10 Ways to Improve Your Site's Search Engine Optimization

Improve Your Site's Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of making sure your website ranks highly in search results by following specific strategies to make sure that search engines know what your site contains and how to rank it higher than your competitors’ sites. Here are 10 different ways you can optimize your site for better search engine rankings. If you don’t see an immediate jump in traffic or rankings after implementing these strategies, give it some time. Search engines update their algorithms frequently, so there’s no need to panic if you don’t see instant results!

1) Get Rid of Flash

Flash pages can be hard for Google’s spiders to read and index, because they lack good text descriptions. Flash objects are also more likely than non-Flash objects to have unpredictable code that triggers browser crashes. Make sure your site is compatible with all major browsers and uses Flash sparingly—only when it offers a truly better user experience.

2) Write Useful, Informative Descriptions

Adding descriptions to your website’s content is one of those minor SEO tasks that everyone agrees is important, but hardly anyone does. Adding unique, keyword-rich descriptions to your site’s content not only helps visitors identify what you are about, it also helps Google more easily index and rank your site for related search terms. Take an hour or two to write unique, keyword-rich meta descriptions for each page on your site (assuming you already have some good keywords) and enjoy a traffic boost from Google.

3) Incorporate Keywords in Headings

The title tag and heading tags are your best friends when it comes to SEO. Put keywords in these tags so Google can better discern what each page is about. The headings aren’t only important for SEO, though; they also help human readers navigate around a page, so use keywords there as well.

4) Make Sure URLs Are Easy to Read and Understand

Websites that create URLs that are clear and easy to read have a significant advantage over those who don’t. If a URL is difficult to make sense of, users may accidentally navigate away from your site or ignore it entirely. You can make URLs easier for users to understand by making sure there’s always one URL for every page on your site.

5) Add an About Us Section with Pictures

A picture can be worth a thousand words when it comes to your business. It’s important that you provide your site visitors with an opportunity to get to know you and make an emotional connection with your company. Most web users make snap judgments based on appearances and imagery, so don’t miss out on a chance to connect in a meaningful way by showing off what makes you unique!

6) Have a Clear Navigation Structure

A clear navigation structure makes your site easy for users to move around and find what they’re looking for. The easier it is for users to find their way around, the more likely they are going to stick around, so think about how you can improve your site’s navigation. Adding in a search bar or adding relevant content pages with internal links can all help users navigate your site easily and accomplish what they set out to do.

7) Include Contact Information

The best way to let Google know your site is ready for prime time is by including contact information on every page of your site, as well as in your title tag. A solid business name, phone number and email address will inform Google that you’re serious about creating a website that ranks.

8) Tell the Reader What To Do Next

As mentioned above, don’t assume that people will read your full post. Think about what someone who needs help with a certain area of your niche might search for, and include it in your title. For example, if you write a parenting column on Red Tricycle, you may have a reader searching for baby teething. If so, be sure to include baby teething in your title so those readers can find what they need immediately.

9) Add Internal Links to Other Content Pages

One of the most effective ways to make sure Google views your site as valuable is to add internal links within your site that point towards other content on your site. You can do something as simple as linking from a header or footer on multiple pages throughout your site, or you can create pages dedicated specifically for linking out. The more quality links that are pointing back towards quality content, search engines view those links favorably and will reward you with higher rankings in their SERPs.

10) Use Exact Match Keywords in H1 Tags

Exact match keywords are phrases you target for your site. Make sure you include your exact match keywords in your H1 tags. For example, if you run a bakery, then write Bakery [your city] in one of your H1 tags. The keyword here is bakery and you should use it twice (once in your tag, once in your content). This allows search engines like Google and Bing to easily index your site and rank it accordingly.

Conclusion

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of making sure your website ranks highly in search results by following specific strategies to make sure that search engines know what your site contains and how to rank it higher than your competitors’ sites. 7) Include Contact Information The best way to let Google know your site is ready for prime time is by including contact information on every page of your site, as well as in your title tag. 9) Add Internal Links to Other Content Pages One of the most effective ways to make sure Google views your site as valuable is to add internal links within your site that point towards other content on your site.