SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a hot topic when it comes to web design. We have learned and applied SEO best practices in the last few years and wanted to share some tips. Some of these optimizations are more technical than others, but there should be a few that are easy enough to get started on.
Keep in mind SEO results do not happen overnight. It takes time to build trust and authority from Google – particularly if your website is new.
Feel free to contact us if you have more questions about SEO, or are interested in adding this to your website package!
Understand how to use Keywords
If you’ve done any Googling on how to improve your SEO, you will find a lot of references to keywords, keyword phrases, long-tail vs short-tail keywords, keyword research, etc. When you’re trying to improve your search rank, keywords are what people use to find what they’re interested in. Constructing keyword research should be an entirely separate article on its own because of the different goals and tools you can use to research. It also depends on your SEO strategy.
Once you have your keywords selected you are going to want to place them within your website. Generally, you want to focus on one keyword or phrase per page. Try to add this keyword or phrase seamlessly within the page title, page description, in the URL, within your h tags (heading tags), in the body text, and in the names of your images and image alt tags. Depending on how the website was built and your technical knowledge of web design, some of these will be easier for you to do on your own than others. Don’t get too carried away with pasting your keywords – there is something called ‘keyword stuffing’ which is a flag for Google to penalize you. When implementing the keywords, make sure it is easy to read and flows with the rest of your content.
Include Lots of Quality Content
Content is king when it comes to boosting your SEO. The more quality content you have on your website regarding your business and/or product, the better your chances are at ranking higher within your field. Now, you don’t want to flood your core pages with loads of content just to boost your SEO. Keep your core pages concise so your customers can quickly and easily learn about your business. The best way to keep adding quality content to your website is through a blog. As long as your blog talks about relevant information that relates to your business’s field it should help your search rank. Try to implement some complementary keywords within each blog article.
Make sure your Website Loads Fast
Part of Google’s ranking algorithm considers your website load time. Make sure that your website isn’t bogged down by anything, and that your pages load quickly. Not only is it a better user experience for potential customers, but Google is giving it importance in determining your rank.
Make sure your Website is Mobile-Friendly
Another factor included in Google’s ranking algorithm is if your website is mobile-friendly. Every website should be mobile-friendly. Period. Think about how many people you know own a smartphone and everyone that turns to their smartphone to look things up or check out a new business or product on the go. Google has made this a necessity by including it as a ranking factor – If your website is not mobile-friendly, that is a big problem!
Work on your Links
Building inbound links to your website is a great way to improve your SEO rank. When other quality websites link to you, Google views your website as being more credible. Try to find related websites to yours with quality content that would be willing to link to you. Something to keep in mind in your link building strategy is domain authority. You want websites with a high domain authority linking to you. There are tools to figure out which websites are more authoritative and would improve your link building strategy. Ultimately, It’s up to you in how you reach out to another website suggesting they link to your website.
Using descriptive anchor text is a great way to help Google scan your website and know what it is about. If you have some of your body text that mentions a topic on another one of your pages, consider linking to that page from the body text. When you do that, make sure the link text says what the page is about. Do NOT add a link to text that reads: ‘click here’ or something generic sounding.
Example:
I take pride in providing high-quality web design, graphic design, and photography with an emphasis on giving you a personalized client experience.
Use Your Headings Properly
I see this issue a lot when redesigning websites. Although highlighting text and using the heading tags will make your font size larger, that is not it’s sole purpose! Header tags are a crucial component of how Google scans your website. Make sure you use the heading tags properly.
Make sure your Social Media Channels Link to your Website
Social media can be a great tool in your marketing strategy and is a great way to share content with your audience. Sharing website content to social media makes it more likely for people to see your content, view other parts of your website, and they may even want to link to it from their own blog or website. Social media helps with your outreach and overall online presence.