Why SEO is Important for Nonprofits: 3 Tips & Tricks to Get You Noticed!

Let’s be real, technology runs our lives. At times, it can feel like our world revolves around the internet. The sheer amount of information we can access at any given time is, to say the least, impressive.

What’s even more impressive, is we tend to go straight to Google when we have a question. We don’t ask our family or friends, we ask Google. According to statistics on Search Engine Land, Google manages (at the least) 2 trillion searches a year. And Google has to read 1.2 trillion websites to determine which ones best match those searches.

What Does This Have to do With Nonprofits?

Your nonprofit will have a hard time growing if it can’t be found on the internet. This is why SEO is so critical.

But fear not, search engine optimization (SEO) is here to save the day! When SEO best practices and tactics are implemented on websites, they’ll rank better in search engines. Ranking well leads to:

• Increased awareness of your mission and story
• Increased fundraising and donations
• Increased membership/volunteers/newsletter signups

These things are the cornerstones of growing your nonprofit, so why not learn more about how SEO can help yours.

1. Create Quality Content

Content is king in the world of SEO. Being able to write creative and relevant content is essential to ranking well in search engines, but it doesn’t end there. Quality, thoughtful content will help ensure that those who visit your website are engaged and able to find the information they are seeking.

Although your main content focus should be webpage copy, content is not just limited to words on a page. It can come in many forms, which gives you some flexibility and creative freedom. Some examples are:

• Information and statistics
• News stories
• Infographics
• Photo galleries
• Videos
• Testimonials

Integrating these forms of content onto your website will provide a refreshing and updated feeling while still achieving SEO value and rank. Remember, original quality content is more important than quantity but length matters (shoot for 500-700 words). Make sure you know who your audience is and stay consistent with your organization’s voice.

2. Conduct and Implement Keyword Research

Now that you know how important content is, you should know that there is a method to the madness. Content and keyword research go hand in hand. Without each other, your nonprofit’s SEO may not be very effective.

So what is keyword research? It’s basically finding words that are relevant to your content. Chosen words are then woven into current or new content.Keywords will help search engines understand your nonprofit’s main focus and help your content communicate effectively with them.

When conducting your keyword research be sure to look for ones with low competition. This way, when you add them into your content, ranking for them will be less of a challenge. Google has an awesome keyword tool that can help you navigate your research!

Also, don’t stuff your content with keywords. Make it a point to use these words in an “organic” way. You still want this material to be easily read and understood by your readers!

3. Don’t Forget About Your Local Reach

One thing most nonprofits forget about is their local reach. We understand that it’s hard to think small versus think big, but if you ignore local customers you’re missing out on a huge opportunity.

A great thing about SEO for nonprofits is that local SEO is a quick and relatively easy way to boost your rankings. Here are a few components to optimize and focus on:

Google My Business (GMB) – once you create a GMB account, you can verify and optimize it for local SEO. Google is a fan of businesses having this feature and will reward you for having it. Having one will also get your nonprofit front and center (really to the right) in search results.

Reviews – reviews are essential for any business. They provide credibility and a fantastic platform for engagement. Google also happens to like when your company has reviews!

Google Maps – this is a quick addition to your existing website. On your contact page, you can easily add a Google map location of your nonprofit. This will help boost your ranking and also let visitors know exactly where you are located.

These components are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to local SEO, but they are a great start. Targeting your nonprofit’s local SEO will help to build your reputation and credibility, which will lead to all those increases we mentioned before.

Put Your New Knowledge to Work

You are now equipped with 3 quick tips and tricks to step up your nonprofit’s SEO game. We can’t stress enough the importance of SEO and the benefits you’ll gain from implementing these suggestions. Trust us on this one–we know a thing or two about SEO!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to start, give us a call! Intuitive Digital is an award-winning, local, and friendly digital marketing firm that never stops working for our partners. Let’s talk about what we can do for your nonprofit’s SEO!