We’ve found out what SEO is; now, let’s take a look at some examples of good SEO practices.
Below you will find a selection of tips to improve your understanding of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). These are not definitive rules but implementable guidelines that focus on long-term online success.
Fresh Content
There is no such thing as a finished website. By striving to add and improve web pages consistently, you are more likely to rank higher in searches, attract a higher volume of visitors and thus generate more sales as a result. As the old saying goes, ‘Content is king’.
Higher page viewing times mean search engines are more likely to give your site a higher ranking. Bearing this in mind, it pays to have content your customers can engage with for longer periods.
Adding a blog to your website is a simple way to keep it fresh with new content. Consider a ‘News’ section, also.
When adding optimised keywords to your content, it’s crucial that you stick to an appropriate density. Text that measures 300 words should generally use a keyword density of between 1-3%. Any more and you risk being penalised for ‘keyword stuffing’.
This all assumes you have your own content to use. If you’re running a little short, we have a wealth of experience when it comes to generating content
How to get Higher on Google
Search engine algorithms (the robots that rank your website) are forever changing. As per Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt, in 2010, Google made over 500 algorithm changes. That’s 1.5 per day! No one quite knows the exact ins and outs of any search engine algorithm, but we can look at its objective and deduce a plan of action from that.
The goal of any search engine is to match the searcher with the most appropriate website based on their search criteria. Search engines like Google and Yahoo generate income from PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising – You know, those ads you see placed around the organic search results? So, by attracting more visitors, search engines have a greater chance of a searcher clicking a PPC ad, thus generating profit.
Given the incentive to match searchers with the perfect website, it’s more effective to create an original website tailored to people. Tailoring your website solely to impress ranking robots is bad SEO practice.
Keywords
Keywords play a massive part in SEO. With keywords being so important, it’s crucial that the process is well thought out and executed correctly. Keywords filter into most other SEO practices in one way or another.
It starts with keyword research. Trying to rank for any random keyword or keyword phrase is like playing a game of roulette – A big gamble that you are likely to lose out on. It’s essential to find a niche. A keyword phrase that has a good search volume and a relatively low level of competition. It’s not quite that simple, but that’s a great place to start.
Optimising your website for long tail keywords is definitely worth considering, particularly if you are starting and can’t compete with the ‘big fish’. Despite having lower search volumes, long tail keywords are easier to rank for and are very specific. Whatever service or product you offer, the more specific the search term, the more likely they are to be looking for precisely what you have to offer.
It’s all about RESEARCH! And plenty of it. We can help you with this.
Image ALT Text
First and foremost, ALT text should be descriptive enough to help visitors. If an image doesn’t load properly, or if the viewer has a condition that affects their cognition, the ALT text should communicate to them what the image represents.
This is also an opportunity to add an optimised keyword as search engines do take them into account. It’s important not to overdo it, though, as this can incur penalties.
H1 Tags and Hierarchy
Header tags, or h1 tags, are more often than not the title of a particular page or post. It will usually be the largest text on the page and needs to describe what the corresponding page is about briefly. Search engines consider the H1 tag when ranking your website.
There are also h2, h3, h4 etc. The idea is to use them to form a hierarchy down each page. As you go down the chain, less emphasis is put on each.
Each header tag you use is an excellent opportunity to incorporate the right keywords and attract relevant visitors to your page.