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SEO isn't just for tech giants and e-commerce platforms—it's a powerful tool that the top record labels use strategically to attract artists and fans alike.
We understand that you're busy managing your label and the thought of optimizing your website might feel like an added burden.
But here's the thing: you don't need to be an SEO expert or spend a fortune to make it work. Just a few simple steps can significantly improve your online visibility and help you connect with more artists and music lovers.
To assist you, we have created a free SEO checklist - and for a comprehensive action plan, please check out our pack of marketing tactics and strategies for record labels.
Get the SEO checklist made for record label owners
The best record labels rank first on Google. Here is a free tool to to get you started.
What is SEO for record labels exactly?
Simply put, SEO is all about making your record label’s website more attractive to search engines like Google.
When someone searches for "best indie record label in [Your City]" or "upcoming artists to watch," SEO helps your record label show up in the results. The goal is to get your website higher up on the search results page so more people can find and engage with your label and artists.
Why is SEO Important for Record Labels?
SEO is incredibly important for record labels, and here’s why:
- Increased Online Visibility:
The higher your website ranks on search engines, the more people will see it. This means more potential fans discovering your label and artists online, especially when they're looking for new music.
- Higher Rankings on Search Engines:
Most people don’t look past the first page of search results. By optimizing your site, you can climb those rankings and beat out the competition. Imagine someone searching for "best new indie bands" and finding your label right at the top!
- Attracting More Local and Global Fans:
SEO isn't just about getting anyone to your site—it's about getting the right people. Local SEO helps ensure that when someone nearby searches for new music, your label pops up. Additionally, broader SEO strategies can attract a global audience, expanding your reach beyond local boundaries.
Key Components of SEO
Now, let’s break down the main parts of SEO specifically for your record label:
On-Page SEO
This involves making sure the content on your website is optimized. It includes things like:
- Keywords:
Using the words and phrases people are searching for in your titles, descriptions, and content. For example, if you promote indie artists, make sure you use phrases like "best indie record label" or "upcoming indie artists" on your site.
- Content Quality:
Providing useful, engaging, and fresh content about your label and artists. Share artist bios, new releases, upcoming shows, and behind-the-scenes stories.
- Meta Tags:
Using meta titles and descriptions that are relevant and appealing to searchers. For instance, a meta description for your homepage could be "Discover the best new indie music at [Your Label Name], the top-rated record label in [Your City]."
Off-Page SEO
This focuses on actions taken outside your website to impact your rankings:
- Backlinks:
Getting other reputable websites to link to your site, which signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and relevant. This could be from music blogs, online magazines, or industry influencers.
- Social Media:
Being active on social media with your label’s page can drive traffic to your site and improve your online presence. Share your latest releases, artist updates, and exclusive content to engage with your audience.
Technical SEO
This ensures your website meets the technical requirements of search engines:
- Site Speed:
Making sure your website loads quickly. No one likes to wait, especially fans eager to listen to your latest releases!
- Mobile-Friendliness:
Ensuring your site looks and works well on mobile devices. Many people search for music and artists on their phones while on the go.
- Secure Website (HTTPS):
Having a secure website that users (and search engines) can trust. This is especially important if you have an online store or fan club sign-up.
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Which keywords should you target for your record label?
Record label owners, like you, must target specific keywords in SEO because it helps your website appear in search results when potential artists, fans, or industry professionals look for the type of music or services you offer. This increases the chances that people will discover and engage with your label.
For example, if you specialize in indie music, targeting keywords like "best indie record label" or "indie music label near me" helps attract artists and fans searching for those terms. This makes it easier for people interested in indie music to find your label online.
Here are some keyword ideas for you. If you want a more developed strategy with actionable steps, go check out our strategy pack for record label owners.
| Keyword | Competitiveness Level | Tips and Initiatives |
|---|---|---|
| Best [Genre] record label in [Your City] | High | Optimize your website with high-quality images and videos of your artists, gather testimonials, list on music industry directories, and use local SEO strategies. |
| Where to submit [Genre] music | Medium | Create blog posts or pages on your website highlighting submission guidelines, use keywords naturally in content, and engage with music bloggers. |
| Record label with good reputation near me | Medium | Use compelling imagery and stories of your label's success, gather positive artist reviews, and ensure your Google My Business profile is complete. |
| Best place for [Genre] artists in [Your City] | Medium | Feature specific genres prominently on your website (e.g., hip-hop, rock), use local SEO tactics, and promote artist showcases on social media. |
| [Your Genre] record label in [Your City] | High | Highlight unique aspects of your genre, create SEO-friendly content about your artists, and engage with the local music community online. |
| Top-rated [Genre] record label near me | High | Encourage satisfied artists to leave positive reviews, optimize your website for mobile, and ensure accurate information on local listings. |
| Affordable [Genre] record label in [Your City] | Low | Highlight affordable services and packages on your website, use keywords related to value, and promote deals on social media. |
| Where to find [Genre] record label near me | Medium | Use local SEO strategies, create content around popular artists, and ensure your website is optimized for mobile users searching nearby. |
| Popular [Genre] record label in [Your City] | Medium | Use social media to share popular tracks and artists, engage with local influencers, and gather artist testimonials to build credibility. |
| Best [Genre] record label for new artists in [Your City] | Low | Create content aimed at new artists, highlight mentorship programs on your website, and host artist development events to generate buzz. |
What really matters when you do SEO for a record label
Actually, we think that SEO often follows the 80/20 rule, meaning that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. For record label owners, like you, this means it's crucial to focus on the right strategies to maximize impact without feeling overwhelmed.
| Action / Initiative | Why It Matters / How It Helps Bring New Artists and Fans |
|---|---|
| Optimize Google My Business profile | Ensures your record label appears in local search results, provides essential information (hours, location, contact details), and collects reviews to build trust. |
| Gather and respond to online reviews | Positive reviews build credibility and trust. Responding to reviews shows you value feedback, encouraging more artists and fans to engage with your label. |
| Create high-quality content with targeted keywords | Helps your website rank higher in search results for relevant queries, attracting artists looking for representation and fans searching for new music. |
| Optimize for local SEO | Ensures your record label shows up in local searches (e.g., "record labels near me"), driving foot traffic from nearby potential artists and fans. |
| Ensure website is mobile-friendly | Most users search for music and labels on their phones. A mobile-friendly site provides a better user experience, leading to higher engagement and conversions. |
| Use high-quality images and videos of artists and events | Attractive visuals entice potential artists and fans, showcasing your talent and events, which can significantly influence their decision to engage with your label. |
| Include an online catalog with keywords | Allows search engines to index your catalog, helping you appear in searches for specific genres or artists, and makes it easy for fans to discover your music. |
| List your label on music directories | Increases your online presence and backlinks, improving your search engine ranking and making it easier for artists and fans to find you. |
| Engage with music bloggers and influencers | Generates buzz and word-of-mouth, reaching a wider audience and attracting artists and fans who trust these voices. |
| Promote special releases and events | Creates a sense of urgency and excitement, encouraging potential fans to check out your label for unique music experiences. |
| Utilize social media to share updates and engage with fans | Builds a community around your label, keeps fans informed about new releases and events, and drives traffic to your website. |
| Ensure accurate and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across all platforms | Prevents confusion, helps search engines trust your business information, and improves your local SEO ranking. |
| Offer online submissions for artists | Makes it convenient for artists to submit their work, leading to increased submissions and potential signings. |
| Create blog posts about your artists and music industry insights | Attracts visitors to your site through informative and engaging content, improving SEO and showcasing what makes your label unique. |
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What is always useless when you do SEO for a record label
We have studied a lot of record labels when we built our strategy pack and we saw a lot of SEO-related initiatives that don't help attract new artists or listeners. We explain here why they might be a waste of time or even counterproductive.
| Action / Initiative | Why It Doesn't Matter / How It Doesn't Help Bring New Artists or Listeners |
|---|---|
| Using meta keyword tags | Search engines no longer use meta keyword tags to rank pages, so focusing on them doesn't improve SEO for your record label. |
| Keyword stuffing in artist bios | Overusing keywords in artist bios makes them hard to read and can be penalized by search engines, turning away potential artists and listeners. |
| Paying for backlinks from unrelated websites | Backlinks from non-music related or low-quality websites don't improve your SEO and can even hurt your ranking if considered spammy by search engines. |
| Using exact match domains like bestrecordlabel.com | Having an exact match domain has minimal impact on SEO and can appear spammy, especially if it doesn't reflect your brand well. |
| Creating multiple pages for the same artist or album | Duplicate content confuses search engines and can dilute your SEO efforts. Focus on one high-quality page for each unique artist or album. |
| Using Flash for music players or artist pages | Flash is outdated, not supported by many devices, and negatively impacts SEO. Modern alternatives like HTML5 should be used instead. |
| Focusing only on desktop optimization | Many users search for music on mobile devices. Ignoring mobile optimization leads to poor user experience and lower search rankings. |
| Using automated link-building tools | These tools often create low-quality or spammy links that can be penalized by search engines, hurting your record label's SEO efforts. |
| Ignoring structured data for music content | Structured data helps search engines understand your music content better. Ignoring it means missing out on potential SEO benefits like rich snippets. |
| Not updating your artist profiles regularly | Outdated artist information can frustrate users and harm your SEO. Regular updates keep content relevant and maintain search rankings. |
| Using irrelevant stock photos on your site | Low-quality or irrelevant images can negatively impact user experience and SEO. Use high-quality photos of your actual artists and events. |
| Over-optimizing anchor text in links | Using exact match keywords for every link appears unnatural and can be penalized by search engines. Use varied, natural anchor text instead. |
| Ignoring page load speed for your website | Slow-loading pages frustrate users and can lead to higher bounce rates, negatively impacting your record label's SEO. Ensure your site loads quickly. |
| Using too many ads above the fold on your homepage | Too many ads at the top of the page can be off-putting for users and may be penalized by search engines, impacting your SEO negatively. |
Should you pay someone for the SEO of your record label?
Well, we will be transparent. Here’s the thing: SEO can get pretty complex, and having some support can really make a difference. Imagine trying to juggle running your record label, managing artists, promoting releases, and then on top of that, diving into the world of search engine optimization. It’s a lot, right?
Having someone handle your SEO means you can focus on what you do best—running your record label. SEO experts know the ins and outs of getting your website to rank higher on search engines. They stay updated on the latest trends and algorithms, which means your site will be optimized correctly and consistently. This can lead to more people discovering your artists and music online, and ultimately, more fans and sales.
- But here’s the kicker: there are a lot of low-hanging fruits in SEO that you can tackle on your own, even if you don’t know much about it.
You will find a lot of low-hanging fruits that cost nothing, are quick to implement, and will make your record label’s website much more visible in strategy pack for record label owners.
Simple actions like optimizing your Google My Business profile, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, and using relevant keywords can significantly improve your online presence. These tasks don't require deep technical knowledge but can make a big impact.
So, should you increase the marketing budget of your record label to pay someone to manage your SEO? If you can do it, it’s a worthwhile investment. But don't underestimate what you can achieve on your own. Start with the basics, see the results, and then decide if you need more specialized help.
Make your record label more profitable
We have studied the strategies of the best record labels in the world. All their tactics are explained in our pack!
Useful tools record label owners can use for their SEO
Here are some essential tools that our team has collected and listed, to help you improve your record label's online presence and SEO.
| Tool | How It's Useful |
|---|---|
| Google My Business | Ensures your record label appears in local search results and Google Maps, provides essential information (hours, location, contact details), and collects customer reviews. |
| SEMrush | Helps identify the best keywords for your record label, analyze competitors, and track your search rankings. Provides insights to improve your content and visibility. |
| Yext | Manages your record label's listings across multiple directories, ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information to boost local SEO. |
| Google Search Console | Monitors your record label's website performance, identifies issues, and provides data on search traffic and keywords to optimize your SEO strategy. |
| Yelp | Collects customer reviews and ratings, which improve your record label's online reputation and visibility in local search results. |
| BrightLocal | Offers tools for local SEO audits, citation building, and review management, helping your record label improve its local search presence. |
| Moz | Provides keyword research, link building, and site audit tools to enhance your record label's SEO efforts and improve search engine rankings. |
| Ahrefs | Analyzes your record label's backlink profile, identifies top-performing content, and tracks keyword rankings to boost your SEO strategy. |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Crawls your record label's website to identify technical SEO issues, such as broken links and duplicate content, helping improve site health and rankings. |
| AnswerThePublic | Generates content ideas by showing what people are searching for related to your record label, helping you create relevant and engaging blog posts and pages. |
| Canva | Helps create visually appealing social media posts and graphics for your website, which can improve user engagement and indirectly boost SEO. |
| Hotjar | Provides insights into user behavior on your record label's website through heatmaps and session recordings, helping you optimize user experience and reduce bounce rates. |
Copy the SEO tactics of the best record label owners
We understand why many independent record label owners might shy away from SEO and marketing.
Running a record label is already a full-time job, and the concept of SEO can seem vague and foreign. The terminology can be confusing, and it often feels like marketing is a luxury only major labels can afford.
Plus, there's the constant worry about costs and whether any marketing efforts will actually pay off. We get that you prefer to focus on immediate, tangible improvements to your label rather than dive into something that seems complicated and uncertain. No need to deteriorate your label’s budget here.
That's why we've created a "marketing pack" specifically for record label owners like you.
Our pack is designed to address all these concerns head-on. It includes easy-to-follow guides that break down SEO and marketing into simple steps, so you don't need to be a tech expert to understand. We offer cost-effective strategies that fit within tight budgets, and our step-by-step plans ensure that you can implement a good marketing strategy for your label without feeling overwhelmed.
Plus, we've included real-life examples and tips that have worked for other small labels, so you can see the tangible benefits before you even start.
Our goal is to make marketing accessible and practical, helping your record label thrive without adding extra stress to your already busy life.
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