How to Build Your Brand Online: Getting Found with SEO

How do people find your website on the internet?

This might seem like an obvious question, but think about it. The most common way people search is with words and phrases, right? No problem. As artisans we know all about what we’re creating, so we know what words and phrases are most commonly associated with our products. Or do we?

Wouldn’t it be nice to know what words people are using to search your niche and genre? And wouldn’t it be nice to tag and label your products with these words? You can, and it’s easy.

Google Keyword Tool

Google has something called a Keyword Tool. You type in a word or phrase, then a word ‘captcha’, and hit “Search”.

You’ll then get a list of Google’s top 100 phrases that most closely match the words you entered. The left column shows you a listing of Keyword Ideas.

Across from those on the right side is the “gold”.

• Competition
• Global Monthly Searches
• Local Monthly Searches

How can you use these statistics? By finding keyword ideas that closely match your phrase, have Low to Medium competition, and the highest number of monthly searches.

If you have a craft fair coming up or you primarily sell locally, pay attention to the Local Monthly Searches. Tag your products on your website with these keywords. You can even use them in your social media posts.

If you sell on Etsy and/or your website, use the Global Monthly Searches.

Keep in mind this is a monthly search so take into consideration the season, holidays, etc., for your own products.

If you’re a blogger or have a wide variety of products, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with keywords (also known as ‘metatags’). But there’s a simply way to save all of relevant Keyword ideas.

Just click the box associated with the phrase and ‘save’.

In the lower left corner of the page there’s a pop up menu that will store your saved ideas, making a nice reference when you’re writing product descriptions or a blog post.

A common mistake artisans make is using words that WE know. However, our words and phrases might not be the same that our prospective customers are using.

Try using the keyword tool regularly and see if your Google page ranking and searches go up.

Do you have some tag and labeling tips to share? I’d love to know what you do to improve your SEO.

Colleen Jorgensen is a self-taught artist and blogs at Mural Maker & More. She has multiple websites, besides her blog, that need branding. She has given up trying to create 28 hours in a day and is now trying to work smarter, not harder.