SEO

Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO can be a convoluted and difficult concept to understand, especially because search engines like Google are very private when it comes to their algorithms and are constantly making changes and updates.

It can be overwhelming for companies and marketers alike to stay on top of SEO, however it is paramount to getting your website noticed and ranked on the first page of search results.

Due to the somewhat volatile nature of SEO, professional guidance is usually recommended however, there is one important factor that you can attack on your own…..

Keywords.

It doesn’t sound glamorous, but optimising your website with relevant and targeted keywords is the best way to begin building a solid SEO foundation.

Here’s how:

1.) Determine Your Keywords

First you need to work out what keywords you wish to target. These keywords are the phrases or terms that users will type into a search engine in order to find your page. Google offers a keyword planner tool which can help you determine how certain keywords are performing. Experiment with using broad and specific keywords to see what returns a better result for your company. Another way to come up with relevant keywords is to ask yourself- what would users type in to find my content or website?

2.) Review Your Content

Once you have determined your keywords, you need to identify which pages are going to target which phrases. Here is a step by step guide on how to do this quickly and efficiently-

  • Export all your site pages into an Excel spreadsheet
  • Highlight the most frequently visited pages
  • Decide which keyword or phrases each page falls into and make a note in a separate column

Once you have completed this for top pages, you can move onto adding keywords into your actual website.

3.) Adding Keywords

Now that you have your keyword list in-hand you need to think about where you are going to include them on the page. Here are the most important places to optimise for your chosen keywords or phrases:

  • Titles: This is shown in the browser tab and search results. It has a direct impact on CTR’s so you want to make sure your title is relevant, under 65 characters and includes one of your keywords.
  • Descriptions: Site descriptions are often shown in the search results and can definitely help increase CTRs however, they don’t have an impact on rankings. Make this content appealing to readers and give them a reason to click on your site.
  • Content: Using your keywords in your headings and content is paramount as users are more likely to stay on your page if they can see the term that they searched for. One thing to keep in mind however, is to write your content for the readers first and the search engines second. Most algorithms are very clever in picking up content that has just been written to yield clicks.
  • Images: You must also include keywords in your Image titles and Alt Text sections of your website. This helps your ranking in image searches and regular searches. Try to be as accurate as possible when writing your descriptions in order to stay relevant.
  • URL’s: Including keywords in your URL is a great way to improve your ranking however, Google heavily penalises companies that “keyword stuff” that is, they use too many keywords in order to attract potential customers. Keep your URL’s simple and to the point.

If you have SEO software on your site, it is most likely that many of these factors will already be in place. It you don’t it is definitely worth considering installing some type of software or plugin to make it easier for you to manage.

4.) Black List Practices

When it comes to SEO there are some practices that can land you in hot water. Here are the absolute no-no’s when it comes to SEO:

  • Hiding Keywords: Hiding keywords in your site whether it’s in CSS files or blended into the background is a definite penalty when it comes to search engine ranking. Not only will this strategy be highly ineffective, it will also have a negative effect on your ranking.
  • Keyword Stuffing: We briefly touched on this earlier, but keyword stuffing is another way to land your webpage into the ethers of the internet. When you intentionally use numerous keywords in your headings, phrases and titles you instantly get ranked as being spammy by search engines.
  • Forcing Keywords: Forcing keywords into places that they don’t belong sets of alarm bells in many search algorithms. If you can’t get your keywords to fit on a page then chances are your keywords are not relevant. Do not try to force keywords into your site where they don’t belong.

While the in’s and out’s of SEO may forever remain a secret, there are certain known and proven tactics that you can adopt in order to improve your search ranking. Remember, good content comes first and then after that you can begin optimising it for search engines.

Do you need help with your SEO? We are here to help….