Ranking on SERPs is of the utmost importance to marketers. Furthermore, ranking on a budget isn’t easy. One of the key factors in ranking high on SERPs is SEO (search engine optimization). In short, SEO is a strategy that marketers employ to achieve a high level of inbound traffic to their sites. The reigning theory is that a correlation exists between ranking high on SERPs and earning more inbound traffic to your website.
In doing so, more people will visit your site. This results in more people learning the products and/or services you provide. However, it is important to note that it is not easy to rank on a budget. Just like a brick and mortar shop, more exposure typically means more sales. Applying these tactics to your website generates more traffic, thus creating more paying clients. This is especially true if you provide high-quality services or products.
Doing so ensures that you earn more and that is the ultimate goal for every marketer and most website owners. No matter the purpose of your website, a sound SEO strategy is essential. This is especially true if you’re aiming to rank high on a budget. Some organizations spend a lot of money on their SEO strategy. However, if you take the following advice to heart, you can rank high on SERPs while minimizing your expenses.
Create a responsive website to rank on a budget
Creating a responsive website is one essential element to rank high on SERPs when on a tight budget. A responsive website is capable of adapting to any screen size, whether it be a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. For instance, a website can look phenomenal on a 15-inch laptop display but looks awful on mobile devices. This difference in the visual appeal of your website between devices will impact your overall user experience rate.
Many people surf on mobile devices, so it is essential that your website provides a flawless small-screen experience is vital. Some organizations opt to hire an expensive professional web developer, but this is not 100% necessary. You can easily offer a responsive website and rank on a budget if you doing the following:
Use a fluid grid instead of pixels
Modern websites use a fluid grid from a measurement called pixels. This means that you shouldn’t use one specific size for your site. Instead, you should use the grid to make the size of the elements that make your site proportional. Doing so allows your elements to respond to different size screens.
Keep touchscreens in mind
You also need to be mindful of the buttons and other accessible designs for touchscreen users. Employing buttons, CTAs, and images, allow touchscreen users to navigate the smaller elements with greater ease.
Set rules to exclude certain elements depending on the size of the user screen
Most themes allow you to set rules that dictate whether certain elements vary between different size screens. Creating rules that adjust elements depending on the screen size can greatly impact the overall user experience.
Consider your image sizes
Your images can seriously affect the general responsiveness of your website. With that in mind, you should make it a point to set rules regarding image sizes. These rules should adjust image sizes in accordance with different screen sizes. You can do this in your site’s CSS.
Update your website on a regular basis
In addition to making your website responsive, you should also update it on a regular basis. This is a great way to help increase inbound traffic to your website. Furthermore, it is a superb way to rank high when you’re on a tight budget. When your website is current, you can also embed new features, which typically improve the overall experience of your website. Keeping your site current is also a great way to strengthen its security against hackers.
There are a number of ways to update your website. Here are three of the more common methods:
- Update 3rd party resources and plugins. Plugins add functionality to your website. Allowing them to become outdated attracts hackers and opens the door to disastrous malfunctions.
- Update your website’s security. First and foremost, it is critical that you select a platform that provides a safe framework for your website. Next, make sure to update your platform whenever the developer releases updates. These updates are typically designed to better protect your website from hackers.
- Update your website design. In most cases, marketers typically learn more about their audience over time. This allows you to better accommodate their preferences. For example, your website might be very feminine, but you learn that most of your visitors are men. If this is the case, you should revise your website to cater to the characteristics of your visitors.
Post quality content
You can design the perfect website, but you’ve wasted your time if your content stinks. Remember, content is king! If you post high-quality content, your visitors will stay on your website longer. This makes ranking on a budget pretty simple. This will also reduce your bounce rate, which is a big factor in terms of where you rank! On the contrary, if your content is less than awesome, your visitors will leave and your bounce rate will skyrocket. This is the epitome of what you do not want to do when aiming to rank.
Before you publish a post, you should do the following to make sure that it is truly high-quality content:
- Write with a purpose. Don’t just write random blog posts and publish them hoping your audience will read them. Instead, pick a specific niche and concentrate on publishing content that caters to that specific audience.
- Target your niche. You should definitely conduct some keyword research and identify the search trends of your audience. You should also create a few (2 to 4) personas and craft posts that will help them solve their problems.
- Be original. When writing, do your best to stay ahead of the curve. Even if everyone (and their mother) is talking about a certain topic, try to shed light on a unique angle. Make your posts enjoyable and don’t be afraid to let your personality show through here and there. Some utilize humor to convey a serious issue to their readers and others employ personal anecdotes. Naturally, it all depends on your audience and ultimately what they want to read.
Create videos to rank high on a budget
Videos are a great addition to any written content. Most people are more willing to engage with visuals than plain text. Videos are a great way to highlight the essential pillars of your website. Heck, videos are a great way to convey the core points of any post.
You should use videos to boost your SEO rankings by doing the following:
- Solve Problems. Even short videos should always aim to solve a problem that your audience is dealing with currently. You should provide new information and engaging content to attract new viewers. This can lead them to explore more of your website.
- Use your own domain. Make sure to use your own domain. I mean, yes, you can use platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and such. However, your domain should be the primary host. If your video goes viral, inbound traffic will increase since your site will be shared when the video is shared.
- Use meta descriptions. Meta descriptions are HTML attributes that provide a brief summary of what to expect from a piece of content. They’re the short blub beneath the heading of Google search results. You should use meta descriptions as they’re meant to be used to enhance your SEO results. Effective meta descriptions provide you with the means to convince users to click on your videos.
Closing thoughts on how to rank on a budget
If you only take away two things from this post, they best be the following facts:
- Content is king
- SEO still matters today
The above tips will help you enhance your SEO rankings and rank on a budget when you first launch your website. If you make SEO a focal point from the start, you’ll develop the essential skills to manage your website. Possessing the right skills is critical when you operate on a bootstrap budget.
A responsive website ensures that your visitors have a great experience no matter the size of their screen. In order to maintain this positive experience, you need to regularly update your website. Regular updates repel hackers and keep your site functioning at its best.
Furthermore, you cannot forget to post high-quality content designed to convert visitors into clients. Visitors will return to your site time and time again if you provide quality content. Lastly, don’t forget to create videos that highlight your content and cater to a visual audience.
