Maintaining an active website is a busy yet worthwhile task. There is a lot more to running a website for business than meets the eye, and it all comes down to generating leads through optimisation. Nowadays, when people have a need or want that needs fulfilling, they will often hop on a computer or mobile device and use a search engine. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving your website’s ranking on the results page of the search, making it more likely that consumers will click your link. It may seem tricky, but there are many simple ways you can improve your website’s search engine rankings. Here are seven we suggest.
Identify Keywords
You may have heard about the importance of keywords when optimising your site, but identifying and implementing them isn’t as easy as it seems. When using keywords, it isn’t just about using the most popular ones, as they can be too competitive. Do your research and figure out which keywords are appropriate for your site, are searched often enough and are not overused. When writing content for your website, ensure that it is targeted to the reader (your keyword usage should be natural). This style tends to rank better on search engines.
Page Titles
Similarly, page titles should contain keyword phrases that attract the reader and simultaneously optimise your site. They should be relatively short and succinct – an attention-grabbing description of the article.
URLs
Like page titles, URLs can contain keywords or and/or key phrases. However, it is important to not go overboard – stick to using a keyword once in a URL, whether it is in the website URL itself, or the page URL.
Internal Linking
By smartly linking to pages on your site, you are encouraging readers to explore and discover more information about your business. Internal links also help you to rank higher in search engine results.
Quality Content
All content on your website should be designed to attract website views and boost your search engine performance. Without high quality content – whether it is photos, videos, detailed descriptions or an efficient e-commerce platform – few people will visit (or return) to your website. No matter the purpose of your site, you should try to maintain an active blog as this will allow you to post 500-2000 word content (the longer, the better) that will help with optimisation.
Responsive Design
A website that can adapt to different devices and screens is important these days, because many users use the internet from their phones and tablets on the go. Rather than have your website jump to a new page for mobile users (which can skew optimisation), ensure that your website is optimised to adjust automatically.
Faster Loading
The world’s most popular search engine, Google, analyses a sites speed and uses it for their rankings. The faster your site loads, the higher it will be on the results page of a Google search. A quick and efficient site is also more likely to result in sales, unlike a slow site which will deter visitors from buying or investigating. Consider all the times you have sat waiting for a page load, gotten frustrated and given up when it takes too long. Don’t let your site be the one that turns customers away!
If you use these tips and implement them on your website, you are more likely to see a positive boost in traffic and leads. If you aren’t confident in doing it yourself, you can ask a friend, family member or expert to optimise your site for you.