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Photos by Ashley & Justin Photography

In today's wedding landscape, having a strong online presence is crucial for wedding vendors to get in front of couples. One of the most effective ways to increase visibility and drive organic traffic to your website is through search engine optimization (SEO). While ranking takes time, you can certainly do things today that catch Google's attention and improve your wedding website's ranking on Google, ideally landing you on the coveted first page. In this article, we will provide you with our top 5 SEO tips.

Getting seen by couples who are looking for wedding vendors is no easy feat, especially because the competition is fierce, and knowing how to rank on search engines like Google can be very tricky. When you search "How do I get my wedding business on the first page?", no doubt you see a lot of advice, some of it barely in plain English. Luckily we have an SEO expert with Zion Brides who has years of getting businesses on the first page (most of them to the #1 spot) who's agreed to share his top 5 tips with wedding vendors. We're breaking it down so even if you feel like you're a beginner to the world of SEO, you can feel more confident in climbing those rankings.

TOP 5 SEO TIPS FOR GETTING SEEN BY COUPLES

#1. Publish High-Quality, Relevant Content

You've heard it said, and sometimes it feels easier said than done. But truly when it comes to SEO, content is king. Publishing high-quality, authoritative content (for example, "How to plan an elopement in Moab, Utah") is the foundation of a successful SEO strategy. Your wedding content should be informative, engaging, and tailored to your target audience (yes, it does mean you'll want to keep a blog-- even if it just means only publishing twice a month). Every page and article on your website is used by Google to determine how valuable your work is to their users. So consider this...

Keywords: The Key to SEO Success

Identifying and targeting specific keyword phrases is essential for hitting those oft-searched phrases. Did you know the word "Wedding Vendor" is searched almost 3,000 times a month? Now put yourself in the shoes of your target audience. Think about how they might search for the information you provide. Conduct keyword research to find relevant keywords and incorporate them strategically into your content. If you're a florist, than your content should reference useful search words that often pop on the rankings. Did you know the keyword "wedding flowers" is searched almost 50k a month? That means you're competing with everyone who appears in those search words. How do you get Google to favor your work over sites it already trusts?

Tip: if your site is built on WordPress, use plugins like Yoast or Rank Math to help make sure you're using just enough of your desired phrases to make an impact.

Multiple Keyword Phrases

While it's challenging for a single webpage to rank for multiple keyword phrases, you can create separate pages to target different keywords. For example, many sites call their main page "Home", but don't fall victim to such a useless title. Your main page should have a title that captures your wedding business's focus, like "XYZ's Wedding & Elopement Photography In Sedona". This approach allows you to optimize each page specifically for a particular keyword phrase, increasing your chances of ranking higher in search engine results.

Optimizing Your Content

To maximize the SEO impact of your content, consider the following:

•Incorporate the keyword phrase in the page URL, if possible (ex. "Wedding Invites").
•Use the keyword phrase in the page title ("Top Custom Wedding Invitation Printing").
•Include the keyword phrase in headings and subheadings ("Quality Custom-Made Wedding Invites Made Easy").

However, remember to maintain a natural, user-friendly tone throughout your content. Avoid finding tortured ways to get your keyword into every paragraph or heading (aka keyword stuffing), as Google knows what you're doing and will penalize you for it. Readability and usability should always take precedence, meaning make sure it serves your client first.

#2. Headings Are More Important Than You Think

What a lot of vendors don't know is how valuable your headings are in your content (keep reading, we'll explain). When arranging your page or blog post, be sure to only use a single "Heading 1". Wondering what that means? You're not alone. Each time you put a title over a paragraph (like the #2 heading over this one in bold), Google uses that as an important key in how to understand your website and content. Just like a well-made title helps you understand what the paragraph is about, it also helps Google organize what you're offering and match it to people searching for that content.

So what is does "Heading 1" mean? Heading 1 is your first heading in the whole page or post (in fact, it's usually the title of your post). So when organizing the next heading (for example, the heading near the top of this post that says "TOP 5 SEO TIPS FOR GETTING SEEN BY COUPLES" would be Heading 2), it should be identified when you add it. In most website builders, it'll allow you to pick which heading number you want to use-- turns out, this is really important! The further down you go, you'll want to use Headings 3 and 4 (and so on) to show Google how well your content is organized.

#3. Optimize Your Metadata

Metadata is basically the "behind the scenes" info most people don't realize gets used. For example, when you search "wedding cake" on images and cakes appear, that's actually using metadata hidden in those images. It's actually easy to do, and search engines like Google use it to understand and display your pages in search results. Optimizing your metadata is crucial for improving your wedding website's visibility.

Title Metadata

As we mentioned above in the headings, the title metadata is displayed at the top of a browser window and as the headline in search engine results. It is the most important metadata for your page. Craft compelling, keyword-rich titles that accurately describe your content and entice users to click through to your website.

Description Metadata

The description metadata is the summed-up description of your page's content that appears in search results. It should provide a compelling summary of what users can expect to find on your page. Although search engines may not always use your meta description, it's essential to provide one to give them the option.

Keyword Metadata

While keyword metadata (i.e. telling Google what keywords to look for) has minimal influence on search engine rankings these days (they pick the keywords based on what you've optimized on your content), it's always beneficial to use them, especially when you have a plugin like Rank Math that lets you see how much you've used it to be effective. Ideally, you should focus on 3-7 phrases consisting of 1-4 words each (example: "wedding catering near me").

#4. Utilize Alt Tags for Images and Videos

Alt tags, or alternative text descriptions, are crucial for optimizing images and videos on your website. They allow search engines to understand and index your media, making it accessible to users who rely on text-only browsers or screen readers. Always provide descriptive alt tags that accurately describe the content of your images and videos.

#5. Cultivate a Link-Worthy Site

Earning backlinks from authoritative websites is a powerful way to improve your website's SEO. A content-rich, authoritative, and unbiased website that provides valuable information is more likely to attract links from other websites. Ways to do this are getting your wedding business published on reputable sites (like Zion Brides) or paying for advertising that links to your homepage. Worthwhile sites that link to your site are like "referrals" that Google uses to trust your website and give it a shot at moving up.

Incorporate relevant links within your content, using descriptive anchor text that includes keywords. This not only improves search engine optimization but also enhances the user experience, especially for those using screen readers or with disabilities.

These SEO tips provide a solid foundation for improving your wedding website's ranking on Google. However, keep in mind that SEO is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring, analysis, and refinement. By implementing these strategies and staying up-to-date with the latest SEO trends and best practices, you can increase your chances of reaching the first page of Google and driving organic traffic to your website.

Remember, the key to successful SEO is providing valuable, user-focused content while optimizing for search engines. With dedication and consistent effort, you can achieve higher rankings and increase your website's visibility in search results.