When people think about going green, they most often think of recycling, buying sustainable goods, and investing in energy-efficient products.
However, you can also go green with your SEO strategy.
When it comes to increasing your online exposure, going green can offer a huge advantage.
Unfortunately, many companies are so focused on selling their products and services and ranking for competitive keywords that they overlook the value of green SEO.
What’s so great about going green? Let’s take a look at why a green SEO strategy may be just what your site needs.
Your Customers Are On Board
Even if your company isn’t solely driven by helping the environment or attracting environmentally-friendly customers, (i.e. a farm to table restaurant), your clientele will still appreciate your efforts.
In fact, according to GfK MRI’s gold-standard Survey of the American Consumer, over half of Americans would be would opt for a slightly more expensive product if it’s good for the environment.
Plus, being eco-friendly isn’t just something customers prefer, it’s something they expect.
According to the Cone Communications/Ebiquity Global CSR Study, “Nine out of ten consumers expect companies to do more than make a profit.” They also expect them to put effort into addressing social responsibility and environmental issues.
By going green with your SEO, you could gain a new level of respect with your current customers and attract a wider customer base. It is very unlikely that a customer will turn you down because of your green efforts.
Highlighting Going Green With SEO
Whether you practice sustainability in your work place, sell eco-friendly products and services, or partner with sustainable companies, you need to find a way to let your customers know about it.
This is where green SEO comes in. Here’s how you can make your SEO “greener”:
1. Keywords
You already know you need to optimize your site with relevant keywords in order to boost your rankings.
But, don’t forget to include eco-friendly search terms while doing so. Search terms like “green”, “green business”, “environmentally friendly”, and “eco-friendly” should be listed next to your products and services and your business name.
For example, if you’re a scrap metal business, your search term could be “scrap metal prices per pound for green roofers”.
You should be incorporating these keywords into your content, content headers, title tags, and images.
2. Backlinks
Building links can be a time-consuming endeavor, no matter what line of work you’re in.
However, link building is important for increasing your brand’s visibility, boosting your traffic, and establishing an online reputation.
And luckily, there are many great resources out there for building links with green businesses. Local business directories that promote green businesses are a great place to start.
Be sure to check out Green America National Green Pages, GreenMeLocally, and Greenopia.
3. Social Media
Remember, linking your site content to your social media accounts and vice versa is an important part of SEO.
Therefore, you’ll also want to go green on your social media accounts.
You can do this by sharing green tips with your followers and asking them to share theirs back, highlighting green initiatives in your community, and show-casing other, non-competitive businesses offering green products and services.
Green SEO: Wrap Up
Hopefully, this article gets you excited about launching your green SEO strategy.
Launching this kind of SEO can make a huge difference for your business, as you’ll be able to attract more environmentally conscious customers.
Plus, it’s a great way to get involved in an important cause.
If you liked learning about green SEO tactics and you’d like to learn more about SEO, be sure to check out this beginner’s guide to SEO and PPC campaigns.
