Having a website for your self storage business is one thing; getting people to find it is another. This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes into play. As more and more consumers go online to find self storage units and other things they need, it’s more important than ever to get your SEO right.
During the pandemic, people increasingly turned to the Internet for shopping and entertainment, leading to a massive expansion of e-commerce. People want to do business online, even in self-storage. Over the past two years, the number of leads coming from web sources has grown, while visitors have declined. This trend has placed a renewed emphasis on industry websites and ways to outperform competitors. The goal is to reach the top of a search engine results page (SERP), as the first and second positions account for more than 50% of total clicks.
The traditional tactics of mastering title tags, meta descriptions, and keyword-rich content remain key components of any effective SEO strategy. However, there is another often-overlooked factor in self-storage that has emerged as a major differentiator: the online user experience (UX). Customers now expect more from your website than hours of operation and contact information. They want to check your unit’s inventory, rent a space, sign a lease and make payments. They even expect to be able to do it with their mobile device. If your website doesn’t support these features, potential customers will move on to a competing website that does.
If you want to increase your SEO, this article will help you. We’ll look at the critical factors to evaluate and how to improve both your self-storage website’s performance and UX.
The impact of UX
When it comes to determining organic rankings in today’s search environment, UX has become an important consideration. Simply put, when a user visits your self-storage website and finds what they’re looking for, Google understands that your website should rank higher in search and send you more visitors. However, iIf that web user wants to book a storage unit online and can’t, they will “bounce” down the SERP and continue their search.
Although bounce rate is not a direct ranking factor, a high rate is an indicator that your website is not meeting the needs of its visitors. It’s often accompanied by other issues that Google examines to determine rankings, many of which are discussed below. Bottom line: A better user experience will increase your SEO. Here are some areas to focus on:
Page Speed This is the amount of time it takes to load all the content on a web page. Also known as “time to first byte” or the time it takes for a web browser to receive the first byte of data from your host service.
Of all the UX factors, page load speed is perhaps the most impactful when it comes to improving SEO. Web developers widely believe that Google uses this metric to rank your website. Slow loading is “painful” for users, while a fast loading site wins major search engine points. You can check your page speed statistics using the Google PageSpeed Insights tool.
Fixing page speed often requires a certain degree of technical expertise. However, one simple thing you can do is to make sure that the photos you use on your website are no larger than necessary.
An image width between 500 and 1,000 pixels is ideal. Also, make sure the images are properly formatted. Use PNG files for graphics and JPG files for photographs.
User-friendly design. Having a well-designed self-storage website with easy-to-read text and simple navigation is essential if you want to reach the top of search results. The better your site is designed, the longer users will stay. Similar to bounce rate, time on site is a good indicator of the quality of your UX.
Mobile optimization. Approximately 50% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your website is designed only with desktop users in mind, chances are half of your visitors will have a terrible experience. Use a mobile responsive design, so no matter what device a visitor uses to access your website, it will display correctly.
Page stability. Have you ever visited a website and noticed that some of the elements on the page move before you can click on what you want? Frustrating isn’t it? Google measures how often these unexpected changes occur using a metric called cumulative design change. These and other types of errors are usually the result of poor coding or outdated plugins. Making sure your pages are up to date and regularly checked for these types of errors will help you deliver the best UX.
Online rentals. When it comes to ranking your website, Google wants to see a high level of interaction. The main metrics are time on page, bounce rate, and click-through rate (a measure of how many users click on the link to your website from the SERP versus how many see the link but don’t they click). When prospective renters use Google to search for self storage, most expect to complete their transaction online. Google will likely show a preference for websites that offer online rentals because they are more likely to have better user engagement scores.
Checking the Page Experience Report
So how do you know if your self-storage website is good or bad, and how can you make a good experience even better? Because Google has put so much emphasis on UX to determine rankings, it also implemented tools to help website owners evaluate performance. One of them is the page experience report, which is located on the page Google Search Console, which provides insight into the technical factors Google uses to rate UX. They include:
Larger painting of content: This is the amount of time it takes for a site to fully load the largest content element, such as a hero image.
Cumulative design change: I touched on this above. It is a measure of unexpected movement between page elements.
First Entry Delay: This measures the time between when a user clicks on an item (such as a “Book Now” button) and the time it takes to complete the response.
HTTPS Security: HTTPS is a secure communication protocol that you should use for all your web pages. You can check your security with the help of Google Chrome.
Absence of intrusive interstitials: Some pop-up dialogs are necessary, but annoying promotions that make your site difficult to navigate can affect your search performance.
Putting it all together
There are many aspects of quality UX that can have a positive impact on your SEO. While some are easy for a beginner to understand and achieve, getting everything right usually requires the help of a competent web developer or team. Another option is to use a web platform with turnkey solutions for self storage companies. There are options that allow you to create a fully optimized website out of the box, one with a tried and true UX that doesn’t hinder SEO performance.
Choosing a website provider that fully integrates with your facilities management software can also offer huge benefits. For example, the integration allows you to provide up-to-date and accurate inventory information online without having to enter it manually. This ensures excellent UX for site visitors and business operators.
Al Harris is the editor of Storage bliss and content manager a storable, an Austin, Texas-based provider of cloud-based access control as well as management software, marketing services, payment processing, website development and other services. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Virginia Commonwealth University. He loves reading Elmore Leonard novels and listening to classic country music. For more information, call 888.403.0665; e-mail [email protected].
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