It’s no secret that SEO is an important part of any website’s success. After all, why invest time and energy into creating content if no one is ever going to see it?
Unfortunately, too many businesses still treat SEO as an afterthought, something to be dealt with once the “real” work of creating content is done. As a result, they often struggle to rank well in search engines, and their websites receive far fewer visits than they should.
So, improving your website’s SEO is a crucial element of your online marketing strategy. Here are a few important tips you can implement to maximize your efforts.
Basic Strategies to Boost Your Website’s SEO
1. Minimize the Loading Time
The days when someone could wait for minutes for a page to load are long gone! Nowadays, web developers feel the pressure of creating web pages with the fastest loading time possible.
Data shows that even one second delay can lead to a 16% decrease in customer satisfaction and 11% fewer page visits. Since every business tries to capture the attention of more users, speed is an uncompromising factor.
You can ensure a faster loading page by removing non-essential elements. For example, too many plugins in a blog site or widgets clutter your page and slow down the loading time, driving people away.
2. Be ROI Focused
If you think you can depend solely on stuffing your content with the right keywords for a successful SEO plan, you’re wrong! While this was the case a few years ago, the new method of SEO involves writing content people will want to engage with.
If you focus on what your ideal customer needs to learn, you’ll get more eyes on your content. Helpful content gets the attention of the user, which gets the attention of the algorithm. Enhancing the user experience and building trust with your audience is the way to grow your visibility online.
3. Use Inbound Links
Inbound links or backlinks are created when another webpage links back to yours. They significantly improves your SEO because it means that your content is high quality.
When SEO was first introduced, the website with the most links ranked the highest in the search engines. However, this quickly led to spammy link building. Therefore, Google now values quality over quantity when it comes to inbound links.
4. Use Relevant Keywords in Image Alt-Text
When you add images to your content, it instantly becomes not only more attractive and engaging but also improves your SEO. Why? Because it provides contextual information to the search engine and increases the page speed. The user engagement impacts the search engine ranking, so image optimization is key.
You can optimize the images on your page by adding simple and relevant keywords people are most likely to use. Remember, it’s about relevance, and not creativity or fancy language!
5. Craft Relevant Meta Descriptions
Many businesses often neglect the importance of a well-crafted and informative meta descriptions. The meta description is the first section of text of your homepage or any other page that a user sees in the search engine results.
The recommended length of a meta description is between 50 and 160 characters. Its role is to communicate the main message of your page as clearly as possible. Similarly to the content, it has to be unique and relevant to get the attention of the users.
Don’t forget to include relevant keywords in your meta descriptions!
6. Customize your URLs
Did you know that simple and readable URLs can boost your ranking higher on Google? Both users and the search engine prefer a URL, which gives an insight into what the page is about.
If you make your URL memorable for the user, it is automatically more user-friendly and easier to type. Adding two to four main keywords will ensure an effective URL.
7. Don’t Forget about Social Media!
Even though social signals are not a ranking factor for Google yet, most case studies point out their effectiveness. A share, a like, or a tweet can really boost the visibility of your page.
Here’s how you can take advantage of social signals:
- Share unique and valuable content people will want to share
- Place CTAs and share buttons in visible spots
- Encourage people to share your content through a contest
- Partner with influencers to expand your reach
8. Set up Web Analytics & Monitor Progress
Setting up analytics early on to track your progress will define your success. You can choose between Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or other private web analytics software solutions.
Knowing how visitors navigate your website will offer you invaluable insights. So, remember to have them in place before you launch your website or landing pages.
Takeaway
SEO is an ever-evolving field, and what worked a few years ago may not work today. But that doesn’t mean you can’t rank high in search results. It just takes some effort and know-how. These eight tips will help you improve your website SEO and start seeing the traffic you deserve.
If you want to learn more about how to grow your online business, check our blog.
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