Getting Started and How to Write Title Tags and Meta Descriptions for SEO

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO for short) can seem like a minefield for small or medium sized businesses without proper resource but with just a few changes you can set your website on the right path.

Title tags and meta descriptions refer to the information you assign to each page on your site that then appears on a Google search results page. In the below image you’ll see the title tag as purple clickable text (normally blue before clicking) and the meta description as light grey text.

Both page elements are important for two key reasons. First, they indicate to Google, via keywords, what exactly each page is about and secondly, if they’re interesting enough, they’ll encourage Google searchers to click on your page rather than someone else’s.

Title Tags

Title tags are one of the most important on-page SEO elements for your website because search engines actively crawl them and because online searchers will see them in results pages.

As a result you can find thousands of blogs out there on how to craft the best possible tags but we’re going to keep things simple in a bid to get you moving.

When writing unique title tags for each of your web pages push your most important keywords to the front (i.e. first word and on), make it relevant and readable and try to stick to under 60 characters.

There is constant debate, particularly this year, on optimum character length so if you really want to squeeze as much as possible out of Google our recommendation would be to test various lengths.

Meta Descriptions

The importance of great meta descriptions is slightly more debatable.

According to Google, although they could be lying, meta descriptions aren’t crawled which means search engines won’t actively penalize you for having rubbish descriptions.

However, because meta descriptions are so prominent in search results (look at the image above) some SEOs claim they are extremely important because great descriptions could encourage more clicks, traffic to your site and so on.

Our advice, as always, would be to test things and see what works for your site.

When writing your descriptions try to aim for a character length between 100-160 and think of it, quite literally, as a tiny description of that unique page. Start with the most important information and work your way onwards from there.

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SEO can seem extremely complicated, and with massive websites it definitely can be, but if you’re a smaller sized business wondering how to get started hopefully this will help.

Give it a go, get stuck in and learn from your mistakes!

Northern Ireland Tourism Workshops

Tourism is projected to become a billion pound industry in Northern Ireland by 2020.

Whilst that might be the case, there is still plenty of work yet to be done and recently myself and my colleague Jason Powell, of Powell Destination Marketing, had the pleasure of teaming up to host a tourism marketing workshop in Portrush on the north coast.

We set-up shop in the Magherabuoy House Hotel, just off the incredible Causeway Coastal Route, and started our workshop designed specifically for local bed & breakfast and self-catering traders.

Focus on Tourism

Jason started the day with a focus set firmly on the principles of tourism marketing.

With so much support now readily available via Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland it’s important to utilise what’s already out there including the regular opportunities e-zines and in-depth market research.

These two massive organisations have undertaken all of the research needed so we don’t have to. 

Instead, we have to focus on creating engaging products and messages for our target customer profiles like the Culturally Curious or Great Escapers.

A Great Escaper wants a holiday linked back to nature in someway so why not package your bed and breakfast rooms with a local walking or hiking trail?

The research tells us this is exactly what they want so now we have to get the message out there!

Focus on Digital

The next step is all about getting these specific messages and products in front of potential travellers.

Nowadays it is essential to do this is via digital channels online and the second half of the workshop allowed me to focus on all things digital whilst also relating back to Jason’s talk earlier in the day.

We focused on using digital signposts to drive people back to your website where direct bookings or enquiries are most likely to happen.

These digital signposts include, but aren’t limited to, popular social media channels, search engines and email marketing.

Puzzle Pieces

It was a great day and the feedback has been very positive.

At Counter Digital and Powell Destination Marketing we try to keep things simple when it comes to tourism marketing.

Tourism NI and Tourism Ireland hand us the puzzle pieces; it’s just about us putting them together in the right order and getting out there online!

For more information on tourism workshops click here.

Effective Digital Marketing at Ballymena Chamber

Recently I was asked to speak on Effective Digital Marketing at the Ballymena Chamber of Commerce.

It was a fun morning hosted by Jackie Logan of Naked PR and also featured brief talks by Diamond Recruitment Group and Q Radio Network.

It was great to get a chance to actually discuss digital marketing with local businesses and hear what they really thought about the challenges of 2016 and beyond.

Signposts to Success

The key theme of my talk was how to proactively direct people or customers to your website.

The reality is that the digital market place is saturated. Reports vary but it’s estimated that there are around 1 billion websites online now.

This is an unfathomable number and competition is everywhere so how do you direct people to your site specifically?

With Counter Digital I focus on providing digital signposts back to client websites.

These signposts come in all shapes and sizes but I focus primarily on social media, email marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO).

As discussed with the chamber, everything is designed to direct people back to a website where the real magic happens.

Your website is where you have complete control over your brand but building it is just the first step.

Think about your signposts and ask yourself – how will people get to my site?

Speak to Me

With the digital landscape constantly shifting and evolving sometimes it’s worthwhile thinking about a talk or workshop to recap and refocus.

If you’re interested in hosting a workshop or talk focused on digital marketing and would like me to speak, get in touch.

Digital in Northern Ireland: From Top to Bottom

Recently I attended the Deloitte TMT Predictions 2016 at James Street South in Belfast and then a week later spoke at a Journey to Market event in Coleraine.

On one side we had high-level research, predictions and discussions concerning the evolution of digital and on the other, traders simply wanting to use whatever channel works best for them in the here and now.

Deloitte TMT Predictions

It was interesting going from top to bottom in Northern Ireland digital marketing and Deloitte produced an incredible report, for the fifteenth year in a row, with countless predictions but there were a few that stood out.

One notable point was that we are quickly entering the dawn of the gigabit Internet age. This means lighting fast internet (faster than fiber optic) will soon be widely available.

Another interesting point was the rise in people owning smartphones but never actually using the device to make calls. This group is known as “data exclusive” and is primarily composed of younger generations.

A final point, specifically on marketing and advertising, was that brands and businesses should focus more efforts on search engines as they are now and will continue to be the modern day equivalent of the Yellow Pages.

Interesting stuff – but is it of any use?

Journey to Market

Real world execution is the only way the research becomes valuable and that’s why I was delighted to be asked to speak at the recent Journey to Market workshop held by Causeway Coast and Glens council.

This was a chance to talk to traders about their digital needs whilst also remembering the points from the week before.

The traders, focusing on consumers, want to get their product or service out there and in front of eyes and ears as quickly as possible.

 With the growth of ultra-fast Internet it is clear that our attention (eyes and ears) will focus more and more on digital channels and right now traders should primarily focus on Facebook and Google.

Also, if we think back to the “data exclusive” group and the gigabit Internet age, traders need to ensure their websites are fully responsive and optimised for mobile use. 

Bringing a Farm Online

Last summer we had the pleasure of working with Valdale Farm as they embarked on a new venture – producing natural raw milk.

Valdale Farm is a local Northern Ireland diary farm based just outside of Ballymena in County Antrim.

While they have produced pasteurised diary products for decades they recently decided to enter the natural market and needed some help spreading this message online.

Route to Market

There were various aims and targets set out at the beginning of this project with a massive focus placed on providing interested customers with the correct information and the right message.

Also, for a variety of reasons Valdale decided against exploring a social media route to market so ranking highly on Google (and Bing) was our key priority.

The product can only be purchased on site at the farm so it was extremely important that potential customers knew exactly where they could purchase raw milk in Northern Ireland.

Customer Focused Content

With very  clear aims we set to work and viewed search engines as answer machines and considered what sort of questions potential Valdale Farm customers might ask.

Where can I buy raw milk in Northern Ireland?

Is raw milk safe?

Why drink raw milk?

With this customer focused approach we set about creating relevant content that would both help customers and boost search engine rankings.

Amongst other actions we also ensured that title tags, descriptions, headings and image tags were all optimised for the best results possible.

Ranking on Google in Northern Ireland

With this organised approach we achieved the results wanted.

Valdale Farm now ranks on the first search page for “Northern Ireland raw milk” and “Raw milk in Northern Ireland” on both Google and Bing.

This means that Valdale Farm are now getting their message in front of customers actively seeking out their product!

If you want to know how this could apply to your business get in touch.

Simple Local SEO in Northern Ireland

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is crucial in the digital age.

Everyone uses Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter and more to search for local products, services or information in their area. Northern Ireland is no different.

Are they finding you, or a competitor?

Local SEO is about providing the information local customers really want.

You need to make sure your information is present, correct and consistent on all of these channels.

Research has shown that up to 34% of desktop searches and 50% of local mobile searches result in a store visit within 24 hours.

Customers are looking for information that they will then act upon.

Basic Information is Key

Getting the basics right is key to local SEO success.

Think about what your customers want to know when they search for you online.

Generally, local people want to know to your address, opening hours, key products and services and contact information.

It’s that simple.

Depending on your business you could also add information regarding important upcoming events and special offers or discounts.

Google My Business

As we’ve mentioned before, in Northern Ireland, the rest of the UK and Europe, Google is king of the search world so this must be taken into consideration when looking at your local SEO.

To get the ball rolling, visit the “Google My Business” site to begin your optimisation journey.

After that it is worthwhile to revisit all of your social channels and ensure key business facts (address, opening hours etc.) are front and centre.

Want to take things a step further? Say hello. 

Use Events & Holidays as a Platform for your Business

In a world of repetitive, boring marketing, be agile and use big events or holidays as a platform to say something different about your business!

Valentine’s Surprises

At the end of every week the good folk at Search Engine Watch discuss five interesting stories in the world of search.

Last week they highlighted the Bing report on a huge surge in Valentine’s Day search traffic.

According to Bing results - Valentine’s Day is the 4th largest spending holiday on the calendar after Christmas, back to school and Mother’s Day.

They noticed steady growth from early January onwards and also highlighted that even single people are getting in on the Valentine’s Day act!

11% of singletons organised or attended a “singles” event with friends on February 14th.

What does this mean for Northern Ireland businesses?

For businesses like florists, pharmacies (selling beauty products) and confectionary stores this might be old news but the rest of us should take note.

All consumer brands and businesses should be aware of the heightened shopper activity around Valentine’s Day.

According to Bing up to 10% of us treat ourselves during the holiday – and that could be any sort of purchase.

Use this heightened activity as a chance to say something different about your brand or business.

Even if you’re considered a traditionally “boring” business you could use the event or holiday as a time to promote a softer image or message.

Be Agile!

The key takeaway from Bing’s research is to be agile, try new things and take advantage of increased demand!

Use big events like Super Bowl 50 or Valentine’s Day to target people in a different way. 

Search Engines are Answer Machines

"Just Google It"

We’ve all said it.

What we actually mean is “Just ask Google” and we’re all searching for answers to our every day questions:

Where are the best walks in Northern Ireland?

What are cheap healthy food recipes?

How can I invest my money?

Think of the questions your customers might ask and then consider how well your website answers them.

Search engines will direct the searcher to the best answer. Is that you?

In thinking this way you can start to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of your website and begin the process of improving things until you provide Google, and other engines, with the best possible answers for your target customers.

Why Should You Care About SEO?

The number of people going online grows every day and they are constantly searching for the products, services, information and entertainment they want and need.

39 million people from the UK used Google alone in 2014 to search for what they wanted. In the same year 64% of all web traffic came from search engines.

6 out of every 10 visitors to your website is a big number. Are you providing them with the right answers to their search questions?

Search Search Search

What are people actually looking for online?

Well, as it turns out, we’re looking for absolutely everything. For example, over 40,000 people searched for “healthy recipes” in the UK in the last month alone.

No matter what your niche, there will be search traffic (although it could be tiny!)

Content-wise people are looking for answers and this could be great product pictures and descriptions, an in-depth explanation of your services or maybe just helpful tips within your niche.

Think about what your customer is asking on a search engine, then set about creating the best answers.