Events are a great way to bring people together in a shared experience. Whether you’re organizing a concert, festival, tradeshow, or conference, you’re working hard to organize an event your attendees will enjoy. But what does all of that time and effort mean if people don’t know about it?
A website is an integral component of marketing your upcoming event. It tells anyone interested in attending the event what it’s all about, when it is, and how to buy tickets. The problem, however, is that there are so many websites online and the last thing you want is for your site to get lost in the fray. That’s where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in. SEO is the practice of creating high-quality web content that drives more traffic to your website via searches on platforms like Google. This process can help your brand gain significantly more exposure when conducted properly. Boosting SEO for your event website is essential for getting it to the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs), increasing your reach, and getting more people to register or buy tickets for it. Studies show that many more people click on organic search results than paid advertisements.
Essential Information to Include
No matter what type of event you’re planning, there’s some essential information you’ll want to include on your website. Not only will your site provide visitors with what they need to learn more about your event, but it will also give search engines valuable details for ranking you in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Be sure to always include:
- The name of your event
- An event details page
- The dates and time
- Where you’re holding the event
- A schedule of what’s happening
- Notable speakers or attendees
- Ticket information
- Event contact information
- Photos and videos from past events
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- Driving directions and lodging information
- A list of sponsors or exhibitors
Tips to Improve Your Event Site’s SEO
Now let’s take a look at several ways to help boost the SEO of your event’s website:
1. Research and implement keywords
Keywords are words and phrases people type into the search bar when looking for information online. Include those words throughout the content on your site and event details pages, to make it easier for search engines to identify your specific content and display it to people looking for similar information. You can use tools such as Google’s Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Planner, and Ahrefs Keyword Explorer to research relevant keywords (including long-tail keywords).
Once you have your keywords, it’s time to implement them throughout your website. You’ll want to place them naturally in your headings and page copy. Avoid keyword stuffing, though, as it can actually harm your ranking.
2. Incorporate local SEO
Many times when people are looking for events, they’re searching within a specific location. Not only that, but people in nearby locations are likely to be one of your largest target audiences. Incorporating the location of your event in the right spots can help people find your event at the right time, such as when tickets go on sale or registration goes live.
You have a few options here. You can:
- Include the location in the event title
- Use local keywords (such as “summer concert in Miami” or “tradeshow in Atlanta”)
- Use Event Markup to help get your event placed in Google’s event pack or event Carousel (both are part of the Google event experience, which can get you placed above the first result in the SERPs)
- Use’s Google’s Keyword Planner to filter keyword searches based on your location and get bid estimates to determine your ad budget.
Other examples of local SEO best practices include setting up a My Business account on Google, creating content based on local news stories, using location-specific pages, and adding your event business to online directories like Yelp and Foursquare. According to GoGulf, 46% of all Google searches are for local information.
3. Create relevant titles and meta descriptions
The page title and meta description are text that provides a preview of your event website on the SERPs (search engine results pages). You’ll want to be sure to include keywords here too, as they’ll help search engines identify your site more quickly, and they’ll let people know what to expect before they decide to follow your link. If you can include your focus (main) keyword at the beginning of your title and meta description, even better.
One thing to note about meta descriptions is that you’ll want to keep them short and sweet, generally between 100 and 150 words. If they’re too long, you risk getting them cut out.
4. Plan your event page URLs
You’ll want to consider your event website URLs. If you’re planning a company event, you might create a new page on your company’s site (companyname.com/eventname). Or, you can create a brand-new website specifically for the event (eventname.com).
Once you have the main URL, it’s time to start planning the URLs for the rest of your site’s landing pages. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Make it easy to read and keep it short (avoid numbers and symbols in favor of something more descriptive)
- Incorporate keywords when possible (again, avoid keyword stuffing)
- Stop words aren’t necessary
- Use hyphens to separate words
5. Leverage backlinks
Internal links are beneficial for connecting your website and giving Google an idea of its structure. They also help visitors navigate your site more easily. You’ll also want to build backlinks from other websites that lead back to yours. These types of links from reputable websites will help increase your domain authority and boost your SEO.
Some places to consider getting backlinks for your event:
- Local news organizations (newspapers, news channels, magazines, and radio stations)
- Local bloggers
- Your speakers, exhibitors, or sponsors
The key to backlinks is quality over quantity. A few links from authoritative, respected websites are more helpful for increasing the trustworthiness of your event’s website than a ton of links from spammy or low-quality sites.
6. Consider the user experience
Finally, you’ll want to make sure that your event website provides a positive user experience. Your site should be well-organized and easy to navigate. If a visitor has a hard time finding the basic information they’re looking for, they’re likely to get frustrated and leave. The pages should load quickly, too. Almost 50% of people expect a webpage to load in two seconds or less, and 40% of people will leave a site that takes more than three seconds to load, according to Neil Patel.
Your site should also be mobile-friendly. With nearly half of all web traffic coming from mobile devices, you’ll want to ensure that your website loads and functions perfectly on all internet-connected gadgets.
Get Your Event to the Top of the Search Engine Results Page
Improving your event website’s SEO is an essential marketing tactic that will help increase your event’s visibility and attract the attention of interested individuals. With the right keywords, links from other authoritative sites, and a top-notch user experience, you can help ensure that your event reaches the top of the search engine results pages and reaches as many people as possible.
Are you planning an event? Events.com is here to help. We can help you through every stage of the process, from planning to marketing to execution. For more information and to get started, check out Events.com today and start creating your event.
