The rules of SEO are always changing. We are now seeing the use of generative AI which will change this still. Online searches online are rising, despite social media, because people are using the two together.

SEO can be complex and time consuming, but there are some simple tips that can help.

Be easy to find

SEO is not just important for finding new clients. You need good SEO to ensure existing clients can easily find you online. The same applies to those who get referred to you by your clients. If they can’t find you, they will go elsewhere.

When someone types in your company name into Google, you want to be found, and easily. Try it yourself to see where you appear.

To be found easily, your website address should ideally be your company name, such as mortgage-brand.co.uk. This is not always possible, I know, so you could include it in your Meta Titles, such as this: Mortgage Brand | Broker Kent.

Provide helpful content

Website content is all about quality over quantity, which means having content that is helpful. Google can determine how helpful your content is and give priority to the sites with helpful content.

Helpful means:

Provide up to date information about the market and cite reputable sources

Show how you solve problems through case studies.

Highlight your credentials and experience in the About Us section – and explain your brand purpose, why you became a broker.

Cut out unhelpful content

If you have website pages that attract very few – or no – visitors, delete these. If you don’t, it can negatively impact search rankings.

Remove duplication

Content cannibalisation is when you have multiple pages targeting the same keywords. This does not increase your odds of success, it reduces it. Every web page should have its own goal and its own content. If there is duplication, you could merge pages.

See how your site does with this, by typing this in Google: site:yourwebsite.co.uk “keyword” and see how often some keywords appear.

Update old content

Your website should not be static. It must be kept alive. But you don’t have to create new content. Instead, update it. The market is changing, so update your website’s content to make it relevant for today, not last year.

Offer a great user experience

When people visit your website, you want them to stick around. Therefore the content must be relevant and navigation as smooth as possible to keep people on your website. Time on site matters, as Google looks for clues that your website is satisfying the visitors intent.

Use alt text on images

Images are important for your site, and SEO. Therefore, add Alt Text to images which will describe the content. This helps Google understand its context. Use descriptive keywords, which improves your SEO and enhances accessibility for visually impaired users.

Use internal links

Have links between your pages. This helps navigation and helps Google crawl your site, and understand the relationship between these pages.

Think mobile

Make your website responsive and deliver a seamless experience on all devices. Google uses mobile-first indexing, so a mobile-optimised site can positively impact your rankings. Check your website on your mobile to see how it looks.

Get your keywords right

Keywords are important. This is not really one or two words, but longtail keywords. These are questions, like ‘Which is the best mortgage broker in Humberside?’ or ‘Can I get a mortgage with a CCJ?’

There are tools, like AskThePublic that can help you identify the questions people ask online. But you know what sort of things clients are asking, so use this knowledge to have great content.

Write for your target audience

Write as you would speak, be authentic and naturally incorporate the keywords and phrases. This works better than starting with SEO in mind.

Get blogging

Blogging can boost SEO. But don’t just blog for the sake of it, have a purpose. Write articles that are topical, helpful and relevant.

Create URLs for each blog that can be searched for. For example, mortgage-brand.co.uk/blog/why-are-rates-coming-down.

Get the meta right

Your meta title is vital. This is what appears as the headline in Google. Each page must have a unique title and a compelling description. Oh, and use your brand name here, as above. There are more things you can do, like backlinks and improving site speed, but start by choosing one or two of the above and it should make a difference.

Jeff Knight is marketing strategist & trainer and director at The Mortgage Marketing Forum