SEO – It’s not just about keywords…

Google want to offer a great experience for anyone who uses their search engine, so your whole website needs to work well. Here’s a quick check list for best practice:

Aim for:

  • At least 30 pages of interesting content.
  • Clear, intuitive navigation.
  • Clear descriptive titles and subtitles.
  • Easy to scan.
  • At least 300 words per page.
  • Up to date, proof-read, consistent & tidy.
  • In text links to & from each page.
  • All links working (none broken).
  • Sitemaps (HTML for humans XML for Google).
  • Back links (links from other websites, including social media).
  • Have a useful 404 error page (Link not found).
  • One or more image per page.
  • Images load quickly.
  • Images properly optimised with descriptive alt tags.
  • Make a note of attractive, useful or interesting websites – what made you stay and read?

Avoid:

  • Duplicate content.
  • Content that’s not relevant to the page or the rest of the website.
  • Keyword stuffing (adding in too many/ not relevant, search terms).
  • Low quality pages with a lack of real content.
  • Generic links (‘Click Here’) and titles (‘Profile’/ ‘What we do’).
  • Images with no alt tag – Google cannot ‘see’ photos and relies on the nearest text.
  • Make a note of anything that has annoyed you on other websites – what made you click away?

From time to time, put yourself into the mind of your visitors – try to imagine that you know absolutely nothing about your organisation or website – not always an easy thing to do!
What question does your visitor or customer want answered? What problem solved? Is it easy to find the answer, book a course, buy a product or get in touch? Does your website seem easy to understand and navigate, friendly and inviting? Or is it easier to go somewhere else? Remember, Amazon or Wikipedia is only a click away!

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