Whether you’re a photographer or other local service-based business owner, your homepage matters especially when it comes to SEO.
It’s often the highest ranked page on your site with the most traffic.
Not only should you be thinking about adding keywords to impress Google, you also need to make a strong first impression for incoming visitors.
You have about 30 seconds to grab the attention of a potential customer, when they land on your website.
Here are 5 SEO best practices to take into consideration when designing your website’s homepage.
1. Incorporate keywords into your headers
Your homepage should have 2-3 headings that help to educate your website visitors and let Google know what your business is all about.
Start with a single Heading one tag that tells your visitors what you do and where you are located. This sets the stage immediately and tells Google that this information is important and highly relevant to your websites main topic (i.e. the services your business provides).
Use Heading 2 and Heading 3 tags to further outline the details of your business and what makes you unique.
2. Outline your sites most important pages
Set expectations for your visitors and help them navigate your site by showing them where they can get all the information they need to make a purchase decision.
Here are a few examples…
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Tell them a little about yourself and then link to your about page for them to read more.
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Provide a few examples of your work and add a button to your portfolio page.
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Explain what next steps look like if they decide to work with you and send them to your contact form.
Give them limited options that help them focus and figure out where to go next on your website. You’re guiding them through the buying journey helping Google better understand your business at the same time.
Your homepage is your sales secret weapon.
3. Be specific about your target audience
Specific (long-tail) keywords are less competitive and more likely to attract the type of clients you love working with.
For example: Instead of saying you’re a wedding photographer, what kind of weddings do you enjoy most? Modern, fine-art, bohemian, adventurous? (i.e. Fine-art Boston Massachusetts Wedding Photographer)
You decide how best to describe your work depending on what resonates with your ideal clients. Niching down is a great SEO strategy that helps fine-tune your branding.
4. Include more than one location keyword
It’s easy to focus on one main location, especially if you serve almost all of your clients in the city where you live, but I encourage you to branch out.
Going back to the idea of niching down, targeting smaller areas can help you improve your rankings faster.
Instead of just targeting one major city, add surrounding cities, neighborhoods, and towns so that you increase the likelihood of showing up.
Add a section to your homepage about the locations you serve your clients and include one main location and up to four sub-locations.
5. Keep things consistent with Google My Business
As a local creative business owner, you should already be using Google My Business to show up in Google Maps.
One of the easiest steps you can take to improve your local SEO, is to make sure your website matches your Google My Business listing.
Your business name, address, location, and services should all match, helping to build your credibility with Google.
Looking for help with SEO? Did you know you can hop on a call with me to get my eyes on your website with a one hour collaborative consultation. Together we’ll work on your website one-on-one and come up with a strategy you can use moving forward. Book your SEO Power Hour here.
The struggle with homepage SEO
Building a homepage that’s SEO-friendly and beautifully designed can be a real challenge. I have another post for you about How to Marry SEO and Design Best Practices to create a homepage that works for your business and helps you grow.
In the meantime, download our free SEO Checklist below to get on our email list.
