Interior design isn’t just about creating beautiful spaces. There’s the less exciting but equally important task of marketing your services. Getting results means more than a portfolio based website. Without a clearly defined marketing plan that includes a search engine optimization strategy, potential customers may never see your great work.

SEO, or search engine optimization, helps your website rank high in search results. It’s half art, half science, and finding the right balance can be tricky. But you don’t have to be an SEO expert to start making some changes that will boost your ranking. You just have to know what search engines are looking for: good content, a well-designed website and an active social media presence.

Start With Good Website Design

Search engines like Google are looking for well-designed websites that are easy to navigate. The page should load quickly, it should be easy to scan, it must be mobile-friendly, and it should have an attractive - but not too busy - layout and color scheme. If a professional web designer is in your budget, go for it. The investment will pay dividends.

If you’re not ready to hire a pro, and you’ve built a website yourself using a content management system like Squarespace, make sure the site is clean and well-organized. The site should have multiple pages - that boosts your ranking - and it should incorporate photos and videos, not just text (as an interior designer, you’re probably all over this one).

Create Great Content Both Written and Visual

Google places a lot of emphasis on good content - this cannot be overstated. When you have a website with useful information that people want to read, Google rewards that. Start a blog about interior design trends, link to interesting and relevant articles written by interior designers you admire, create a frequently asked questions page that addresses the questions your clients ask and post video tours of your latest projects. You will also be wanting to continually add fresh content.

When you’re doing the writing, pay careful attention to tone. You want to come off as friendly, conversational and informative. Avoid industry terms that only other interior designers would understand. If you’re writing a blog, don’t be afraid to show some personality.

Use Keywords Wisely

Keywords have always been an important part of SEO strategy. Your website should contain words and phrases relevant to the interior design industry and your style. Come up with a list of terms your potential customers might be searching for - say “cost of hiring an interior designer” or “interior design for lofts” - and run the phrases through a tool like Google Analytics to find out which are most searched. You might write an FAQ item on interior design costs or a blog offering design ideas for loft-style spaces.

Choosing the right keywords can be tricky. If the phrase is too generic, you’ll face a lot of competition for that rank. If it’s too specific, it’s probably not frequently searched. Another common mistake is over stuffing keywords in unnatural ways. Google picks up on this, and it will hurt your rank. If you’re overwhelmed by the idea of figuring out how to properly use keywords, consider hiring an SEO expert.

Be Active on Social Media

Social media has the power to boost your ranking in search results. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and Houzz are indexed in Google just like any other site. Potential customers searching for interior designers might stumble upon one of your social media sites, rather than your website. The key with social media is to be active - post often, participate in discussions, etc. Social media profiles that are active and provide valuable content rank higher.