Search engines look at several things when they rank websites. Link volume and quality are important. However, the search giants are also very interested in how your visitors are moving through your website. This engagement is based on how much time is spent on each page, and how many visitors bounce away from your site within a few moments. There are a few things you can do to improve your website’s engagement, thereby moving you further up the search rankings.

Website Design and Layout

If your site is bogged down with advertisements and other nonsense, it makes it difficult to navigate. Site content should be easily visible. Sites that depend on advertising for revenue often try to trick users into clicking links to their affiliates. We’ve all seen those sites. If you’re trying to turn traffic into sales, you should make it as direct as possible. Trust your customer to find the things they want, and give them the tools to make the purchase.

Further, the web has evolved since the days of frame-based websites. Search engine crawlers actually take this into account when giving rankings. If the website is boring, the assumption will be that it won’t engage your visitors. Bringing your website into the modern day will give your users a better experience while also helping your search ranking.

Ongoing Blog Content

If you want your customers to come back to your site again and again, you should consider hosting a blog. This is a great way to generate positive communication between you and your customers. You can discuss general operations at your company, giving people an insight into how your business works, or you can talk about upcoming promotions. Many blog systems allow for user comments and feedback, so you can even do polls and get feedback on your services. If you provide excellent blog content, your customers will take notice. If you don’t have a spare employee to write things up for you, or if you don’t have time yourself, there are a number of professional writers who are able to respond to prompts and give you the content you need on the schedule you want at an affordable price.

Video Content

Pages are ranked partly on how much time users spend on them. If you include video content to supplement your text, you can greatly increase the amount of time people are spending on your website. If they play the video and read along, or simply watch the video, that few minutes could be exactly the hook you need to make a sale. If you add a few well-made videos to your website, you will be taking a huge step in improving it. Also, demonstrating your product in a video can provide more information than any written explanation. If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a motion picture worth?

These are some basic things that can be done to improve almost any website. By improving the layout, design, and user experience, you increase the chances that traffic will be converted to sales. If you add ongoing content and video narration, your website will stand out amid the sea of text-only choices.

For even more help with improving your company’s website, or establishing your Web Presence, contact us today and schedule a Free Half Hour Consultation with Chad Morgan.