Optimization for Service Pages
Who are you, and what are you doing here?
With one click, you have a singular opportunity to make a life-long relationship with your customers. Make it memorable. Offer a dynamic introduction about your business and snag their attention. People have short attention spans, so your introduction not only has to address your topic directly clearly but also appealing enough to make your reader want to stay on your page. You want to assure the reader that they have come to the right place for what they seek.
A concise opening demonstrates your expertise as an authority in your chosen field. Ideally, you want a one to two-paragraph introduction, with the first paragraph covering the subject of your service. Next, address the relationship you or your business has with this subject.
Naturally, you will want to spell out what your service provides. What is it that you will be doing for your potential client? How do you define the process? This section allows you to utilize external links to noteworthy sites.
Your page should include an opportunity for your reader/customer to contact you to learn more or to schedule an appointment quickly. Include a clickable phone number, an external link to your Google My Business page for easy driving directions, and a contact page for users to complete your online survey/inquiry/form. Providing at least three customer or peer reviews for your service with a link to a dedicated ‘Reviews’ page lends credibility and confidence to your brand.
Be sure to promote your page’s ease of use and responsiveness to your clientele. Make sure that there is a simple and efficient way for the reader to complete whatever action they may need to take, for more information, to access your social media, or proof of your work.
But wait! There’s more…
When writing your content, it is highly advantageous to use internal linking. This allows you to link to other reputable pages on your site, like blog posts or a FAQ page, allowing your reader to click on that internal link and find more information on a different page while remaining on your site. This demonstrates your expertise on the subject or service at hand and the related topics.
It is imperative to ensure that any internal links create a two-way street; if your service page links out to a related blog post, make sure that the corresponding blog links back to the correct service page. Robust internal linking demonstrates organization and usefulness to search engines, helping your pages rank higher in results.
Keywords are – well, key. Search engine optimization 101 teaches that using at least one of your exact keywords on the page is essential. Additionally, it would be ideal to use as many keywords or phrases throughout the content of your page. But be smart about it; take care that you do not use the words or phrases too much. This action is called “stuffing,” and it is gratuitous, obnoxious, and detrimental to your overall message. Stuffing your page is an easy way to get demoted by Google in your ranking. That is not to say you cannot be creative with your words! How do you describe what you do to others? What are industry-specific words that apply to your trade? Leave no stone unturned when it comes to the jargon of your niche. Use these terms throughout the text of your page, where appropriate. Doing so allows you to organically send strong signals about your page’s intent without the threat of keyword stuffing.
In the end, remember to keep it simple. You’ve done your job if the information you provide is engaging, concise, and informative. Paint a creative word picture for your readers to take in, and your efforts will reap the rewards. Experiment with the available tools and resources to find what is most beneficial to a visitor (and, by proxy, a search engine). Pay careful attention to captivating graphics, proper meta language and code, and authoritative information and you will see your viewership, customer base, and reputation soar.
