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What do search engines want you to know about SEO?

Bassem Ghali is a 2-time winner of the Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year award and a digital marketing strategist with over 20 years of experience working with companies such as Canadian Tire, Vistaprint, Remax Canada, Alpha Laps, Xplornet, and Toronto Star.


What is Search Engine Optimization?

Search Engine Optimization is a process used to improve the volume or quality of traffic to your website from search engines. SEO helps increases a website’s ‘organic’ search result ranking, and is FREE!

Search engine marketing (SEM), on the other hand, is a paid ad campaign placing ads in relevant search engine results.

What does this mean for your small business?

Search engines are the primary method of navigation for almost all Internet users – search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing drive product shopping, news reading and lead users to videos, blogs and other online content. View our SEO Company Packages!

If your business website cannot be found by these search engines, your business will not appear on the search engine result pages (SERP) and will miss out on being visible to potential customers and clients who are searching specifically for your products, services and information online!

There are several best practices you can implement that are FREE and will transform the potential of your website, improve your online presence, and most importantly – improve website traffic!

Basic SEO Guidelines from the Largest Search Engines:

Google Webmaster Guidelines

  • Create a useful, information-rich site, and write pages that clearly and accurately describe your content.
  • Think about the words users would type to find your pages, and make sure that your site actually includes those words within it.
  • Try to use text instead of images to display important names, content, or links. The Google crawler doesn’t recognize text contained in images. If you must use images for textual content, consider using the “ALT” attribute to include a few words of descriptive text.
  • Check for broken links and correct HTML.
  • If you decide to use dynamic pages (i.e., the URL contains a “?” character), be aware that not every search engine spider crawls dynamic pages as well as static pages. It helps to keep the parameters short and the number of them few.
  • Make a site with a clear hierarchy and text links. Every page should be reachable from at least one static text link*.
  • Offer a site map to your users with links that point to the important parts of your site. If the site map has an extremely large number of links, you may want to break the site map into multiple pages.
  • Keep the links on a given page to a reasonable number.

From Yahoo! Webmaster Guidelines

  • Create original and unique content of genuine value.
  • Design your pages primarily for humans, with search engine considerations a secondary concern.
  • Include hyperlinks intended to help people find interesting, related content.
  • Include metadata (including title and description) that accurately describes the contents of a web page.

From Bing Webmaster Guidelines

  • In the visible page text, include words users might choose as search query terms to find the information on your site.
  • Limit all pages to a reasonable size. We recommend one topic per page. An HTML page with no pictures should be under 150KB.
  • Make sure that each page is accessible by at least one static text link.
  • Don’t put the text that you want indexed inside images. For example, if you want your company name or address to be indexed, make sure it is not displayed inside a company logo.
  • Develop great, original content (including well-implemented, relevant keywords).
  • Use well-architected code in your webpages (including images and Sitemaps) so that users’ web browsers and search engine crawlers can read the content you want indexed).
  • Earn several, high-quality, authoritative inbound links (hyperlinks on other web pages that link back to your own website – these links are important in determining the importance and relevance of your site). 

by Bassem Ghali 18 February 2025
How can home builders strategically start their SEO journey using training and Green Lotus tools?
by Bassem Ghali 18 February 2025
What are the key SEO strategies and tools that construction companies can use to build a strong online presence?
by Bassem Ghali 9 December 2024
Toronto's construction market is fiercely competitive. To stay ahead, you must keep up with the latest digital trends. One of the biggest game-changers recently is Google's AI Overviews. This new feature uses artificial intelligence to give people quick summaries of what they're searching for, which means they might need help to even click on individual results. So, how does this affect your construction business? It means you have to work even harder to stand out in search results. At Green Lotus, we help construction businesses like yours adapt to these changes and ensure you're still getting noticed by potential clients. We focus on making your website and content the best it can be, so even with AI in the mix, you come out on top. Deconstructing AI Overviews: How They Impact Your Construction Business AI Overviews represent Google's attempt to deliver quick and comprehensive answers to user queries directly on the search results page. This means that your online presence needs to be optimized not only for traditional SEO factors but also for these AI-powered summaries. Consider it a competition to become the "featured snippet" for various construction-related searches. If your business consistently provides the most relevant and authoritative information, you'll be well-positioned to capture valuable leads and drive business growth. Check our digital marketing services contractors, construction companies & SEO services home builders Content is King, Context is Queen, and Quality is the Kingdom: In-depth Content: Go beyond basic service descriptions. Toronto residents commonly encounter roofing difficulties, such as leaks and damaged shingles. To acquire confidence and demonstrate your competence, provide high-quality content that addresses these challenges and even more. A guide like "Navigating Your Roofing Options in Toronto" may appeal to your target audience. Alternatively, provide practical advice in an article such as "Top 5 Roofing Problems in Toronto and How to Prevent Them". Focusing on your audience's requirements allows you actually to connect with them. Keyword Optimization: Integrate relevant keywords naturally throughout your content. Use long-tail keywords that show the specific services you offer and the areas you serve. For example, if you provide "custom home building in North York," incorporate this phrase and related variations throughout your website and content. Schema Markup: Schema markup is like a translator between your website and Google's AI. It helps the algorithms understand the context of your content, making it more likely to be included in AI Overviews. Ensure your website uses schema markup to identify your services, location, customer reviews, and other essential information. Elevate Your Google Business Profile: Comprehensive and Accurate Information: Consider your Google Business Profile your digital storefront. It is frequently the first impression a potential consumer receives, so keeping it correct and current is essential. This includes ensuring that your company's name, address, and phone number are accurate. But don't stop there! Include your website, service areas, business hours, and any extra services you offer. A rich and accurate profile enables customers to easily find you and understand what your firm is all about. Visual Storytelling: A picture is worth a thousand words, and high-quality photos and videos can make all the difference in the world of online search. Showcase your completed projects, highlight your team's expertise, and give potential customers a visual tour of your capabilities. Customer Reviews as Social Proof: Encourage satisfied customers to leave detailed and positive reviews on your Google Business Profile. Positive reviews improve your local SEO and enhance your credibility and trustworthiness in AI Overviews. Consider implementing a system for collecting customer feedback and testimonials. Building a Robust Online Presence: Local Citations for Authority: Consider local citations virtual "votes of confidence" for your business. Ensure your business information is consistently listed across relevant online directories and platforms, including industry-specific directories, local business associations, and general online directories. Backlinks as Trust Signals: Boost your website's authority with high-quality backlinks. Think of backlinks as a much-needed vote of confidence from other websites. When reputable sites in the construction industry, such as suppliers, associations, or even local news outlets, link to yours, it signals to Google that your content is valuable. This increases your website's trustworthiness and improves its search ranking. Backlink development is essential for enhancing your website's search engine rankings. These "endorsements" indicate to Google that your content is trustworthy and deserving of promotion in search results. The better your website ranks, the easier it will be for potential clients to locate you. Social Media Engagement: Maintain an active and engaging presence on social media platforms relevant to your business. Share valuable content, engage with your followers, and join industry-related discussions. Social media signals fluctuate but might indirectly affect your SEO and increase your online presence. Harnessing the Power of AI and Automation: AI-Powered Tools for Efficiency: Digital marketing is evolving rapidly, and small businesses must stay ahead. AI-powered tools can help you streamline your efforts and uncover new opportunities. From content creation to social media management, AI offers valuable solutions. You can gain a competitive edge in your market by embracing these technologies. Sales Automation for Lead Nurturing: Use sales automation solutions to improve lead generation and customer relationship management procedures. This can help you generate more leads, build stronger relationships, and convert prospects into paying clients. Real-World Applications for Construction Businesses: Consider a Toronto-based construction company specializing in historic building restoration. By creating in-depth content on topics like "heritage home preservation techniques" or "restoring Victorian architecture in Ontario" and optimizing their Google Business Profile with relevant keywords, images, and customer reviews, they can increase their chances of being featured in AI Overviews for related searches.
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