Search engine optimisation or SEO refers to the practice improving site ranking in a search engine.
How often have you typed something into the search box and clicked on the first one or two sites that appear? Always, right? On the other hand, have you ever gone passed the first page of results to find what you are looking for? Rarely, if ever, is the usual response.
Hence, it is clear to see why businesses want to be at the top in terms of search engine rankings. These days most large or global enterprises employ a team of SEO experts in not only their strive towards the top on the results page but also to maintain the coveted first place position once achieved.
According to Digital Cornerstone, good SEO strategies are essential if you want to grow your website, regardless of whether you are a business in a competitive industry, a niche blog or using a website a professional portfolio.
There are three areas to SEO: technical, content and off-page SEO. This article will breakdown these areas individually, highlight their importance to the functioning of a website which can in turn bring about increased traffic and even revenue for a site.
- Technical
Consider technical SEO as the architecture of your site. It is essential that the foundations of your site are strong and it functions well. Technical SEO includes a variety of structural factors for examples loading speed, accessibility and user experience (UX).
A website needs to operate speedily or the bounce rate, that is the number of users who exit the site viewing one page, will be very high. The website should have a clear and attractive design that is easy to navigate. The font should be easily legible.
Other important technical factors include reducing the number of site errors and removing duplicate content. This all sounds simple, but many website owners get it wrong in their attempts to create a unique small online.
- Content
In the world of SEO content is king. Sometimes called on-page SEO, it simple refers to everything on a single page of a site. This includes the title, the content or information provided and the images used.
Titles and content should be SEO friendly. In other words, short, clear and concise sentences. Content should have authority, be informative and written with an expertise, which will instil trust in the user.
Carry out keyword research to figure out what the public type into the search box when looking for what you are selling or showcasing. Place these keywords organically into your content.
Include internal and external links in articles or blog posts. Use of high-quality and eye-catching images is essential. If you prefer video format unique, informative and fun videos will catch people’s attention.
- Off-page
In a nutshell, off-page SEO signifies any link to your website. Each of these links acts as referral which in turn a search engine will understand as an endorsement of your site. The number of high-quality links to a site can have an effect on a site’s ranking and position on the results page of a search engine.
These referrals can come from many sources for example; social media, online directories, press releases, guest posts and articles to name just some.
It can be a time-consuming task building relationships so engaging with a professional link building agency who already have an established network of news sites, niche sites and blog, as well as associations with bloggers and influencers to create collaborations is a great way to increase your digital PR and brand reputation.
Successful use of SEO strategies will increase rankings, bring greater traffic which in turn will bring increased sales and therefore increased revenue to your site.
