SEO
Search engine optimisation, or SEO, is how you make it easier for Google to find your website and increase your ranking in the search results. Here are the important factors for SEO…
- Links
- Keywords
- Content
- Coding
- Positive user experience
Links
The world wide web, probably haven’t heard that in a while, but think about what it means. All websites connect to each other through varying degrees of separation. Links are what make it a web. One website points to another, and then those websites point to other websites.
Links are important for your SEO strategy because in Google’s eyes, someone linking to your website means it has value. Keep in mind that the ultimate goal of SEO on Google’s end is to give their users the best experience possible.
- Not all links are created equally
- Every link has an “authority score”
- A link pointing to your website from the Daily Mail is better than a link from a small blog
- No follow links carry less weight
You also need to have internal links, links in your website that point to other pages in your website. This helps search engines map out the structure of your pages and how they fit together.
Keywords
This is something almost everyone knows a little about. You pull up Google, then you type in the keywords to find what you want. But how do you know what keywords to use? How do you create content and add those keywords in the most effective way?
Choosing a keyword requires thorough research. You need to know what keywords you already rank for, what keywords your competitors rank for, and what keywords are too difficult to try using. Here are some quick tips for choosing the right ones.
- Use variations of the same keywords.
- Example: “lawn chair”, “outdoor furniture”, “patio furniture”, “best lawn chairs”, “lawn chairs for sale” …
- Don’t go for the difficult keywords
- `Example: “lawn chair” vs. “Comfy outdoor chair”
Content
Any highly trafficked website starts by producing quality content. You need something to increase your audience and keep them coming back. Think of this as step one in creating that positive user experience Google cares so much about.
Content also helps SEO. Where some say content is king, I say Google is king. Creating quality content regularly will increase links and keywords that are so vital to being found online.
Coding
When first deciding to build a website, a lot of people opt for using simplified drag and drop tools. It’s a good way to get your foot in the door, and a better way to close the door on it. This is because it could create a lot of potential issues for search engines trying to map out your website and they can be invisible to you if you aren’t looking at the code.
For example, a common issue that harms search ranks are identical meta tags. A meta tag is the short description of a web page users see from the search engines. If you have identical meta tags, it can be difficult for a search engine to distinguish between your pages.
Positive User Experience
Some might call this the most important factor in increasing website traffic. It’s how you keep both your audience and the search robots happy. Remember the ultimate goal of SEO from the search engine’s perspective is to give their searchers the best experience possible.
What does this mean for you?
- Avoid buying links
- Do not over optimise your content for specific keywords
- Provide value to your audience
- Make your website easy to navigate
Buying links and over plugging keywords will result in penalties from search engines. The penalties will decrease your rank, making it harder for people to find you.
Start Increasing Your Web Traffic Now!
Don’t let SEO scare you away and remember that it is an ongoing process. If you follow these tips, you’ll be on your way to increasing your web traffic and beating the competition. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to work together on your SEO.
