Refresh Web Content to Maintain Search Engine Status

Steve Hamm

After the initial setup of your website, it remains static for a long time.  As soon as updates occur, update your website.  When you perform content development, go through these steps.

1. Update addresses, phone/fax numbers, email addresses, social media accounts, and copyright year in the footer.  Add new contact info for additional stores.
   
2. Examine paragraphs on every page of your website. Is one or a few pages sound boring?  Rewrite it to bring it up to date.  Adjust product and service descriptions along with prices if necessary and add testimonials.
   
3. Revise call to action buttons on landing pages and submit forms. Take away standard words like ‘submit’ and replace it with action words and phrases.  ‘Join now’ or ‘donate’ are great examples.  Moreover, create action words and phrases based on the industry or call of action.
   
4. Companies with blogs keep the website active. Add new content once or twice a week.  Stationary blogs give readers an outdated impression.  Alternatively, link social media accounts to the website.  Adding a Facebook, Google+, or Twitter box to the site brings whatever you add to those sites to the website without lifting a finger.
   
5. Photos naturally freshen up a page. Photos of you, the company, the employees, and current events show a different side of the business.  Stock photography or free images are great, but look beyond that to connect with visitors on a personal level.
   
6. Finally, scope the entire site for detail. First, check for broken links and repair the sites with those broken links.  Second, proofread for spelling and grammar mistakes.  Nothing says unprofessional like simple English composition mistakes.  Third, break long paragraphs into headings, subheadings, and bullet/number lists.  Fourth, check text color, font, and font size for inaccuracies.  Lastly, check links on local listing websites (i.e., Yellow Pages, Yahoo Local, and Google+ Local) for the correct info.

Occasionally, a website needs a complete overhaul.  Start from scratch and include the tips above.  Also, change the background, update the logo, and redesign the company name.  Use a template or make a new site with us.  Replace keywords with no results with new keywords related to the city, state, industry, or company.  Lastly, make sure the site works on all laptops, desktops, and mobile screens of various sizes.  Responsive web design is a great investment.  Update the website once and it carries to the other screens.

If the thought of refreshing the websites becomes overwhelming, we are more than ready to assist with solutions and ideas to turn stale websites into current masterpieces.

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