5 SEO Strategies That Will Turbocharge Your Website
January 27, 2017Managing Partner
MediaProNow
This post is part of the Digital Marketing Boot Camp series, a new set of blog posts across different mediums designed to provide intel to people and companies looking to improve their digital marketing strategy.
Jason Wize is the managing partner at MediaProNow.
The world of SEO was relatively peaceful last year, but don’t blink. Smart digital marketers understand that it’s critical to stay current on trends and also see what’s looming on the horizon. The formula to move up in search engine results pages (SERP) is always changing but you can dramatically improve your ranking on Google in five simple steps.
1. Fix All Technical Issues
Correct Visibility Issues
In order for Google and the other search engines to properly index your website it must be visible. That means you must ensure that none of your website pages are blocked by robots.txt. This can prevent Google from seeing your website. You should also eliminate any pages that load with a “page error.” Google Search Console is a free tool you can install on your website to monitor exactly how it’s being viewed by Google. Any pages with redirects should be 301 and always install antivirus software to eliminate any malware that could be hidden on pages.
Meta data is the first place Google looks for information about your website. Each page of your website should contain a unique page title (55-60 characters in length) and page description (160 characters or less). Duplicate page titles and descriptions can confuse Google so be sure they’re original and accurately describe the content for that page.
Another basic but essential tool for analyzing your website’s performance is Google Analytics. This free tool measures all key website performance indicators and many other data points as well.
Speed Rules
Google rewards websites with fast loading times and speed has become an important factor in their algorithm. Check out Google’s speed test analyzer to see exactly where you stand. One simple strategy to increase your website’s speed is to compress image files whenever possible.
Link Issues
Inspect your website for any broken or toxic links. Google and the other search engines may penalize your SERP if your site contains too many dead or bad links. You can use a free tool like Screaming Frog’s SEO Spider to identify and fix any broken links.
Pay special attention to how your website URLs are created. It’s necessary to have descriptive URLs that are functional and navigation that is logically organized with a consistent URL structure. For example, a URL such as http://www.your-website.com/services/search-engine-optimization will be viewed more favorably than http://www.your-website.com/categories/page02/index.html.
2. Identify Profitable Keywords
Keyword research is critical to any successful SEO campaign. Remember that keywords can come in many varieties so it’s important to look for primary and related keywords. Check out Google’s Keyword Planner to identify keywords, monthly traffic and much more.
3. Mobile Ready and Friendly
In 2015, Google announced that non-mobile ready websites could see negative results in SERP. That change, which has been dubbed Mobilegeddon, was an algorithm update that gives mobile friendly websites preference in SERPs. Use Google’s free Mobile Ready tool to analyze your website’s responsiveness.
4. Content Is King
Amazing content is still the best way to make your website stand out above your competition. However, some caveats should be considered. Word count is not a key factor anymore, rather quality content is. The downfall for most websites is duplicate content. Google really dislikes any duplicate content. Use Copyscape or another filtering tool to check your website for any duplicate content.
5. Take a NAP
Not literally, however your website and business must have a consistent Name, Address and Phone number (NAP) across the internet. If your street address is on an avenue it’s important that you be consistent if you use the abbreviation or if you spell it out. Same is true with your brand name. If your company is an “Inc.,” be sure to refer to the business in exactly the same manner anywhere a digital footprint is created.
SEO success does not have to be overly complicated. There are many factors to consider but it’s important to start with the basics. Use these five strategies to make sure your website is ready for Google and the other search engines to take notice and great results will follow.
Jason Wize is the managing partner at MediaProNow, a leading provider of digital marketing solutions for businesses, organizations and individuals.