The Pen store website located in Burr Ridge, Illinois, US has been navigating a fierce battle to stay ahead of competitors in the market. The online store houses an array of pens, refills, pencils, and other writing tools. In an effort to increase its online visibility and attract more potential customers to the website, the team sought to improve its ranking on the search engine results page (SERP). Through Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies, significant work was done to improve the store’s website visibility on SERP.
On-Page Optimization
- The site structure was updated to enhance user experience and ease of navigation. It was streamlined to allow for easy access to various product categories, making it easier for users to find what they are looking for, thus reducing bounce rates.
- A site audit was conducted, and any broken links and duplicate content was removed. This contributed to removing unnecessary issues that would harm the site’s ranking.
- Keywords were identified through keyword research to determine the most-searched-for words and phrases in the pen niche. These were then integrated into header tags, meta descriptions, and content. This led to on-page optimization which helped the search engines understand the content and the association with the keywords.
Off-Page Optimization
- Backlinks were obtained from high-authority websites. These links act as endorsements of the quality of the website content, improving the store’s website ranking on SERP.
- Forum and community outreach was carried out to create links to relevant content on the store’s website, further driving traffic to it.
Content Creation
- High-quality blog content was created, following research on relevant topics that the target audience would find valuable.
- The content was optimized for search engines through the incorporation of targeted keywords, meta descriptions, and headers. This ensured that any content created had greater visibility in the search results page.
- Infographics and videos were created to inspire, inform, and entertain customers. These forms of quality content further improve the site’s value
Key Takeaways
- On-page optimization and off-page optimization are equally important in impacting a website’s ranking on SERP.
- A structured site with easy navigation and quality content including infographics and videos, is essential to keep users engaged and prevent high bounce rates.
- Creating a link-scheme through community outreach, and acquiring backlinks from high-authority sites, can positively impact the store’s website ranking.
- Conducting regular health checks on a website is paramount in detecting and correcting any issues hampering the site’s ranking on SERP.
Industry Statistics
- According to Hubspot, research has shown that 75% of users never scroll past the first page of a search result, making it essential to ensure that the website appears in the top ten rankings .
- Research from Search Engine Journal indicates that Google updates occur 9-10 times per year, meaning it is essential to continually keep an eye on website performance and implement necessary changes in line with SEO best practices.
- Backlinks from high-authority sites can significantly improve a website’s ranking; per Backlinko, top-ranking Google results have an average of 3.8 times more backlinks than the lower-ranked websites.
In conclusion, the SEO strategies implemented have significantly boosted the store’s website ranking on SERP and attracted more potential customers to the site. The work done through on-page optimization, off-page optimization, and content creation are fundamental in improving the site’s visibility on SERP. Future efforts should continue to focus on these areas, continually monitoring, and adjusting for optimal website performance. In the end, the benefits derived from an optimized website are significant, with higher visibility on SERP translating into increased traffic and subsequently higher revenue for the business.