.

Pro tip: If you need a springboard to help get you started with blogging, consider a social media marketing vendor solution.

“Never lose sight of the fact that all SEO ranking signals revolve around content of some kind.”

— Duane Forrester

5) Have patience

This has been said before, but too many printers lose sight of this: If you thought you could slap a website up and it would instantly grab the attention of the right customers and boost your sales, prepare to be disappointed.

Remember, SEO takes time. To do SEO right: be prepared to dig in.

“Effective search engine optimization requires a commitment, not a campaign.”
– James Reynolds, SEO Sherpa

Next Steps

What is your next step to ensure you’re doing SEO right? Still unsure? Stick with us as we continue to unravel the “mysteries of SEO” over the next few weeks.