SEO can help you get more traffic - here's how
Search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t just about being able to attract more visitors from online search results—it’s also about your ability to rank higher in those search results as well.
Optimizing your site for Google and other search engines can seem intimidating at first, but fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can improve your site’s SEO without a significant time or monetary investment. Here are some simple SEO tips that will help you boost your site's rankings in Google and other search engines.
Complete a website audit
A website audit is an examination of page performance prior to large-scale search engine optimization (SEO) or a website redesign. Auditing your website can determine whether or not it's optimized to achieve your traffic goals, and if not, how you can improve it to increase performance.
Performing a site audit is an essential step that you should complete for an effective SEO strategy. By scanning your website for technical errors and areas for improvement, you can increase search traffic to your site.
I recommend using SiteAudit, which is a free tool that allows users to check their websites against a variety of factors affecting their ranking on Google. Another useful tool to help you with your site audit is called Check My Links - it will scan your web page for broken links and gives suggestions on how to fix them.
Add rich snippets to your pages
So what exactly is a rich snippet first of all?
A rich snippet is a special code that allows you to rank higher in search engine results. Rich snippets are structured data added to a website’s HTML source code and provide more information about your business or product, helping searchers easily find what they are looking for.
How can I add the code to my webpage?
Rich snippets are added by using structured data markup. Structured data is a set of rules that define how information is displayed in a standard, consistent way. When rich snippets are added to your pages, Google parses your content and extracts relevant information from it. For example, if you’re running an e-commerce site, you might include structured data with your product details like price or shipping costs.
Rich snippets can appear in various places, including: Featured Snippets, Google Maps and Local Listings, Knowledge Graph cards, Videos, and Shopping results.
How are rich snippets generated?
From Google Search Central:
"Snippets are automatically created from page content. Snippets are designed to emphasize and preview the page content that best relates to a user's specific search. This means that Google Search might show different snippets for different searches. Site owners have two main ways to suggest content for the snippets that we create:
Rich results: Add structured data to your site to help Google understand the page: for example, a review, recipe, business, or event. Learn more about how rich results can improve your site's listing in search results.
Meta description tags: Google sometimes uses tag content to generate snippets, if we think they give users a more accurate description than can be taken directly from the page content."
Essentially, when rich snippets are added to your pages, Google parses your content and extracts relevant information from it. For example, if you’re running an e-commerce site, you might include structured data with your product details like price or shipping costs.
Use Schema Markup
Schema markup isn’t something most people spend a lot of time thinking about, but it is incredibly useful. Schema markup allows you to tell search engines what kind of information your site contains and how to display it, making it easier for users to navigate your content.
Schema markup also improves your search engine ranking, helping Google identify and prioritize your content in its index. The best part? All you have to do is include special HTML tags on every page of your website— you can read more about how to do this in this handy guide created by Semrush.
Optimize For Mobile and Desktop
The reality is that most searches are being done on mobile devices, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore desktop search. You should optimize your website for both desktop and mobile users as well as look at your rankings in desktop searches, especially since some sites can drop in rankings if they aren’t optimized for mobile search. The bottom line is that it’s important to have a clear plan and remain consistent across all of your marketing channels, including your website.
Use HTML Headings
HTML headings are used to structure a page and increase readability. Structuring a page with headings allows search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo! to identify its major topics easily.
The headings also make it easy for readers to scan through pages quickly, which means they don’t spend as much time on a single page—and may not see your content at all other than the headings. Be sure to structure them appropriately and the correct order (H1 heading, then H2, H3, etc.). Also be sure to only have one H1 heading in your content as well!
Don't Forget About Local Search
Many local businesses have failed to tap into a powerful and often overlooked source of online traffic—local search.
More than 25 per cent of all Google searches are related to finding local products or services, and search engine optimization is a great way for small businesses in particular to maximize their visibility. In fact, 84 per cent of consumers will try out a new business if it comes up in search results for relevant terms near them, according to LocalVox.
Backlinks
Getting backlinks is one of the easiest ways to boost your SEO. In fact, getting backlinks has a direct impact on your search engine ranking and visibility. The more backlinks you have from reputable domains the better!
One way to get more backlinks is by creating content that naturally attracts them. This means using anchor text and including links within your posts, and writing articles that are of high-quality. A great resource for learning more about how to get backlinks is the website Backlinko- the author, Brian Dean, is the master of backlinks, and has many great tips that will help you with link building strategies.
Add Alt Tags
The alt tag, or alternative text, is a simple and effective way to provide search engines with text descriptions of an image or video. You should be using these tags for every image on your website. Include a brief, but informative description of what is happening in your image or why it’s important to include on your site. It will keep search engines happy and help with click-through rates by giving people some idea of what they are about to see when they click through.
And don't forget that you can use alt tags on images that have already been uploaded as well! In fact, if you are trying to add captions to images already on your site, there is no reason not to include those captions as alt tags as well. If there is any doubt about what your image represents or whether you need one at all (some sites don't allow them), err on the side of caution and create one!
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