Bands…I know you have heard of SEO by this point. But what have you actually done to begin highlighting your pages in the search engines? What is the perception of your band in Google results? Are people even searching for you? Here is your Rock Star Cheat Sheet to finding killer SEO information for your band!

Do your homework:

Are people searching for your band? Find out what people are searching for by doing keyword research.

Backstage Tools:

Ad Words Keyword Tool

Wordtracker Keyword Tool

Google Trends

Rockin’ Tips:

Search for your band name, your city, your album title, bands you sound like, your genre + location and other hot buzzwords surrounding your band. Take note of what is heavily searched and focus your site keywords on these. Also look at what the top results are for these keywords and where you rank. It will show you how strong your brand currently is.

*Note – As your band and music increase in popularity, so will the demand for you on search engines. If you do not like what currently ranks in the top spot for your band name, create new content that takes it place.*

Your current crowd

Google Analytics

Statcounter

Rockin’ Tips

Dig into your analytics to see what is currently working and driving traffic. Look at referring sites and referring keywords to see in real time how your fans are getting to your sites.

*Note – Analytics will not work with Myspace, Facebook and other Social Networks, you need to have your own site!*

Your Gear

Website Grader

Use this tool to look at physical components of your website that affect how search engines see you and your site. Look at tags such as

<title>

<meta>

<h1><h2><h3><strong>

<img alt>

Rockin’ Tips

Try and place your strong keywords in these tags. Be mindful not to “stuff” your keywords and be mindful that while you are trying to obtain great position in the search engines, real people are the ones coming to visit your site, become fans and buy your music.

From the Outside Looking In

Links are one of the most influential items that search engines consider when working their magic in their algorithms. The more links you have the more popular and trusted you are. Go and look at who is linking to you, but also look at some bands that are similar to you and you will uncover some great sites that may be able to give you reviews, press and links!

How to Find Who is Linking to You

Yahoo Site Explorer – Perform a search for your site. On results page, click the “inlinks” tab.

Backlink Watch

Rockin’ Tips for Obtaining New Links

• Look for directories that offer value (Rock Star Directory Coming Soon with Pro memberships) – for now Google to find lists of directories
• Cross link all your sites (Myspace links to main site, main site links to Myspace, etc)
• Join multiple networks – Many social networks and music communities allow you to have a link back to your site. Look through the 100 Social Media Resources as a great starting point.
• Reviews and stories online are an amazing opportunity to get a link back to your site, your store or both! Don’t be afraid to ask politely for a link in your reviews.
• Comment on blogs and join conversations. While the blog comments provide links, they do not pass any Google juice, but being visible makes you open for new posts and people visiting your site that may lead to links down the road.
• Submit your content to StumbleUpon and Digg – if people find it interesting they may link to it and pass it along to their readers.

Next Steps

If you get the hang of these first steps, you are ready to learn more about SEO and you understand the importance of search traffic for your music business, check out these Rock Star SEO Resources:

Evolvor – How to Be a Google RockStar

SEO Moz – Pro Membership – I swear by this site and its pro tools

SEO Book Pro Account – amazing SEO content and support from Aaron Wall

If you have questions about SEO for your music site, drop us a line and we will do our best to provide guidance and support. For more advanced SEO practices, take a look at Gen-Y Rock Star services.

-Gen-Y Rock Stars Team