Why is optimizing search engine results crucial for any cigar shop business? When was the last time you went to the third page, the second page or even bottom of the first page on a Google search? Exactly.! If someone is looking for a cigar shop in the area, you want your business to show up first!
Last year, American businesses spent over $70 billion on search engine optimization or SEO. That’s because increasing search engine ranking takes work and staying abreast of Google algorithm changes. Ultimately, the businesses customers prefer the most will outrank others on search engines. However, many businesses from Fortune 500 corporations to mom and pop local retail shops need help staying relevant on Google.
Learn the Basics of Google SEO
While consumers use a number of search engines, we will focus on Google since it is the most widely used global search engine.
Back in Google’s early days, the search engine ranked websites based on mere word count. A website looking to rank highest on the search for “pizza” could write the word “pizza” in white font on a white background thousands of times and that would work!
Now, Google is a lot more sophisticated. Take a look at Mozlow’s Hierarchy of SEO needs.
While the nuances of Google SEO evolve practically on a weekly basis, these core concepts are crucial for developing a search engine friendly site. In an industry where pay per click advertising is prohibited, following SEO guidelines in this order is paramount for search success.
Crawl Accessibility:
This is what makes your website searchable. Search engine crawlers and bots collect data on your website and index your content to make it searchable.
Making your website more “crawlable” requires fixing crawl errors in addition to following the subsequent steps in this list. If you aren’t particularly savvy in managing your website, this is where an SEO partner can deliver a lot of value.
Compelling Content:
Create and update content that pertains to search queries. Content means blog posts, photos, videos or anything else searchers can view on your site. This is becoming an increasingly important aspect of SEO that we will dive into more on a later post.
Keyword Optimized:
Utilize keywords that people type in the Google search bar throughout your content such as “cigars”, “premium cigars”, “smoke shop”, brand names, etc.
Great User Experience:
A lot goes into great user experience, but the basics include speed, ease of navigation, aesthetics and interoperable interfaces for desktop and smartphone.
Share-worthy Content:
Create content that users get excited about and want to share with their friends. The more shareable content, the more clicks, the higher your Google ranking.
The tricky part is Google frequently makes minor updates to their algorithm in an effort to constantly improve user experience. This is a major benefit for users but makes SEO a moving target for businesses. SEO is crucial, but most business owners don’t have the time or expertise to manage it. Thus, partnering with an SEO expert is paramount for search success.
Cigarketing is the marketing agency a cigar shop can rely on to get more people in their shop, to sell out their events, to take off their plate the burdens of social media and email promotion.
TakeAways!
At Cigarketing, we help companies build modernized websites that customers love and that are optimized for search engines. We’re passionate about the premium cigar industry. Want to be the best cigar shop in your area? Let us help you.