Your Website is Live: What Next? The 7 Step Process to Maximise your Online Presence
Congratulations on launching your new website!
Whether you've used Squarespace or another platform for the development of your website, your online journey is just beginning. This guide explores the 6 Actionable Steps to help your website be found in Google searches and make a timeless impact online.
Action Step 1: Optimise your Content for SEO
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a vital seed for your website’s visibility.
To start this, conduct thorough keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush.
Here are the key areas you would want to naturally incorporate your findings into:
Page titles
Meta descriptions
Headers (H1, H2, H3)
Body content
Image alt text
Squarespace offers their users built-in SEO tools. Other platforms may require SEO plugins or manual optimisation.
Action Step 2: Create High-Quality, Valuable Content
Content remains king in the digital world, therefore ensure to develop a content strategy where you could include the following:
Regular blog posts (aim for at least weekly or monthly)
Value-driven in-depth articles on industry topics
Engaging multimedia content (videos, infographics)
A tip is to focus on creating content that answers your audience’s questions and provides genuine value from your own expertise and knowledge you’ve learnt overtime.
Action Step 3: Build a Strong Backlink Profile
Why Build Backlinks?
Backlinks from reputable websites signal trust to search engines. Therefore, one key note is that the quality of the backlink and content always trumps quality. Here are some ways to improve your backlink profile:
Reaching out to industry partners for collaborations
Guest posting on relevant blogs with a backlink to your website
Create shareable, link-worthy content
Participate in industry forums and discussions
Action Step 4: Leverage Social Media Integration
Social signals can help indirectly impact your search rankings. Create content showcasing your business, talents and expertise on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest (this one is great as you can link your website to the Pins you post).
Ways to Enhance your Social Media Presence:
Share your website content regularly (e.g. blog posts)
Engage with your followers and industry influencers
Make use of platform-specific features (e.g. Squarespace’s social media integrations).
Action Step 5: Optimise your Website for Local SEO
If you have a local business then this is a great focal point for your SEO strategy. You could also set up a Google Business Profile to help enhance small businesses' online presence.
Here are some of the things you can do when performing this step:
Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing
Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across the web
Encourage customer reviews on Google and other platforms
Enhance User Experience (UX) - As a positive user experience can lead to better rankings.
3 Things to Remember when Improving your website’s UX:
Mobile responsiveness
Site navigation & internal linking
Optimising for Core Web Vitals
Action Step 6: Stay Updated with SEO Trends
Some ways to help you stay up to date include:
Follow reputable SEO blogs and news sources
Attend webinars or conferences on digital marketing
Regularly review and update your SEO strategy
Overall, launching your website is just the start to your brand’s powerful marketing strategy. By implementing these strategies consistently, you'll help improve your Google rankings and establish a strong online presence. Remember, SEO is a powerful skill that can enhance your website's online presence over time. Stay patient, keep learning, and watch your website grow!