Overwhelmed with search engine optimization (SEO)? Don’t be. Keep it simple. The goal of SEO is to make it easy for search engines to understand who your company is, how to interpret your website and most importantly, prove that you are a trustworthy business.
While SEO is an ongoing process it shouldn’t be complicated. Like many of your other business needs, you make a list, prioritize importance and work your way through each task methodically. Here are essential SEO items that are worth spending your business resources on.
Optimizing Website Content
Domain Name
I don’t care what anybody says, Domain names are still important. If you have your top keyword (you are trying to rank for) in your websites domain name, then you will get a boost in your search engine rankings. Remember help search engines understand who you are and what you do. It’s the same way when you hear a business name in passing. You either know exactly what products or services the business provides by hearing the name or you don’t.
Titles and Descriptions
The titles and descriptions for each page on your website are what you would see in a search result. Both titles and descriptions are added to the code of your website and are only visible to search engines.
While there may be similarities to the text that is actually on each page of your website, the title and descriptions should be creatively sculpted to include what the page is about along with your targeted keywords. Keep in mind you only have a limited amount of characters you can use for each title and description. If your website is built with WordPress, then using a plugin like Yoast SEO will make this easy for you easily calculate and implement.
Pictures
Images on your website should be edited in a photo editor to an appropriate file size and dimensions before adding to your website. Makes sure your pictures have a descriptive file name before uploading to your website. Add a descriptive title that includes the page keyword to the alternative text field. Add a description as well.
Page Headings
Make your page headings informative, attention grabbing and add your keywords where they make sense.
Body Text
Write your page content with relevant information and add your keywords where it makes sense. Make sure the content is compelling. If it answers a question or provides what the searcher is looking for, then you have compelling content.
Website Accessibility and Usability
Crawlability
Make sure search engines can access all of your website pages by following the internal links within your website. As you add new content to your site, it is important to continue adding internal links to older content as well as going back through your content and updating those internal links as well.
Indexability
It is essential that search engines can access your website to be indexed in your directory. Make sure to submit sitemaps to search engines that contain every page on your website. This will ensure that search engines can account for every page and see if any updates have been made.
Additionally, avoid adding duplicate content to your website. That will cause confusion for search engines, which could be a reason that a page is NOT indexed.
User Experience
Your website needs to be easy to use on computers and mobile devices. Use design layouts that are lightly coded to make it easy for people navigate.
Make sure your pages load quickly and make it easy for users to navigate your content. Often times this starts with a quality web hosting company. Do NOT choose hosting based on pricing.
What’s Next?
By focusing on these items you will be able to keep up with the essential SEO needs for your website. Knowing what is needed to have a successful website that generates business is important. This will guide you in deciding whether to use in-house resources to level up your SEO game or to hire an Digital Marketing Agency to help you crush the competition. Both can be equally effective. It comes down to how you want to spend your (and your employees) time running your business.
If focusing on SEO seems more like a headache then an interesting challenge, then contact PLUSH to find out how we can improve your website’s competitiveness.
