There is no point in having an amazing website stuffed with killer content if no one is ever going to read it. That is where SEO, or search engine optimisation, comes in.
SEO is essential for any organisation and any time spent creating a good SEO strategy is time well spent. To get you started, here are some tips for improving your SEO:
Create content around keywords
The first rule of content creation is always ‘create content for people and not for Google’. Clunky content created for no other purpose than to add keywords will do more harm than good. But great content based around keywords can do wonders. And there is no reason it should sound unnatural. Use keywords as inspiration for your content and you will probably find that by writing naturally about the topic you end up using all your keywords without even trying.
Keywords are the words people use to search for your website, so it makes sense to base your copy on them. And not just because it can help Google find you. After all, if users are trawling the net with questions, don’t you want to be the one to answer them?
Add meta descriptions
Adding keyword-rich descriptions to metadata is a great way to boost your SEO. The meta description is the snippet that appears under your URL in the search results that describes your site’s content.
Add title tags
Title tags pop up in places such as the tab of a web browser and tell users and search engines what your site is about. These short tags need to be very concise and accurate.
Add alt-tags to images
Alt tags describe what is going on in an image. These need to be descriptive but succinct, users only need to understand why the picture is there, they don’t need to know every detail. Not only are they essential for anyone using a screen reader, they also improve SEO.
Increase internal linking
Internal links are the links on the pages of your site that link to other pages on your site. Just as users use these links to navigate your website, search engines also need these links to find pages. If a page includes lots of links then Google will visit it often as it crawls through your site, if it has no links then Google will ignore this page.
Create good quality content that others want to share
When people share your posts, they are essentially doing your marketing for you and attracting new visitors to your site. For tips on how to create content that works, feel free to check out our content guide.
Ensure you have backlinks
Backlinks tell search engines that your content is valuable enough for another site to link to it. Essentially, that site is giving your site a vote of confidence. And the more important and high ranking the site is, the more kudos that backlink has.
Add a hook that encourages more backlinks
Getting backlinks to your site can be easier said than done. One great way to encourage links to your site is to add a hook that others would want to link to. An example of this could be an important statistic that other sites or bloggers may want to link to.
Clean simple design that is easy to navigate
The time users spend on your page tells search engines how useful it is, this is called dwell time. A well-structured website with a clear and simple design is essential for keeping users on your page. If they cannot find what they are looking for, or if you make them work to find answers to their questions, then they will leave.
Use some of your unique own images
Try to limit your use of stock images. Google likes sites with unique content – including unique images. There is nothing wrong with using some stock imagery, but if you have any of your own images try to add these in too. This will also give your site more authenticity.
If you need help with your SEO strategy please get in touch with our friendly team – we’d love to help you!
