First impressions are key in all aspects of life. Many consumers actually say that they initially judge their hairdresser’s ability to cut hair by the way they style their own hair. Google and other search engines say that your website’s homepage is no different, therefore they place a lot of importance on your homepage in terms of how well your entire site ranks.
Having a well-optimized home page helps greatly in improving your website search engine rankings. Certain simple tactics can go a long way in optimizing your site, especially when complemented by an attractive design and information that appeals to your target audience. For now, let’s talk about optimizing the homepage to be ranked well with search engines.
Selecting the right title
Professional page optimization includes using right keywords throughout the page content as well as in the page title. Knowing what your target audience is searching for is vital to winning in the search engine game. The title tag is what is displayed at the very top of the browser window and it is also the title that is listed in the search engine results, typically listed as a hyperlink to your page.
How Your Title Looks on a Browser Window
How Your Title Looks in Search Results
This title is a very important indicator for search engines when trying to understand what your page is about and whether it matches what the visitor is searching for. So, make sure it contains your main keywords and place those keywords in the beginning followed by your salon name and location. For example, if you are offering Organic Spa Treatments and your salon name is GreenSpa, located in Miami, your title could be “Organic Spa Treatment at GreenSpa in Miami, FL”.
Describing Your Website
Search engines want to match the people searching for items with the best results in order to remain the search engine of choice for as many people as possible. So it’s your job to give Google and the like, as much information as possible about who you are and what you do so that they can send qualified prospects your way. Along with your title, you should have some keyword rich text on your homepage that describes what you do. Remember not to go crazy with keywords and start overloading sentences to where they no longer make sense. Be strategic and incorporate enough copy that it is meaningful and relevant.
You should also use headings when designing your site, both for ease when navigating your content but also to tell the search engines the type of content on your page. When writing the headings for each section, make sure to include your keywords.
Other places to stash your keywords include:
- Image and Video Titles
- Image and Video Captions
- Navigation Menu Links
Don’t forget that your location is a keyword as people are typically searching for your services in a particular area. Therefore, make sure your footer includes your full address and markets served.
Other Quick Tips
The performance of your website in terms of it’s loading speed as well as clean technical foundations mean a lot to search engines, so make sure that you keep in mind a few other key items when optimizing your homepage for search engines:
- Avoid advertisements on your homepage
- Don’t utilize any widgets no matter how cool they are
- Don’t include large videos or images as they slow down your loading speed.
- Research a good website host that provides quick response times.
The homepage is a crucial page to get right and it’s also the hardest, both from a construction standpoint as well as an optimization standpoint. Give this page some attention and make sure you are monitoring the results for improvements.
Author Bio: Valorie Reavis
Social Marketer, foodie, closet geekA marketing professional who has focused primarily on the hair and beauty business for of the past decade, Valorie now runs linkup marketing, a digital marketing agency for the hair and beauty professional. Valorie works to engage clients in the marketing process and help them successfully engage with their clients and community. Energetic and passionate about the industry, Valorie focuses on blending traditional and digital media in order to bring salons closer to their clients.
