When someone uses a search engine to look for funeral homes or related services, the search engine will start running an algorithm that decides which websites match the terms used, according to similarity and relevance. This information is taken from text, alternative tags on photos, URLs, headers and other on-page elements on your website.
This may sound simple to do, but you can’t just take and set aside a top ranking for yourself. You probably have competitors in your area that are trying to reach your same goals. This means that a top ranking on search results must be accomplished through hard work and effort.
How to start implementing SEO
A new important element of funeral home marketing campaigns is “search”. It pops up in almost every stage of the marketing process, from the first steps in choosing a provider to potential conversion when requesting information. Your business needs SEO in order to increase sales leads and revenue.
1. Local Search Optimization
Almost all searches for funeral homes are local. This means that they are generally typed in as “funeral homes in [your city]”. Thus, your SEO strategy should use your exact business address, even if it’s already mentioned throughout your website.
Make sure you include your town name in keywords and throughout your website’s content. If you have several branches on different towns, you might want to look into creating a separate page for each.
2. Produce New Content Regularly
Search engines’ algorithms tend to reward websites that add new content and pages often, so make sure you apply this to your website as well. One of the best ways is by starting a blog and writing about topics that are relevant to your clients and related to your business. For example, grief support, funeral costs, etc.
3. Keep an Eye on your Site’s Performance
Most people don’t tend to stay on websites that take too long to load or don’t work properly. Search engines are able to notice this and will most likely penalize your site with a lower ranking on the search results. Make sure you check your website’s performance and that it loads properly across multiple devices and screens.
You should remove links that lead up to an error page, optimize your photos that are taking too long to load, and make sure you improve the mobile experience on your site. Most web users are now searching for information via a mobile device (cell phone or tablet), which means that your website’s performance on these devices is particularly important to improve or maintain your ranking.
Give it a try…
SEO can help you reach potential customers in need of what you have to offer without the heavy-handed work of traditional marketing. However, there’s a very delicate balance when marketing for a funeral home, so it’s important to get the correct assessment in order to get the most bang for your buck.
If you’re ready to start using SEO to attract more customers to your funeral home business or need more information, please reach out to us today for a free consultation! Our experienced team of Internet marketers will be more than glad to assist you and help you make the most out of your website.