Organic traffic or achieving high Google rankings has never been the number one goal for charities and non-profit organizations. Considering they are already on a tight budget, not many non-profits spend massively on digital marketing campaigns or SEO efforts. This makes SEO a non-priority for non-profit organizations and charities. However, that doesn’t mean that they do not need it. Organic rankings and traffic can help any organization, small or big, in multiple ways.
It can help increase brand awareness, improve website traffic, and bring in more donations.
Here are some of the best SEO practices for charities and non-profit organizations that can help them achieve these goals without spending much money.
- Optimize your website for higher Rankings
The first step is ensuring your website is optimized for search engines. This means ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly, fast loading, and has quality content. You can also improve your website’s ranking by building high-quality backlinks from other websites.
- Use keywords effectively
Another important factor in SEO is using the right keywords. When people search for information related to your charity or non-profit organization, you want your website to appear in the search results. This can be achieved by incorporating relevant keywords, meta tags, and titles into your website content.
- Publish content regularly
Quality content is one of the most important factors in SEO. Not only does it help improve your website’s ranking, but it also helps increase brand awareness and build trust with potential donors. Make sure to publish quality content regularly and promote it through social media and other channels.
- Make use of Google Grants
Google Grants is a program that provides free advertising credit to qualified non-profits. If your organization is eligible, you can use this credit to run ads on Google and improve your website’s visibility.
- Use other digital marketing channels
In addition to SEO, other digital marketing channels can help promote your charity or non-profit organization. These include social media, email marketing, and content marketing. Make sure to make use of all the available channels to reach a wider audience and achieve your goals.
- Get listed in relevant directories and articles
Many online directories list charities and non-profit organizations. Getting listed in these can help improve your website’s visibility and increase traffic. You can also submit articles about your organization to popular websites and blogs. This can help build backlinks to your website and improve your SEO.
- Get involved in social media
Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to promote any organization or cause. Make sure to create profiles on all the major social media platforms and regularly post updates about your charity or non-profit organization. You can also use social media to run ads and reach a wider audience.
- Answer journalists’ requests
Journalists are always looking for stories that their readers will find interesting. If you can provide them with such stories, there is a good chance they will write about your charity or non-profit organization. This can help increase brand awareness and bring more traffic to your website.
- Invite experts to write for you
If you can get industry experts to write for your website, it will not only help improve the quality of your content but also build trust with potential donors. This can help increase the chances of them donating to your organization.
- Translate content to other languages
If you want to reach a global audience, it is important to translate your content into other languages. This will help people from all over the world to understand your charity or non-profit organization and its goals.
- Leverage local SEO
Make sure to optimize your website for local keywords so that people in your area can easily find you. This can be done by creating profiles on local directories and listing your charity or non-profit organization in them. You can also try to get featured in local news articles and blogs.
- Get a Google Knowledge Panel
Google Knowledge Panels are a great way to showcase your charity or non-profit organization to potential donors. This can help increase brand awareness and build trust with potential donors.
- Optimize for branded search
People already familiar with your charity or non-profit organization are more likely to donate to it. This is why it is important to optimize your website for branded search. You can incorporate your organization’s name, meta tags, and titles into your website content.
- Don’t forget to interlink your content
Interlinking your content can help improve your website’s SEO and make it easier for people to find the information they want. This can also help reduce your bounce rate and increase people’s time on your website.
- Publish content regularly
Quality content is the key to a successful SEO strategy. Make sure to publish quality content regularly and promote it through social media and other channels. This will help you attract more visitors to your website and increase their chances of donating to your charity or non-profit organization.
SEO is vital for any website looking to rank higher in search engine results and bring in more traffic. However, it is often seen as a secondary concern for charities and non-profit organizations. This doesn’t have to be the case. By following the tips above, you can improve your website’s ranking without spending much money. So, optimize your website and use all the available digital marketing channels to reach your target audience.