SEO For Artists - Part 1

Photo by GenevieveThis is the start of a little series I’m going to call SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for Artists. I’m going to break it down into the simplest pieces I can, only tell you the information you need to know to get started, and use examples to make it all more tangible.

This series is for those of you who have only just heard of the term SEO, either here or in passing conversation, but really have no idea what I’m talking about or why you should care.

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding SEO. That mystery comes from three places, Google won’t tell us how the algorithm they use works exactly, SEO works over time there are no immediate results, and the people who are good at it have a unique set of skills that allows them to charge 1,000s of dollars a month.

What I intend to do is give you a few simple steps that can help you give your website or blog a big boost in being found by the right people, which in turn means more traffic. You will need to be patient because it won’t happen overnight, but if you’re able to keep in mind a few simple things, you will see results.

Today's lesson - target market and keywords, the building blocks of SEO. First let me take a step back and explain search engine optimization. More or less exactly what it sounds like, SEO is optimizing your blog or website so that search engines will find you easily when a search is performed. The better your site is optimized the higher up or closer to number 1 in the search you appear and the more likely someone will be to click the link to your page.

Target Market

Here comes that target market thing again. For you to optimize your blog or website you need to define who you want to reach and what they’re searching for. The more you can narrow the focus of your blog and who will be interested the better your chances of rising to the top.

For example you might be a knitter and have built a business selling your designs. That’s lovely, but there’s a lot of knit designers out there making amazing stuff. You howeve, being a savvy entreprenuer, have a niche. Besides selling the final knitted product you also sell patterns and your patterns create a finished product that looks very intricate, but is extremely easy. On your blog you not only talk about your designs, you offer tips on knitting while commuting or ways to squeeze in bursts of productivity throughout your day. You have a highly focused target market.

Start Thinking About Keywords

Keywords are the specific words that someone would use in a search if they were looking for the information on your website. In the example above the obvious keywords would be knitting and patterns. But as you well know, you put those two words into Google and you’ll get pages upon pages of results. The chances of you standing out are slim. But... you have a more defined target market so you can stand out if you use the right words.

Here’s a quick aside to give you a little insight into how people search. This is a generalization, but it will help you think through the process a little better. When someone performs a search it’s because they have an interest. They tend to type in 2-3 words that first come to mind to describe their interest. They find a few interesting links that either a) give them a new phrase to search for or b) make them add on words to refine their search. When they start their search they get a lot of information they don’t want, but by following a few links they eventually find the wording that will lead them to the link they want.

What might those words be? This is the trick to keywords. You add quick, simple, or easy to the search above but you still come up with a lot of competitors. So think about your target market, what words would they use? Maybe they would add modern to simple knitting patterns. You’re getting closer, but still the competition is tough, what now?

Next week I’m going to talk about a few tools to help you narrow down the keywords you want to optimize for, but you have to have a starting point to begin that research. So try to think like your target market, what words would they use to search for you or your competitors? Make a list of single words and phrases to use in your research next week.

We often describe our businesses differently than others, what words do you commonly use in talking about your business? Do those match up with what others say?