There is a lot of information out there on how to use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to improve organic traffic to your website—so much information that it can almost make your head spin. The truth is, the basic SEO checklist can significantly boost your organic presence in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). The SEO experts here at beMarketing have three SEO tips that will keep Google wanting more, so you can get more organic traffic to your site!
1. Basic SEO Checklist: Keywords, Keywords, Keywords
At this point, every digital media marketer is probably sick of hearing the word “keyword,” but the truth is, they are your foundation. Your keywords, and how often you use them in your copy, help Google understand not only what you do but where you do it.
For instance, why would you expect to rank for the keyword “cake bakeries” if your whole bakery website only talks about cookies? The answer is: you wouldn’t. Instead, you need to add a page of content on your website that discusses your “custom cake designs” in “Bucks County, PA” and let the readers know that you also sell “wedding cakes,” “birthday cakes,” and “cupcakes”. If this page starts ranking for cake searches, you know why.
2. Basic SEO Checklist: Content Is Great—Organization Is Key
After you select the keywords that will attract the right crowd to your page, you need to think about what they want when they get there. Think like your reader!
For example, let’s use a heating repair page: the first thing to take into consideration is who is actually going to be reading this page. Is it going to be an HVAC contractor, or is it going to be someone who needs their heating repaired? It’s going to be the latter. To cater to this audience, you want to be including the types of questions you think someone who needs their heating repaired will ask within the page’s copy. Many people type “long tail” questions when searching for results now, so this will help your content rank.
The last step is making sure you answer the questions in short, concise passages. Your internal copy is not a blog page—people do not want to scan through paragraphs looking for the answer to their question. A few sentences will not only make the reader feel less overwhelmed, but is also the perfect amount of content to be shown in a featured snippet if Google deems you worthy.
3. Basic SEO Checklist: Don’t Forget About Titles & Headers
Updating meta titles and descriptions is one of the simplest yet most overlooked SEO practices that can really help boost your rankings. Google only allows 70 characters for a meta title and 160 for a meta description—this means you need to focus on creating short bits of information around your pages’ top keywords.
For meta titles, the best practice is to organize your information by what, where, and who. Here’s how:
- What: Your main keyword (i.e. the product or service that is specific to that page)
- Where: The area(s) you provide your service (county level will allow you to target a larger area with fewer characters)
- Who: Your official brand name.
The meta description should have the same information, but always start with your official brand name.
Headers are a little bit easier. There should only ever be one H1 on a page and then the H2, H3, etc. will follow suit in order of importance. This isn’t a science—usually using common sense will help you achieve the best order.
This is a great place to start when you’re overwhelmed about how to begin optimizing your website to succeed in the SERPs. These are just a few quick tips on making sure you’ve covered the basic SEO practices for your website. If you want more great tips on how to improve your website, contact us today!
