What is website SEO, and why does it matter for dog breeders?
The term “SEO” is thrown around a lot in website discussions. Many dog breeders don’t even know what SEO stands for, let alone how to implement an SEO strategy for their websites.
In this article I would like to help you understand what SEO is, how it can substantially benefit your website traffic and overall online presence, and how you can easily implement your own basic SEO strategy without hiring any help.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” Search engine optimization is “the process used to optimize a website's technical configuration, content relevance and link popularity so its pages can become easily findable, more relevant and popular towards user search queries,and as a consequence, search engines rank them better.” (Source)
In other words, SEO is all about getting found on Google.
Great SEO is vital for dog breeders that want new customers. Have you ever done a Google search for a local product (or a local service)? Your search query probably looked something like this:
Once your search results are generated, I bet you never look past the first page (maybe two). The first page of search results captures between 70-90% of all clicks (Source)! That is a huge number that I do not think dog breeders should ignore, because if you are not on page one, it is unlikely you will be found.
Google search results are ranked in order. Google uses a complex algorithm to determine this rank order. This algorithm is “a complex system used to retrieve data from its search index and instantly deliver the best possible results for a query (Source).” This system is affectionately known as “Googlebot.” Think of Googlebot as an invisible little spider that crawls across websites, indexing pages so that Google can rank them.
The top result that you see is the website that Google has determined is the most useful for you according to your search terms and location. “Being the top result communicates the highest authority and ‘usefulness’ of your site’s link in regards to a user’s search.” (Source)
Google uses complicated and constantly evolving search algorithm (Googlebot) to rank websites according to the following criteria:
The overall quality of a web page’s content
The number of high-quality links pointing to your website (also known as “backlinks”)
How mobile-friendly the website is
How quickly web pages load
Ease of navigating the website
How well-structured your website is, in terms of helping Googlebots navigate and understand what the website is all about
(bullet points source)
If you aren’t being found by customers on Google then your website may be a drain on your business rather than an asset. It is important that your website can be found by customers through “organic” search results, and truthfully this requires that your website shows up on the first or second page of search results. An “organic” search result refers to a search result that is not a paid promotion (aka an advertisement). An organic search result appears because it is relevant to a customer’s search keywords (“puppy for sale near me”), and because it has earned a high ranking on Google.
“Non-organic” search results are paid ads. The owners of these websites are paying per click, meaning every time someone clicks on their website in search results, the owners of the ad are paying a fee. You will see these search results at the very top, and they will read “Ad” next to the title. I personally do not recommend paying for advertising services. Paying for ads does not permanently enhance your SEO. As soon as you stop paying for the ad services, your visibility goes back to what it was before you were paying for ads.
Remember that phrase in the photo at the beginning of this article, “for sale near me?” That phrase tells Google that the user is searching for a product that is available locally. In my opinion, as a dog breeder your geographically local SEO should be your top priority. You can expand on your SEO strategy to reach nationwide and international customers once you have satisfied your local market. At that time, you will probably be ready to hire a professional to help you.
We are going to focus on a local SEO strategy for your website in this article.
What does great SEO look like?
Prior to 2009, “keywords” were the authority for a great SEO strategy. Times have changed, and if you are only relying on keywords as an SEO strategy then you are missing out on earning a much higher Google ranking.
SEO is so much more than just pasting keywords everywhere. Great, modern SEO also involves quality content creation, a fast-loading and easy-to-navigate website, as well as an awesome mobile friendly layout.
I remember, not that long ago, visiting websites and seeing lists of keywords at the bottom of the webpage. There would literally be a title or header reading, “Keywords,” and then a huge list of keywords underneath, all separated by commas. Website designers would do this in an attempt to enhance a page’s SEO. If you have something like this on your website, I would suggest removing it. Googlebot has evolved and is smart enough to “understand” that your blatant list of keywords is not useful content anymore. It is not content that is providing your website visitors with relevant and valuable information regarding the subject of your website.
So, how can you properly and effectively use keywords in an SEO strategy? We will discuss that later in this article.
Valuable and unique content is the underdog of a great SEO strategy. There is a saying in the web design world, “content is king.” What is content? Content is defined as any creative element visible on your website. Creative elements can include text (written information), photos, or videos. Written content (text) and great photos are the easiest to optimize to cater to Googlebot, so we will discuss how to create amazing content later in this article.
How does Google know if my written content is valuable or not? Google is ranking content based on the following:
How relevant the content is Is the content on your website related to the overall subject of your website? For example: If you have a dog breeding website, it is best to stick to dog breeding related content. If you venture too far off topic, Googlebot might get confused. Example: Do you raise horses in addition to breeding dogs? I would suggest building a completely separate website, with a separate domain name, for your horse breeding business.
How interesting and engaging the content isGooglebot measures a website visitor’s “dwell time,” or “session duration.” This means that Google is actually ranking websites in part based on how long people spend browsing content. If your content is not engaging, your website visitors are not going to stay on your website for very long, and this negatively affects your SEO. The average dwell time for a webpage is 51 seconds (Source). Imagine if you could double or triple that time simply by providing engaging content for your visitors!
The volume of content, and how often it is added or updatedIn a recent study the top 10 search results were analyzed for over 20,000 different keywords, and these top-ranked websites all had one thing in common: The average content length on the top-rated pages was at least 2000 words! And, the more words, the higher the ranking (Source). Google also wants to see fresh content. Regularly updating your content and adding brand new content is imperative to developing great SEO. The easiest way to “stay fresh” is to start a blog.
Content promotion–sharing your content on social media Google loves to see your content on many different platforms. This is why an active social media presence is vital to great SEO. Not only is it important that you share your content on social media on a regular basis, but it’s important that you make it easy for your customers to share your content, too. This could be in the form of “share buttons” on your website.
No “keyword stuffing” “Keyword stuffing” refers to the practice of “stuffing” the same keyword phrases into your content over and over again in an attempt to gain rank authority. Remember the phenomenon I discussed earlier in the article, where website designers would blatantly list hundreds of keywords on every single page? That doesn’t happen much anymore, but more subtle keyword stuffing is still a very common practice, and it is not an effective practice. When in doubt, assume that Googlebot is smarter than you (that’s a little scary, right?).
Great content also includes photos and videos. We will briefly discuss how to optimize photo content later in this article.
There are still two more (well, the two that I think are most important for dog breeders to focus on) important factors to having great SEO.
Webpage load time and ease of navigation through a website Webpage load time became an official Google ranking factor in 2021 (Source). If your web pages don’t load in under 3 seconds, you are likely to lose your visitor. Load time can be improved by simplifying your web page design (removing extra design elements or animations) and properly optimizing photos for web viewing (decreasing file size).
Having a very mobile friendly website Arguably, your website should first and foremost look great on a cell phone. In 2018, Google announced that they were implementing “mobile first indexing” (Source). In a nutshell, this means that Googlebot crawls your mobile websitefirst. Mobile traffic accounts for over half of webpage traffic worldwide (Source). If your website isn’t mobile friendly, you could be scaring away a lot of new visitors who find the experience difficult to navigate.
What does it mean for your website to be “mobile friendly?” Have you ever visited a website on your desktop computer, and then later on your cell phone? Most of us have. Isn’t it so incredibly frustrating when the mobile version of the website isn’t functional? It is missing important content and elements that you saw on the desktop version, the layout is jumbled up, and you can barely navigate through the different pages at all. This is because the website is not mobile friendly.
A mobile friendly website is a website that transitions from desktop, to tablet, to cell phone seamlessly. Design elements change size and shape to fit your screen (or are hidden completely if they don’t fit at all), menus change so that they are more easily accessible from a smaller screen, and layouts are simplified overall so that they’re easier on your visitor’s eyes while they’re scrolling down through each page.
To give you a better idea of what a poor mobile layout looks like, I found an example of a non-mobile friendly website with some help from this source. I would encourage you to visit the website first on a desktop computer, and then a tablet, and then a cell phone. You will notice how the layout does not at all adapt to the size of the screen. Design elements should either move, change shape, or disappear depending on what is appropriate for the screen size. Text should become larger and easier to read. And layouts should overall be very simplified.
I didn’t want to use any fellow dog breeders’ websites as examples (you’re welcome ). This website is called Mile High Comics (sorry for picking on you, guys!).
Here is the desktop computer view:
The website is already very outdated. Dark backgrounds, bright design elements (neon colors, more than 3 colors being used, etc.), and very crowded pages are not professional looking anymore. Because adults spend so much time on their phones, websites with white backgrounds, simple and soft design elements, and more pages vs. cramming as much information as possible on one page, are what web users enjoy most.
Here is the mobile phone view:
I’m sure the first thing that you notice is the text overlapping in areas where it shouldn’t be. The next thing you will notice as you begin to consider clicking on links or searching for comics, is that the text is so tiny! It is very difficult to click on such tiny links, or to input text into such tiny boxes.
Here is a great article with a quick video that touches on the importance of mobile friendly website designs.
Implementing an effective, basic SEO strategy for your website
Now let’s discuss what you can do to improve your SEO! Many dog breeders don’t have web designers; they have homemade websites. No matter how your website is obtained, I applaud all dog breeders for taking that first step in gaining an online presence! However, if you really desire for your website to become a significant asset for your business, instead of just an accessory, I would suggest hiring a designer. If you would like help finding a designer that specializes in dog breeder websites, please reach out to me. I’m a web designer for dog breeders and I can help!
I mentioned earlier in this article that I am going to provide suggestions for improving your local SEO. I suggest that you focus on a niche market in your local area. This is the easiest place to start when it comes to optimizing your website for search engine visibility.
So, let’s go! Here are five steps to implementing a basic, do-it-yourself (DIY) SEO strategy for your dog breeding website.
1. Set up Analytics
SEO analysis is “the process of closely examining a website to gain a better understanding of how well the site has been optimized and what can be done to help the site improve (Source).”
Also known as “analytics,” this process will eliminate any guessing games. You will discover so many things about your website, such as:
Who is visiting your website (where they are located geographically)
How many people are visiting your website per month
Which pages have the most “hits” (visits)
How much time visitors are spending on your website
Where your traffic is coming from (how people are finding your website)
All of these factors are very important in determining how to improve your website’s SEO. If you enter into this process blindly, you could end up wasting a lot of time and energy optimizing areas of your website that are already getting good exposure.
The most common analytics tool is Google Analytics. It is completely free, but it isn’t very beginner friendly (in my opinion). There is a free Google Analytics for Beginners course available online.
Unfortunately, more beginner friendly analytics tools typically require a paid premium plan. However, this could be a very good place to start if the thought of learning to use Google Analytics intimidates you. Paid premium plans give you access to analytics on your website that could give you an extra boost (I am not a paid affiliate or partner for any of the linked websites below). Here are a few of my favorite online analytics platforms:
I use a web hosting and design platform that has built in analytics. This is the most ideal situation for beginners. I also use a paid premium SEO service that provides me with even more tools to ensure that I’m always on top of my game.
Once you’ve had your website analyzed, you can clearly see where your SEO needs work on the generated report. Many of the areas that could probably use improvement will need to be addressed by a professional, however, there are still several things you can do yourself to get a quick boost (keep reading!).
2. Use Keywords Properly and Strategically
Using keywords to boost your website’s Google ranking is the most well-known SEO strategy component. The use of keywords has changed over the years and it is imperative that you learn how to use them properly so that Google won’t ignore your website.
We now have what are known as “high volume keywords,” or “high competition keywords,” meaning so many people perform Google searches using those keywords that lower authority websites will find it almost impossible to climb the ranks using high volume keywords with such broad search terms.
For example, the keyword phrase “golden retriever puppies for sale” pulls up a whopping 31,500,000 search results! I use a tool called “Ubersuggest” to analyze keywords and to help improve my own SEO strategies (I am not an affiliate or paid promoter of Ubersuggest). Based on the image below, 74,000 people enter that exact keyword phrase into the Google search bar every single month. Are you ready to compete with 31,500,000 other websites so that you might gain a few of those 74,000 clicks each month? Goodness gracious… I’m definitely not ready for that!
If you are implementing a brand new SEO strategy, I would suggest focusing on using “low competition keywords” that serve a more niche market. Using low competition keywords means that you will be, well… Competing with less businesses when it comes to your Google ranking.
Ubersuggest offered me some alternate, lower competition keyword phrase suggestions (through a paid professional plan) such as:
golden retriever puppies for sale near me (22,200 search queries per month)
golden retriever puppies for sale $200 (4,400 search queries per month)
golden retriever puppies for sale pennsylvania (1,900 search queries per month)
Here are some suggestions on how you could implement these low competition keywords into your website content:
Golden retriever puppies for sale near me My suggestions for optimizing your content for “near me” searches are to set up a Google Business Listing (also known as a “GMB,” Google My Business) and to create a page on your website that discusses your location in detail (2000 words!). If you already have a Google Business Listing, make sure it is up to date and that you always keep it up to date.
Golden retriever puppies for sale $200 If your puppies cost more than $200, you may initially find it difficult to incorporate this low competition keyword phrase into your content. Get creative! Maybe your deposit is $200? Or maybe you offer an add-on, premium new puppy starter kit for $200? Find out how you can incorporate these keywords into your content, and get busy.
Golden retriever puppies for sale Pennsylvania Sometimes the lower the competition for a keyword, the more difficult it can seem to incorporate into your content while keeping the content accurate, relevant, and valuable. I bet you could incorporate these keywords effortlessly in a well written blog post about how to find a Golden Retriever breeder in Pennsylvania, even if you don’t live in Pennsylvania! Maybe you can ship your puppies to PA? Again, get creative and get busy.
3. Add “alt text” to every single photo on your website
Do you ever perform Google image searches when you’re looking for a product? I sure do! The images on your website are almost as valuable as your written content. In fact, many times some of the top Google search results are actually images. But your images aren’t as valuable without alt text.
“Alt text” is short for alternative text. Alt text is a code snippet (invisible to your users) that is attached to a photo on a website, and this text tells Google what is going on in each image. This will allow your images to show up on Google image search.
The process for adding alt text to your photos will depend on your web hosting and design platform. The platform that I use makes this process very simple. I would start by searching in the “help” section of your hosting company’s website–I’m almost sure they will have a tutorial for you that will show you how to enter alt text for all of your photos.
Here is a great article describing alt text and how to write it properly.
4. Create high quality, unique, and engaging content
Content is king! Remember? Pages that have at least 500 words are almost always ranked higher than pages with less words. It’s time to start counting!
I suggest analyzing every single page on your website. Copy your written content on each page and paste it into a word counting tool. I like this one. Shoot for at least 500 words on most pages of your website.
Make sure the content is accurate, engaging, and unique. As discussed earlier in this article, Googlebot will know if you’re trying to fool it. Make sure you’re writing content that you want real people to read.
Content creation will feel like a chore for some breeders. It requires basic creative writing skills and time. I believe that “time is money,” so I’m a huge proponent of hiring professionals when it is appropriate and attainable. Believe it or not, there are professionals out there (like me!) that will write content for you!
Important note regarding content creation (writing): Copying and pasting someone else’s written content without permission or without proper citation is plagiarism, even if you paraphrase or change a few words. There is sometimes an assumption that anything you find on Google is free and up for grabs, but that is not the case. Be careful with paraphrasing, too. Paraphrasing typically still requires some form of source citation (linking to the original content that you have paraphrased from).
I have been a victim of plagiarism. Several years ago, I stumbled across a website that was using copied and pasted excerpts from various pages of my website, including excerpts from my own biography. Some of the material was slightly paraphrased, but it was so similar to mine it made me uncomfortable. I gently approached (via online messaging) the owner of this website and asked them to please either remove the content they copied, or to properly cite me after each section of content with a direct link to my website. The person complied without conflict and simply removed all of the plagiarized content. In this particular situation, I genuinely feel that the encroachment on my personal property (my original written content) was a high form of flattery and not intended to be malicious or lazy. However, it is not considered ethical to plagiarize in any way, for any reason, when creating content for your own website.
I have also been an offender. Not really, but kind of. I design websites for dog breeders. A couple of years ago I became involved in a somewhat nasty and confrontational Facebook squabble regarding stolen content from another dog breeder’s website. I had designed a website for a dog breeder using the written content that she provided to me. As it turns out, she had copied this content, almost word for word, from another breeder’s website. That breeder found out (like I found out when it happened to me, just by chance) and so began the drama. I feel like I distinguished the dispute fairly quickly. I wrote a letter to the original owner of the stolen content, and explained to her what had happened, and that the plagiarized content was being removed immediately. I also had a heart-to-heart discussion with my client about the importance of writing original content. Now I cross-check all written content that is provided to me by clients to make sure that it is not published anywhere else on the internet.
5. Update your website design so that it is simple, easy to navigate, and mobile friendly
This suggestion is last because this will more than likely require a professional’s help. Most web building and hosting platforms offer design tutorials, so if you’re a DIYer like me, the “help” section on your hosting and design company’s website is the best place to start.
Modern designs are simple, clean and easy to navigate. White backgrounds are usually best, use less design elements (colored boxes, animations, etc.), and make sure that your navigation menu is easy to find, easy to read, and operates correctly on both desktop and mobile platforms.
Here are a few suggestions of things you can do to boost your professionalism using design techniques:
Simplify your fonts: Make sure that you choose one, maybe two fonts and use those fonts across your entire website. Choose a bold font for your headings, and then a lighter font for your paragraphs. Avoid fonts that are difficult to read (most script fonts), or silly looking (the simpler, the better).
Choose a color scheme and stick to it: I’ve already mentioned that white backgrounds are a great choice, especially for mobile layouts. However, your website does need a little color! I suggest choosing one or two colors that compliment each other well and incorporating only those colors across your entire website.
Make sure design elements are symmetrical and organized: Use grids or drag and drop templates to design your pages. I suggest arranging your design elements (colored boxes, text boxes, images, etc.) in a way that presents them as balanced (same shape and size, horizontally or vertically aligned), consistent (same fonts and colors), chronological. You want each web page to tell your visitor a story as they scroll down. Here is an article that discusses great page design.
Only publish or share great photos: Great photos are a huge part of a customer’s search for a new puppy. A good camera is a dog breeder’s best friend. I use my smartphone. My smartphone boasts a 50 megapixel wide camera and 4k video recording! I finally did away with my Canon digital camera because it’s hard to beat those smartphone specs when you consider having to lug around a separate piece of equipment all the time. Keep your subjects (puppies!) in focus and backgrounds simple and uncluttered. Use natural lighting (outside at dusk or dawn when shadows are softer) whenever you can, and keep your background light in color. Your images are the face of your business, so always be sure that puppies and dogs are clean and well groomed in every single photo that you publish.
Conclusion
I know that most of the information presented here is going to seem pretty overwhelming. If you can only take one thing away from this article, I hope you will adopt the mindset of “content is king.” You wouldn’t believe how many people want to spend time on a website that accurately represents your program. Your customers want to see a website that has up to date, informative content. They want you to tell them a story, teach them something new, and make them feel excited about working with you. You will never regret putting time, effort, and money into a well designed website that exposes you to hundreds of potential customers every single day.
Here is an amazing video that I think you might enjoy, if you want to better understand what is discussed in this article: Click here
