Non-profit organizations offer a variety of services to those who need them. From food pantries to soup kitchens and even animal shelters, non-profits are there for needy people. However, being busy with your cause can make it challenging to get the word out about your organization. In today’s digital world, users expect businesses to have a website that is easy to navigate and has all the information they are looking for. If you don’t have one yet or would like to see if yours measures up against these standards, read on for some valuable tips on optimizing your non-profit organization’s website for search engines and driving more traffic to it.
Plan Out Your Website Content Beforehand
Before you jump into designing your website or hiring a web designer, it is important to sit down and plan out what you want to include on your website. This includes your mission statement, your organization’s services, upcoming events, and current news related to your cause. Having a plan in place will help you stay focused and ensure the information you include is relevant and up-to-date. If some of the information on your website is old, it could hinder your organization’s ability to get found online. To make sure the information on your site is current, update it as soon as you receive new information.
Make Sure Your Website Is Easy To Navigate
If users can’t find what they want on your website within five clicks, they will most likely leave and never come back. An easy-to-navigate website makes it easier for users to find the information they are looking for and makes your site more likely to appear at the top of search engine results.
Here are a few ways you can make your website easier to navigate: –
Use clear, descriptive headings: Your website should have clear headings describing the content below. This will make it easier for users to find what they are looking for and also be able to scan through the page quickly to get the information they need.
Prioritize your content: If you have a lot of content on your website, prioritize the information so that your users can find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently.
Use internal linking: Internal linking links two pages on your website together. You can use this to make it easier for users to navigate your website and get to the content they want faster.
Use schema: If you are serious about increasing your website traffic, you should use schema. This advanced search engine optimization strategy helps you get your website to appear higher in the SERPs, even if you don’t have many backlinks to your website.
Have a sitemap: A sitemap is a webpage that contains all the information on your website. This is usually linked to your homepage and can be an excellent tool for users who want to navigate your site quickly.
Be sure to include your organization’s mission statement
Your mission statement should appear on every page of your website. This is critical information that potential donors and volunteers need to know to make sure your organization is a good fit for them. With so many organizations, it can be challenging for people to choose which one they want to support. To make it easier for potential donors to pick you, you need to clearly state what your organization does and why it is doing it.
Include a blog that highlights the work you do
Many people are curious about the work non-profits do but don’t know how they can help. By highlighting your organization’s work, you can help educate readers and inspire them to get involved in your cause. However, having a blog on your website can also help you get found online. Blog posts, significantly long-form articles or guides, are considered rich content and can help improve your website’s search engine rankings. One study found that a single article can increase traffic to a website by up to 1,300% within one year. If you don’t have a blog on your website yet, now is the time to add one.
Choose Your SEO Strategies
Once you have created your website content and are ready to publish it, you can begin to focus your attention on SEO strategies. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of getting your content to appear at the top of search engine results pages. Although there are plenty of SEO strategies, you should choose a few that are right for your organization. Once you identify which SEO strategies will work best for you, it is essential to stick with them. You don’t want to change your SEO strategy every few months just because someone else is getting better results. Be consistent and dedicated to the SEO strategies you choose so that you can see consistent growth over time.
Add Rich Content To Your Website
Regarding SEO, the more content you have on your website, the better. The more content you have, the more likely you rank well in search engine results pages. One way to make sure you have lots of content on your website is to create an “about us” page. The “about us” page is one of the most important pages on any website. Use it to introduce your team, explain your past successes and failures, and include links to your social media pages and contact information. Every page on your website should have a specific purpose. It would be best if you also aimed to have at least 1,000 words on each page. This will help you avoid being penalized by search engines for having “thin” content.
Don’t Forget About Video Marketing
One of the most effective ways to promote your non-profit organization is by creating engaging videos. You can use these videos to educate your audience on the cause, drive donations, and even spark interest in joining your team. When creating your videos, focus on creating a compelling story to which your audience can relate. The more relatable your videos are, the more people will be interested in what you have to say.
You should also make sure to optimize your videos for search engines using the following tips: –
Create an optimized title: The title of your video is one of the first things people will see when they search for your video online. Ensure to include your main keyword in your title to catch people’s attention.
Include your keywords in the description: The description of your video is another place you can include your primary keyword. Make sure to keep your description between 150-200 words so that it doesn’t get cut off on search engine results pages.
Make your video shareable: If you want your video to get found online, you need people to see it. The best way to get people to view your video is by making it shareable. You can create a compelling storyline and include a call to action at the end of your video.
Summing Up:
As non-profit organizations rely more on the internet for donations and engagement, optimizing your website for search engines is crucial. With these SEO tips, you can increase your visibility and attract a larger audience by getting found online. Before you start building your website, you must first plan what you want to include on it. Once you have the content, you can start making sure it is easy to navigate and choose the right SEO strategies for your website. With these SEO tips, you can build an online presence that will help your non-profit organization get found online.