If you’ve hung around here very long, you’ve heard the term search engine optimization (SEO). When it comes to your website content, this is one important factor you do not want to miss out on. After all, Google handles at least 2 trillion searches each year. Your website can either rise to the top… Or you can fall to page 9—a place no one wants to be.
Website Optimization: What’s the Big Deal?
Every second, search engines become smarter. On top of that, your potential customers are becoming increasingly picky about what they’re looking for. Optimizing your website pages isn’t only for search. Instead, optimization helps your customer AND the search engine locate your information and place you where you belong: at the forefront.
How does this work exactly? Search engines crawl, index and rank your website based on several factors, including the quality of your content and how well your content fits the search query. When done correctly and consistently, your website will increase in rank over time. As customers find you, they’ll decide if you meet their requirements within seconds.
On-Page Optimization Breakdown
Is it possible to please both the human behind the search and search engines? Yes, you totally can! All it takes is an understanding of how to optimize each page on your website, one by one.
Before we break it down for you, let’s first answer the question, “what is on-page optimization?”
“On-page SEO is the
practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn
more relevant traffic in search engines.”
—Moz
Your website pages should follow a consistent layout. On each page, you should be able to mark these items off your optimization list:
- Content is highly valuable and informative: Each page should offer relevant and highly valuable content to your reader. The page should deliver everything a visitor needs to know about the page topic. Plus, search engines always prefer content that fully answers a query.
- Primary keywords and derivatives are used: You should make sure your keywords are used in headings and throughout your body copy. This includes synonyms of your keyword and derivatives. (Don’t have keywords for your website? We’ve got you covered.)
- Page offers a clean design: Clean design offers your reader a fantastic experience. Make sure you use plenty of whitespace so your content can breathe. The design should also be easy to follow, with calls to action that point visitors in the direction they should go.
- Content is mobile-friendly: Your website pages should be responsive. That means it’ll look great on any device your visitor uses to view your content. Now, with Google’s mobile-first indexing, the search engine will use your website’s mobile version for indexing and ranking.
Don’t Forget These Backend Data Elements
Now, to make each page completely search-engine friendly, you’ll need to include a few backend data (metadata) elements. These elements include:
- Title: This is the title of your website page and should clearly explain what your reader will land on when they click.
- Meta description: Your meta description summarizes the content of each website page including keywords. This is the snippet that’s shown in the search engine results.
- URL: Also known as your web address, your URL should explain the destination page accurately.
Remember: It’s About Optimizing Your Website for Search AND People
Although SEO is important for your website’s success in search results, you shouldn’t forget those who will truly benefit from your content—your audience. By optimizing your website using these tips, you can provide a consistent experience for your potential customers and start moving up in rank.
To learn more about SEO or about optimizing your copy for a true human-to-human connection, send us a message.
