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Got a killer website with all the bells and whistles? That's great, but it's not always enough to get the traffic you deserve. That's where SEO comes in - it's the secret sauce that helps search engines like Google find your page and show it to the right people. Sure, you may have heard of SEO and all its fancy techy terms like SERP and sitemaps, but the good news is that you can do some simple stuff in-house to boost your SEO.
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is all about making sure your website shows up at the top of search engine results when people are looking for products or services that you offer. It's not just about getting more traffic to your website, but also about getting the right kind of traffic. With the help of SEO, you can increase the quantity and quality of visitors that come to your website.
There are a lot of different factors that go into SEO, and it can be overwhelming to try and understand them all. But don't worry, you don't have to be a tech genius to improve your SEO. There are simple things you can do in-house, such as optimizing your website's content and using the right keywords. By taking these steps, you can improve your website's visibility and start getting more traffic from search engines.
1. FORMAT YOUR CONTENT WELL
Formatting your content well is important for search engine optimization (SEO). One way to do this is by including keywords, which are important words or phrases that encompass the topic you are discussing. These keywords should be used repeatedly throughout the content, but not at the expense of readability.
Another important aspect of formatting is the use of heading tags, such as H1, H2, and H3. These tags help search engine bots understand the structure of your content and make it more visible on search engine results pages. It's important to use these tags in consecutive order and to include an H1 tag, which acts as an information guide for the search engine bots.
Additionally, using lists, bullet points, and bolding important text can make your content easier to read and more user-friendly. This can lead to more traffic to your website.
2. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR TITLE/S, META DESCRIPTION & SLUGS
Pay close attention to these when optimizing your website for search engines. The title and sub-titles should be short, descriptive, easy to read, and include important keywords. A good tip is to use possible questions that people may turn to Google for, as it demonstrates your relevance to the search engine.
The meta description is a short blurb that describes the contents of a page. It appears below the page title in search engine results and should be descriptive, easy-to-read, and contain keywords. It should also be compelling enough to encourage the user to click through to your site. The ideal length of the meta description is between 140-160 characters.
The slug is the part of a link that distinguishes a particular page on your website in an easy-to-read form. For example, in the following link "www.sector.marketing/our-services", the section "our-services" is the slug.
This section of the link can usually be easily edited in most Content Management Systems such as WordPress, WIX, and Squarespace. Personalizing the slug is an opportunity to include keywords and make the link more user-friendly and easy-to-read. Overall, it helps the search engine bots to understand the contents of the page and its relevance to the user's query.
3. PAY ATTENTION TO THE GRAPHICS AND MEDIA THAT YOU USE
Pay attention to the graphics and media that you use when optimizing your website for search engines. The graphics you use can have an impact on your SEO and there are a few simple things you can do to improve it.
Make sure the images you upload are appropriately named and include Alt text for all the page imagery. Search engines like Google can't physically see the images you upload, but they do see the file names. So, avoid uploading images that are named with numbers or gibberish, and use this opportunity to name the file using keywords that you want Google to associate with your page.
Additionally, make sure that the images you use are not too large. Google and other search engines don't like websites that take long to load. Uploading large images can slow down your site's loading time. This is not to say that you should upload tiny, pixelated images, but the quality of the image is also important for the user experience.
4. LINKING IS YOUR FRIEND - MAKE USE OF INTERNAL LINKING, EXTERNAL LINKING, AND BACK-LINKING!
Internal linking is when you include links within your website, leading to other pages on your website. This type of linking is beneficial because it allows users to stay on your website longer and explore different pages. The longer a user stays on your website, the more Google trusts it.
External linking is when you link to credible and trustworthy sources from your website. This can make your website look more credible, but it's important to not overuse it.
Back-linking is the most coveted type of linking, as it involves other credible websites linking to your website. Search engines view back-links as indicators of quality content and they can improve your website's ranking.
5. PUSH YOUR CONTENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND ENCOURAGE VIEWERS TO SHARE
Publishing your page's content on social media can help increase its visibility and reach a larger audience. Encourage readers to share the content on their social media by including a "share on Facebook" button or other social media sharing options at the end of your page.
Our team at Sector is well-equipped to tackle these and many other tasks to help increase relevant traffic to your website. We will work closely with you to devise a comprehensive strategy that can help you and your brand reach its full potential. If you're interested in learning more, get in touch today at marketing@sectormalta.com.