SEO
Crafting an About Page that Proves the AUTHORITY in You
There are always those little but important things you need to do but never have time / motivation / memory to. For me, that’s my “About me” page. I set up my blog back in 2008-ish and my About page has been almost intact since then.
Yet, that’s not even a little thing… I talk so much about personal branding and I haven’t even done the essentials for myself: Taking care there’s one place on the web that has most complete information on myself.
Structure your “About” page properly
Some of the better About pages I have seen identify what the person or business offers, their expertise, how they can assist the public, and plenty of quality links re-enforcing what they have already said. Keeping the profile professional, showing a little personality, without overselling the product or service are the pages that catch my eye as a consumer.
Structure:
- A quick and to the point Tagline,
- An Introduction that outlines everything you want consumers to know about you or your biz,
- A fully completed Links section with good examples in each of the 3 categories of your own work to show your expertise.
Get inspired by examples:
Include unique proven entities
- List all your official social media channels on this page
- Link to your columns, profiles, books, and courses
- Use Person schema to show Google who you are and what you do
Tell your story
Tell your story on your about page. People that click on it want to learn more about the person or company behind the brand. A story is an entertaining way to let people get to know who you are and studies have also shown that stories improve reader engagement.
Your story should include both some personal details that will enable people to connect with you and facts about your life or company that will boost credibility and make them want to learn or buy from you. Break your story into easy to follow sections and include supporting pictures and images.
Focus on your strong points but be truthful
Sharing your company values is all well and good, but if you’re not explaining why you have those values, the words don’t mean quite so much. If you want people to believe that you’re an authority in your field, you have to let them know how you became one.
Focus on your strong points – what are you known for? Customer service, attention to detail, innovative design…whatever it is, spend some time emphasizing it on your About page.
Be truthful.
Don’t say you’re the best at anything unless it’s true. If you exaggerate, the integrity and authority of your entire company will be called into question.
Don’t forget to include your call-to-action
I see an about page as an opportunity to tell your story, assert your authority and build your list at the same time.
For me, an about page has to tell people several things:
- Who you are
- Why people should listen to you (your background)
- Who is talking about you (for example, publications where you have been featured)
- Trusted by (if you write for top tier publications in your industry, include them)
You can then incorporate an opt-in form to capture email addresses – be specific about how signing up can benefit your audience.
Then add a dash of personality (and humor if that’s your thing) to show you’re real.
Add testimonials and “Featured in” section
I believe having an “About me” or “About US” page is necessary not only because Google wants to see the author behind the content but because when users get attracted by the content, one of the first thing they search for is the author information.
If you have a powerful About Me page chances are you will be able to convert and convince more potential leads in to customers. Here are the 5 things that I believe an Ideal About Me page should contain
Expertise and Experience
It is better to include your work samples and link to some giant industry blogs where you got featured.
Get inspired by examples:
Word from Experts
If you ever get a word from the expert within your industry, including that can amazingly increase your conversation rate from your About Me page. When people see words from the people they trust, they tend to trust you too.
Example: MailChimp does that on their About me Page quite beautifully.
Social Channels
When the users are reading more about you on your About US page, this is probably the most targeted time show them where they can find you online or how they can talk to you in person.
Visualize!
Images are worth thousands of words, especially when making the right first impression is so important!
If you are an active creator, consider setting up an off-site about page to link your channels and help with conversions. Beacons AI is a good option.
What am I missing? Let’s discuss!
I am Ann Smarty, owner of SEOsmarty.com. I’ve been in the SEO industry for two decades. I am the former Editor-in-Chief of Search Engine Journal and a contributor to Mashable. These days I am running Viral Content Bee and writing for Moz, Buzzsumo, Wix and many others!
