In promoting my San Francisco graphic design and copywriting firm, Orma Design and my clever greeting card company, She’s SO Creative, I’ve learned a few things about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). I’ve learned that just about anyone can do it.
No, I’m not a programming geek and my companies have definitely not been around for twenty years. But if you Google “SF graphic designer,” “SF book designer” or even “SF logo designer” you will find either my articles as the SF Graphic Design and Branding Examiner or Orma Design itself, on the first one or two pages of Google. Likewise, if you search for “clever greeting cards,” “creative greeting cards,” or “creative mother’s day cards,” She’s SO Creative appears on the first page of Google.
So how did I do it? I used a combination of several tactics, the most important being key words and phrases in the title of the website and in the first searchable words of the web page itself. There are tons of articles on the internet that make this exact same point, yet all too often I see award-winning graphic design and even PR firms (who are paid to know this stuff!) with nothing but the name of their company in the title. This is the easiest, least time consuming, most effective action you can take to improve your graphic design firm’s (or whatever company you have) ranking on the Internet. For example, I literally have the phrase “San Francisco Book Design” in the title on the page where I feature one of my book design projects. Plus, the first searchable words on that page contain the exact phrasing “book design.” Thus, when someone is in a need of a book designer in San Francisco, they can easily find me because my site has excellent rankings for that specific search.
In addition, we all know that writing graphic design articles or starting a graphic design blog are highly effective promotional tools. However, I’ve seen professional design blogs that discuss anything from the birth of their first-born child to the delicious chocolate mousse they ate the night before. Although these are both joyously momentous occasions that you want to share with the world, maintaining a blog is hard work and requires precious man-hours. So how do you make every post count? Relevant, interesting, informative articles with key phrases in the title as well in the writing itself are optimum for both search rankings and attracting readership. Just review this very article you’re reading right now on “How to Increase Website Visitors and Promote Site: For Graphic Designers, Copywriters, and Creatives.” Both the title and it’s content are laden with key words and phrases that will help me come up on search engine results (could I have used the word “design” any more times???)
So what the heck are you waiting for you? Go make these changes now. By implementing these tactics, with just a little time and effort, you can seriously improve your web presence, attract more visitors, and gain new clients. You’re still reading aren’t you? Seriously, I know I’m a good writer, but stop reading this article and go get some business!
(originally appeared in SF Examiner 4/08/09)