If you have a private investigator business, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd and get noticed in the busy online world. Creating an online presence through an SEO strategy is one of the most effective ways to reach new clients and grow your business.
So What is SEO?
Online search engines like Google are the #1 tool for customers finding information online. Google uses customized algorithms to find the most relevant pages when users do an online search. To make sure customers can find you, you need to make sure your company shows up at the top of those listings. SEO is an online marketing strategy to make it more likely that your web page will appear higher in a search.
Unfortunately, many private investigators are still making SEO mistakes that can hurt their online presence. Here are seven common SEO mistakes you should avoid in 2021 and some easy solutions to fix them.
1. Broken Links
You’ve created a website, centreforsecurity.com, and included all your essential information, attractive photos, and industry links. Now, you need to make sure it works properly. If you have a website with broken links or pages that don’t load properly, not only will you lose visitors, but Google will penalize your site and send you lower in the rankings.
2. Not Using Local Citations
Local citations are like local listings or industry directories. They connect your business with other professionals in your industry and show that you are a legitimate business. Google, and other search engines, use citations to show you are a reliable business. Be sure your contact information is up to date and consistent across all listings.
Many directories also let you include company info, a link to your website, and customer reviews. These directories or services like lawyer local citation also help potential customers find you by providing contact info to people looking for help in your industry.
3. Not Optimized For Mobile
The number of mobile users has skyrocketed in the last few years as most of us use our smartphones or devices to search for information and services. Be sure your website is optimized for mobile users. Not only will you put off potential customers by having a site that won’t load properly on a mobile phone, but you’ll also get penalized by Google.
4. Not Setting Clear SEO Goals
A basic strategy of online marketing is setting clear goals. Clear goals help you create a clear plan and give you a way to evaluate how well it is working. Set a clear target in mind – do you want to boost your sales? Grow your number of new customers? Reach a new target market in a specific area? Be clear about your goals and then set up a creating a plan to achieve them.
5. Ignoring Local SEO
For many businesses, local customers are their most important market. It can also be far more effective to concentrate your energy on improving your local SEO. Local SEO focuses on people and businesses that are physically close to one another. SO if a user searches for private investigators near me, and you are close by, your business should show up at the top of the ranking.
It is a way for smaller regionally based businesses to stand out. You can include local keywords or phrases or mention well-known sites or attractions. Local SEO means you don’t have to be the Top SEO Companies in Canada, just the top in your neighbourhood.
6. Ignoring Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are like word of mouth. They help potential customers decide if they should take a chance on your services. The more good reviews you have, the better new clients will feel about using your company. If your website lacks customer reviews, consider asking happy clients to include a review with an invoice, or visit your Google My Business Page to leave one online.
