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How to optimize your materials handling website

On-page optimization is the process by which you edit the content and the source (programming) code of a web page to ensure that a search engine identifies the page with the keywords that you want the page to represent.

When done successfully, on-page optimization will position a page on the front page of a search engine for the keywords optimized for.

It’s not necessarily a difficult process, but it does take a great deal of time. Especially, if there are multiple pages of content that require optimization. And, the more pages you optimize, the more you increase your chances of those pages landing in the top ranks on search engines.

On-page optimization requires some basic knowledge of HTML, which is the technical programming language that makes web pages work. However, you don’t have to be a web guru to learn it. If your site runs on a content management system like WordPress, then your knowledge of HTML can be nominal.

This article will show you how to optimize your materials handling website for search engines. It will also show you examples of how an article on RaymondHandling.com was SEO’d.

How to optimize your materials handling website for search engines:

There are six areas on a web page that can be enhanced and embedded with keywords to optimize that page. They are:

#1:H1 tags: One of the most important places on a page that needs to be optimized with the keywords or the keyword phrase you have selected is the H1 tags. H1 tags are reserved for the biggest and most important headline on a page. Any given page should only have one set of H1 tags. These tags should be wrapped around the headline, which heads the content on a page.

When you write your headline there are important things to keep in mind:

1) The phrase you are optimizing for should appear as far to the left of the headline as possible. Said another way, the keyword phrase should consist of the first part of your headline.

2) The headline needs to be human readable. Anyone reading the page should not have to think that the headline is written in poor English. It should be a perfectly formed phrase that reads naturally. Failure to do so, will produce weird looking web pages that people will hate reading and search engines won’till like. However, this strategy will backfire over time.

#2: Keywords in your web address or URL: Google puts high emphasis on keywords that appear in the web address of your web page. If you have a web developer that manually creates the name of the HTML page make sure those keywords are part of the HTML file name. Each word should be separated with an underscore or a hyphen.

If your company uses a content management system such as WordPress, it automatically turns your headline into the name of your HTML file and this becomes part of your web address or URL.

The URL for the article featured in the previous example (Figure XX) titiled: “Best racking for my warehouse operation”, would be:

http://raymondhandling.com/best-racking-for-my-warehouse-operation

#3 – Body text: When a search engine crawls your page it will look for keywords in the body text on the page. The keyword phrase that you select for this page should appear several times in this text. The rule of thumb is to ensure that it appears at minimum once and preferably 2 to 3 times. One school of thought is that one of these instances should also be bold faced to show the search engines that it is important text for the page.

Watch out for SEO companies that aren’t reputable. They often engage in a practice called keyword stuffing. If the body text contains the keyword phrase too many times it can work against your site. If the Google algorithm detects this is the case, it will penalize you for the behavior.

It’s always a good idea to use synonyms. Google’s algorithm picks up on variations of words.

#4 – IMG tags: <img> tags are an HTML code used to define images embedded in your web pages. This tag tells a web browser where the image file is located on the server, as well as, its height and width and any styling information on how to treat the image on when it is displayed.

An often overlooked parameter in the IMG tag is called ALT. This parameter is used to describe the image in the event that the image can’t be displayed. It is also used by screen readers for the blind to help describe the image.

#5 – Title tag: In the header of your HTML file all pages typically have a tag set called <title></title>. The words between these tags will show up at the top of your browser window. Or, in the case of a browser window with tabs, it will appear as the tab title. Google and Bing play close attention to the contents of this tag so you will want to ensure that your keyword phrase appears as the first few words. One top SEO expert suggests that failure to put your keywords here will guarantee that your website will not rank on Google’s first page of results.

You will also want to ensure that you use no more than 60 characters in this tag. Google ignores anything after 60 characters. So, keep your title tags short and sweet.

The content of your title tags also shows up as the headline used to describe your site listing in Google results. If the title tag is not clear, Google has been known to rewrite it for display results.

#6 – Meta description tag: This tag also appears in the header section of your HTML file. The contents of this tag are used to describe your web site in search engine listings. If this tag is not defined Google will usually take the first 10 to 15 words of the first paragraph of your body text and use that as a description in the search engine listing. You have 160 characters to play with here. Your keyword phrase should appear as close to the beginning of this text as possible.

The killer SEO tactic the experts use: In-linking:

In-linking is perhaps the most important and perhaps the most overlooked technique in SEO. The top experts know the power of in-linking and use it to great effect.

It’s the practice of getting other web sites to link to your web site. This is really important because Google and Bing use these links to calculate the value of your web site and web pages.

A link to your web site from another site is a vote of confidence. You can think of in-linking like this: A link is like a restaurant patron that says they will return to a restaurant. Would you eat at restaurant where one customer provided a recommendation or that 50 customers recommended?

It is important that you spend some time getting third parties to link to your site. This is especially true when it comes to highly competitive keywords.

Here are a few quick methods for generating links:

1. Find similar sites: Search for sites in Google that match keywords you want to be ranked for. Email them and suggest your content. Offer it to the them for use on their site in return for a link back to yours. Or suggest where they can link from their site directly to yours. Obviously competitors won’t link to your content, but others might.

2. Share on social media: Share great articles on social media. People who appreciate the material may link it to their sites or blogs.

3. Business listings: List your site on business listings sites.

4. Press releases: Issue press releases about new products and services to press release services. They will link to your web property. Often search engines will pick this content up and list it.

5. Media coverage: Provide your expertise to media in your industry -– trade publications or blogs or business sites. If you are interviewed, ask for a link to your web site.

6. Link bait: Link bait is content on a web site that is hard to find, provides rare information and that people naturally share. This content will get linked to from other web sites, when it is discovered.

How to write materials handling articles: 10 tips

Learning how to write materials handling articles that are well-written to effectively attract warm leads in your target market is not easy. The following 10 tips will help:

How to write materials handling articles: 10 Tips:

1. Word count: The number of words in one article/blog should fall in the range of 500-750 for short pieces and 1000 to 1500 words for longer pieces. These are general rules. Write longer if the topic merits it and the information flows naturally. Long posts do well if their content is segmented with subheads (titles that break up the text) or easy-to-follow bullet points. You can also use list formats to make them bite sized. The reality is, most online readers will not read more than 10 to 15 paragraphs in a session.

For SEO, longer posts do well if they cover a topic comprehensively.

2. Write compelling, yet descriptive headlines and subheads: Writers often get too creative with the headline of their piece. Good titles should: 1) Compel a reader to read the piece, 2) Briefly describe what the article is about, and 3) Support search engine optimization efforts. A site that does that well is warehouseiq.com which provides warehouse and forklift resources techniques and training. It also provide useful resources such as forklift manuals.

Google looks for search keywords in headlines and gives them weight. If your article is about superior racking designs for warehouse optimization then the headline should read something like “How to optimize your warehouse using rack designs you haven’t considered”, and not “Rack-o-rama!”.

3. Be concise and descriptive: Be concise with your language. Explain everything, but the absolute basics. (No need to explain what a “lift truck” is, but you should explain what “cantilever rack” is.) Write for people who have just come to the business. Don’t assume your audience is full of experts. Even seasoned professionals will forgive you for over-simplification.

A clear concise article will reinforce what they already know, as well as introduce new information and ideas. And that gives value to all readers regardless of their level of expertise. A good rule of thumb is to write for a Grade 9 level of knowledge and understanding.

4. Avoid buzzwords: Marketers are notorious for inventing words or concepts that don’t serve the reader. A great example: “WarehousXPro9 is a forklift management solution” versus the more accurate “WarehousXPro9 is a forklift management web-based software package”.

What’s a solution? It’s the answer to a problem. That is a great message to convey in sales copy. However, it’s an over-used term and has become cliché. If you say something is a “solution” and don’t explain what it is, the reader can’t visualize it.

Better yet to say: “WarehousXPro9 is a sophisticated, yet easy to use software product.” You would go on to say: It is installed on a company’s server and can be accessed by any web-enabled device. Warehouse professionals can use a tablet or smartphone to access a series of visual dashboards that show data about a warehouse and allows them to manage the operation more efficiently.“

Bottom line here: If in doubt say more. Don’t be afraid to explain a concept so you leave the reader with a greater understanding of what’s being said.

5. Get to the point early: Don’t waste your time with long and winding introductions. If you are introducing a topic in a creative way connect it to the key point you are trying to make in the article quickly. If you go on too long you risk losing your reader.

A good introductory paragraph (in journalism it is a called a “lead”) can be an effective tool to engage the reader. It’s an on-ramp to the central point of the piece not a country road that gets you there eventually.

If you are not hitting the focus of your article by paragraph 3 or so, re-work the piece.

6. Don’t be“salesy”: It’s okay to plug your company but do it discreetly. If you write too much about why your company is great and why your products are awesome your reader will be put off. They may feel clubbed over the head. No one likes to be sold to.

Serve the reader first. The article should leave them feeling that they got value for taking the time to read what you had to say and they will come back for more the next time.

7. Demonstrate, don’t tell: Show the reader why something is true. Don’t tell them. Why would they believe the latest lift truck is “amazing”, just because you say so? Describe the new lift truck and its features and benefits, and let them draw their own conclusions.

8. Write with intention: Ask yourself the questions: Why would someone read this article/blog? Are you engaging with your intended audience? Is what you’re writing informative and helpful? Is your writing in line with the long-term strategy that expresses that you and your brand are topic experts?

People buy from experts, not sales people. Actually, they buy from experts that sell. Why? Because experts are trustworthy, helpful and useful.

9. Do more of what works, and less of what doesn’t: Writing content for a brand is strategic. It is about gaining a following, earning trust and respect and driving sales for your company as a byproduct.

How do you know if you are doing that? Measure engagement and outcomes. How many people read your articles? Which ones did well? Which ones didn’t?

If an article gets good traction and is well read (we use web analytics tools to track and understand this) write similar pieces in future because clearly there is a demand for the content. Use the free tools at http://google.com/analytics.

10. Take yourself out of the equation: Don’t write what you want to write. Write for your audience first and then bring it back to what you want to write about, or have the expertise in. Provide value to the reader. Put yourself in their shoes and ask why would I read this article or blog post?

How to write online articles for materials handling

To create content that will attract a sector in the Materials Handling industry that you are trying to target, it’s important to consider what those people need. What are their “pain points”, or consistent concerns/issues/problems that relate to your business; The problems that only you can solve? What expertise could you offer to solve what is missing for people in your target market?

How to write online articles for materials handling:

It’s not hard to figure this out. Ask your sales force, the people who are closest to the people you want to sell to. It’s likely they know better than anyone what those customers are dealing with on a daily basis. These are the issues you want to help them solve. These are the issues you want to produce content about.

You can also do something as simple as ask them. Use things like surveys with giveaways for their efforts. The more you know, the more understanding you gain about the content you need to create, to help you attract the right demographic

Once you know what content to generate, brainstorm a running list and keep adding to it. By evaluating how effective the articles are, you will be able to continue to tweak your strategy.

Appointing a competent content writer

Producing great content is often a team effort. Unless you happen to be a great visionary, writer, editor and web developer all rolled into one. In all cases, there are two methods of execution:

Option 1: Appoint a qualified and knowledgeable team member with great copywriting skills to write and post the content.

Option 2: Hire a marketing agency or freelance writer to learn your business, work with your internal experts, and generate the content for you.

Option 1 is great if you don’t have the funds to spend on hiring someone to produce articles for you. However, it involves an investment in time, sometimes a lot of time. And it’s likely that if your staff are great at Materials Handling they may not be great content writers. (Unless, they have a degree in journalism or a particular natural talent for writing.)

The person who you appoint to generate your company’s web content needs to be able to write effectively. If you create a bunch of content but it’s not well put together, contains spelling errors, or is badly structured, it will damage your brand.

If you decide to go with Option 2 and hire a marketing agency or freelance writer, you are equipping qualified professionals to do the work. It often saves a company more money to hire a qualified team than to train someone and manage the process internally.

If you hire professionals, you won’t have to worry about the work getting done properly and promptly. The content creation process takes care of itself.

If you do decide to hire an agency or writer, you need to understand that they charge by the word or by the piece. A professional agency will charge anywhere from .50 cents to $2 per word. This amounts to $250 to $2,000 per article. This depends on that article’s length and quality.

It’s often worth the expense. A good article can convince hundreds of people that your company is an expert. Think of it this way: If it’s read 1000 times in a year and produces 100 queries and 10 sales, it was worth the investment.

To learn more about content marketing and using digital tactics to turn your business into a warm lead generator, order a free copy of the 60-page book: Digital Marketing Secrets for companies in the Materials Handling Industry. You’ll also get a free PDF ebook version. CLICK this button to order your book now:

How to get more warm leads for your business

This article shares the No.1 secret that will turn your business into a lead generation machine. If you want to encourage more leads to seek your business — instead of you seeking their business — read this article. It reveals the newest trend in marketing towards developing and sharing great content to create yourself as an expert in your industry.

How to get more warm leads for your business:

The secret is… Content marketing

If you want to bring more business to you with minimal sales effort you’ll want to understand content marketing. It’s a marketing process that involves creating and sharing strategic content that does the following:

Showcases your expertise in your industry
Naturally attracts the business you want to attract because they come to you for help and guidance

The goal is to attract and engage the intended demographic with the objective of driving profitable customer action.

There is a long-standing sales approach that suggests customers only buy from companies they trust. That trust is quickly established when a company becomes an expert in their industry. If your aim is to solve the problems of your target audience, you are on the right track.

Thinking like a content marketer

Shift your focus. Stop asking: “How can I sell more?”. Start asking: “How can I be of assistance to people in my target market?”. When you think this way, selling becomes a natural process. It requires minimal sales effort.

Be an expert and potential business will come to you. And, it will be easier than you ever thought possible. The expertise that you demonstrate through content marketing removes or weakens the resistance toward a sales come-on.

A content marketing approach allows you to change your business’ overall brand conversation and establish that you are more than just another corporation.

How to think like a content marketer

Find out what the “pain points” or persistent complaints are for the people you want to sell to, and create content that solves these issues. The content could be in the form of:

Articles
Blog posts
Videos
eBooks
Infographics
Industry reports

Share your content on social media, on your web site, or over email.

Here’s the big secret to content marketing…

You have to think strategically and/or do thorough research to really understand the pain points of the people in your target market. If you don’t, your efforts won’t be effective in generating the leads you want to generate. Sometimes, the content you do generate may even need to be unrelated.

For example, if your business is a bridal boutique that sells bridal dresses you may want to write content that solves the pain points of brides. Don’t just write about wedding dresses. Write articles such as: “Wedding planner’s money-saving secrets”, “Brides guide: Where to splurge and where to save”, “How to make wedding planning easy”. Give away things like “Free wedding month-to-month wedding planning guide for brides”. Yes, you may sell dresses, but this content will attract the attention of your target market.

To learn more about content marketing order a copy of our FREE ebook: Digital Marketing Secrets Revealed. We actually give away our complete proven-results digital marketing strategy in this book. To get yours now, CLICK HERE.

How to market yourself strategically on the web

It’s important to learn how to market yourself strategically on the web. Learning the correct techniques will allow you to easily grow your business with limited effort.

The foundation of the approach we teach our clients is content marketing. The following article shares what content marketing is and how incorporating it into your strategy will dramatically increase your ability to sell.

How to marketing yourself strategically on the web:

What is content marketing and why do I need it?

Content marketing is a marketing process that involves generating and distributing valuable content to a specific audience. The goal is to attract and engage the intended demographic with the objective of driving profitable customer action.

This form of marketing takes into account the long-standing sales approach that customers only buy from companies they trust. That trust, is quickly established when a company becomes an expert — a resource for their people — and is able to solve the problems of their target market.

Thinking like a content marketer

If you shift the focus from: “how can I sell more?” to “how can I be of assistance to people in my target market?” selling products and services becomes a natural, seamless process that involves minimal sales effort.

When your company is an expert in your industry, potential business will naturally come to you. That expertise that you demonstrate through content marketing removes or weakens the resistance toward a sales come-on.

The important part is to show them your expertise every time they look for a solution to a problem. That will have them come to you for many things, not just when they need to buy something you provide. A content marketing approach allows you to change your business’ overall brand conversation and establish that you are more than just another corporation selling widgets or services.

You step away from solely being the provider of a product. You become the ultimate resource.

A brief explanation of a content marketing approach

The following example was written for the Material Handling industry. We do a lot of work in this arena. However, the words “warehouse manager” and “rack” in the example below can easily be swapped out for any other product and service.

Example: Think of it this way, a warehouse manager needs to buy more rack for his warehouse. You could be one of two things for that potential customer:

Option 1: You’re the company he chooses to buy from among a selection of similar racking companies. He comes to you when he needs rack. And only when he needs rack. He chooses to buy rack from your company because his company has purchased from you before.

Option 2: You’re the company he chooses because your brand is cooler than everyone else’s. He visits your web site often because it’s a refreshing experience. When he comes to your site it’s not just all pictures of rack and prices. He sees the faces of sales and service people he actually knows and innately he feels a connection.

He found your site from a Google search when he was looking for racking design support. And he has returned to your site many times because you helped him solve his problems – even if he has never purchased from you before.

When it comes to buying rack, he doesn’t even consider any other providers. Even though your rack is a bit more expensive, he’ll get so much more from you than he will from the competition.

Option 2 is much more effective. The company in this example is taking a content marketing approach. They are putting effort into sharing themselves and building their brand as an expert resource. This way, they have become a go-to resource for people in their target market.

This approach works for almost every industry. If you are a plastic surgeon, share your knowledge about patient procedures to build credibility. If you operate a residential cleaning business, put your effort into writing and posting article about cleaning, like: “Microwave a lemon in water for 5 minutes to steam clean your microwave with minimal effort”.