SEO’s primary goal is to attract people to your website. Ideally, you will target browsers who are already interested in your company or your industry.
Marketing consultants will tell you that SEO changes quickly; what ranks well today might not do so tomorrow. Some principles do not change, though; here are a few things you should always do to ensure your pages rank well in search.
Do a content audit
Before you begin, read what you have on your site. For each page, identify two to three frequently-used keywords that are relevant to the overall page topic. You must only target three keywords at most; separate content into two or more pages if there are plenty of keywords.
Have short page titles and meta descriptions
Keep the page title under 70 characters, and include a maximum of three long-tail keywords in the page title. Put your most important keyword first, and separate each by pipes (|).
Furthermore, keep each page’s meta description under 150 characters. Incorporate two keywords from the page title and ensure that the meta description provides a compelling reason for people to visit your page.
Create a custom URL for each page
Include the first keyword in your page title and separate each word using dashes. For example, if your page’s title says “Top 10 Cities You Could Visit for a Short Holiday,” the URL should say “www.sample.com/10-best-cities-for-short-holiday” or something similar.
Add headings and keywords to the text
In addition to using keywords in the page title, your heading tags should also have them. Do not try to shoehorn the keywords in where they do not fit; keep a conversational tone throughout your page.
According to marketing consultants, you should use your keywords at least three times in your page content. Try to underline the keywords or highlight these when writing. This is because algorithms interpret underlined or boldface words as more relevant than others on the page.
Include images and internal links
Have one or two internal links linking to related pages on your site. When including links in your content, choose phrases related to the keywords you picked for the page. Your anchor text should not stick out like a sore thumb; like everything about SEO, it should be conversational.
Images on the page should relate to the content, and their file names should match the keywords used. Separate the words with dashes. If changing the file name is too time-consuming, change the alt text using a keyword from the page.
Add meta keywords
Although meta keywords are not part of Google’s or Bing’s search algorithm, you should still include them. Add three to five meta keywords to your page, and make sure that they relate with the page title and content. Smaller engines might still use these, so it is vital to keep them in place.
Conclusion
Optimizing your page is relatively simple. It does not require a massive overhaul, but it does need a series of small, targeted actions. Knowing your audience well and identifying what they want are the keys to success with SEO.
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