Having a funeral home website is important, but what good is having a site if nobody can find your business when they search the internet for funeral services in your area?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the algorithmic science that determines why one page appears above another when you enter a query into sites like Google or Bing. We’ve touched on a few important SEO training steps that funeral homes need to take on their websites in previous posts, but if you’re interested in digging into the field in more detail, give any of the following SEO training resources a try.
Moz — “The Beginners Guide to SEO”
Moz is considered an industry leader in SEO and website optimization issues, and their beginning SEO guide demonstrates why. Inside, you’ll find a thorough, yet accessible, introduction to major SEO concerns, helpfully broken down into easy-to-tackle chapters. Give each one a read through and implement the tips you find before moving on to the next topic, as your schedule allows.
Google — “Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide”
What better place to get information about SEO than directly from the horse’s mouth? Because Google typically controls around 65% of total search market share, most SEOs talk about optimization in terms of ranking well in Google alone. Learn exactly what the search giant is looking for and how you can give your funeral home website the best chance of ranking well with Google’s own SEO starter guide.
Search Engine Land — “Guide to SEO”
Search Engine Land – another well-respected source of digital marketing information — also takes the chapter-by-chapter approach to basic SEO education but also pairs it with a “Periodic Table of SEO Success Factors” chart that helps to tie together relevant concepts. Check the page out for detailed descriptions of the content, HTML, site architecture, link building and social media success factors needed to rank well in the natural search results, among others.
KISSMetrics — “SEO: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners”
Not ready to dive into several chapters of SEO background? No problem! KISSMetric’s comprehensive guide covers the key principles and practices underlying good SEO without wasting time on theory or background information that isn’t immediately actionable. In particular, you’ll love the section titled “The Traffic Trap (and How SEO Really Works)” for its intuitive description of the real purpose behind SEO.
Search Engine Journal — “The Definitive Guide to Local SEO”
You might not be aware of it, but national and local SEO are actually quite different. And as most funeral homes are considered local businesses, understanding both sides of the SEO coin is vitally important. To see the distinction, take a look at Search Engine Journal’s introduction to local SEO. Hopefully, it’ll get your creative juices on the best ways to use SEO practices to help put your funeral home’s website in front of as many local customers possible!
Moz — “Top 20 Local Search Ranking Factors”
Say you’ve implemented some of the local SEO best practices described in Search Engine Journal’s guide, but you still aren’t ranking at the top of the organic results for your target keywords. It’s time for some troubleshooting. Take a look at Moz’s “Top 20 Local Search Ranking Factors” to better understand the elements that contribute to high rankings. If you find one or more that hasn’t been addressed on your website, make the necessary updates to boost your site’s performance and incoming traffic
QuickSprout — “The Advanced Guide to SEO”
Ready to take your website’s SEO to the next level? SEO is both an art and a science, and it’s one that can require years of study to fully understand. But if you’re interested in diving deeper into this fascinating subject, Quicksprout’s advanced guide can cut a significant amount of time off your learning curve. Give it a read-through if you’re ready to learn about things like CSS compression and schema microdata markup.
Frazer Consultants — An Updated Look at Search Optimization
Frazer has put together a free guide to get you started with SEO; including helpful terminology, how search engines like Google work, and tips for improving your SEO strategy.
Of course, it’s worth noting that you’re a funeral director, not a webmaster. If you’re interested in learning more about the field of SEO and SEO training tips, the resources above will provide all the information you need for free. But if you’d rather never give it a second thought, just look for a funeral home website provider that builds key SEO features into its sites.
To learn more about how Frazer Consultants handles website SEO, give us a call at 866-372-9372 for a free demonstration or for help troubleshooting your current site’s performance.
Matt, This is a great list of resources for SEO. I think funeral homes could particularly benefit greatly from The Definitive Guide to Local SEO”,
Thanks for sharing
Thanks Jeff – definitely agree! Both general and local SEO are going to be increasingly important for funeral homes as consumers rely more and more on the search results when choosing their service providers.