As a digital marketer, one of the first things I get asked by my clients is “how can we improve our online presence,” or “how can we be number one on google search?” The answer always comes down to SEO. Of course, there are TONS of consistent practices that factor into a truly efficient SEO plan, which is why there are professionals to help you with the job…BUT, if you want to get a jumpstart on your SEO journey, there are 3 easy practices you can implement.

Create & Use Your Social Media Accounts

The internet recognizes active social media accounts and links. The top ranked social platforms are actually YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. It can also tell how much interaction “engagement” is occurring with your brand on social media, so you can’t just expect to create a social media account and immediately increase your SEO…that’s not what it’s about. You have to create content on your social media sites that intrigues your viewers and ultimately get them to like, share, and view your content. You should also be using your social media content to drive visitors to your coordinating social media sites and website. If you’re doing all of these things simultaneously, they will work together to improve your presence.

Create & Update Online Directories

As with your social media links, the internet also recognizes online directory listings for your company, such as Google (especially Google My Business), Yellow Pages, Foursquare, Angie’s List, Yelp, Bing, etc. Ensuring that your company’s information is updated/added on each of these sites can significantly help your SEO  score because you are creating more valuable links to be searched on the internet. All of these active links ultimately play into your popularity and ranking.

Ask For Online Reviews

Finally, asking for reviews on your Facebook and LinkedIn pages will also help your online presence and rankings. The more reviews you have, the more likely it is for potential consumers to click on your website’s link. More than 80% of online consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations when making purchasing decisions. Asking for reviews will not only increase your ranking, but those positive reviews could also help your sales!

Implementing these 3 things won’t guarantee you’ll be #1 on Google, but they will certainly help. Mastering SEO takes time and research and it certainly doesn’t happen overnight, which is why it’s always beneficial to seek advice from a marketing professional to ensure your SEO implementations are effective!