Search engine optimisation (SEO) can help businesses standout online, but how can charities use SEO? In today’s article, I will highlight ways charities can use SEO to further their charitable aims. Plus, how it can help their beneficiaries find the right resources and services they need.
Charities using SEO
SEO is a marketing tool for businesses. Still, charities and non-profits can use this tool to expand their comms capacity. Furthermore, they will acquire the right audience for their purposes. If you have never heard about SEO before, I recommend checking out the complete guide on What is SEO?.
Educational Matters
One of the primary components of SEO is content marketing. Content marketing is a strategic marketing technique that focuses on producing and delivering valuable, relevant, and consistent content. This quality content attracts and maintains a specific audience. For charities, this could mean content that educates their audience on their aims and who and how they help. Here are some examples of blogs which various charities might employ to help educate.
- A cancer charity may write blog posts with titles such as;
- What are the symptoms of a specific type of cancer?
- What can people do to prevent cancer?
- Activities to do while undergoing chemotherapy
- A food bank
- Recipes on using up leftovers
- How to reduce food waste?
- How to access support in your local area?
- A pet shelter
- What reasons do people surrender pets?
- How can you adopt a rescue dog?
As you can see, these topics are highly educational. They don’t just sell a service which is how business blogs are primarily used. This education can help people affected by the charity’s issues or those looking to support someone affected. Many charities are primarily focused on support groups, so SEO can ensure the right people looking for this supportive information can find it.
Reaching Beneficiaries
While some charities are focused on support and educational content, others may find that SEO needs to be focused on the services a charity provides. For example, some people affected by illness, social challenges or economic disenfranchisement may find it hard to access services or may not even know they exist. In many cases, they may be using a search engine to find information or an explanation for what they are experiencing. This may not include direct references for support or charity help, so it is up to a charity to discover these types of searches and write optimised content that could help these people. Here is an example of a housing charity’s blog.
- A renter may search for something like ‘My landlord keeps walking into my flat unannounced.’
- A housing charity could create a piece of content with the title ‘My landlord comes in unannounced: What to do’.
- The renter finds this information on a search engine such as Google and clicks it because they can see it is relevant to their query.
- The renter can then find information on what to do in this situation and whether they can get support from the housing charity whose website is on.
Unfortunately, many people don’t know their rights or what support is available. Charities can use SEO to bridge this educational gap and highlight to beneficiaries how they can help.
Promotion of Donations
Another important way SEO can help is by putting your charity front and centre for those interested in donating to your type of charity. Millions of people in the UK contribute to charities every year; in fact, 62% of people in the UK gave to charity via donation or sponsorship in 2020 alone.
Many people are particularly interested in donating to charities that have an issue they are personally interested in. So, ensuring your site is optimised to explain precisely the work you perform will improve your positioning in search results. In addition, some donors are focused primarily on donating to the most effective charities, so you may target SEO that reflects how your charity makes an impact and is the best charity to select for these types of donations.
But SEO isn’t just about showing up on search engines; it’s also about making sure your website works once your audience lands there. The user experience of your visitors is a vital but often overlooked part of SEO. To allow people to donate to your site, you first need to convince them that you are worthy of their donations, but as vital, you must make sure the payment process is smooth.
Hire an SEO Specialist for Charities & Non-profits
You can read more about why SEO is so important here. If your charity wants to use SEO to boost your presence, educate your audience or help more people, please get in touch. I am an experienced marketer focusing on ethical marketing practices that allow organisations like yours to succeed in their aims. Learn more about my services here, or get in touch to talk about your requirements. I always provide fully costed proposals to help you secure the funding you need. Plus, I will take the time to help you understand how we can work together to help improve the impact of your charity.