SEO basics: these are the things you need to pay attention to when optimising your website for search engines

How do you know you need SEO?

While your website embodies your dreams, and you expected an influx of new customers, the reality seems quite different. Over time, you've encountered a noticeable dearth of orders, and the root of the issue is none other than search engine optimization, commonly known as SEO. 

Whether your website is brand new or well-established, SEO is an indispensable component that you can't afford to overlook. In this article, we've compiled a list of critical aspects that are pivotal for attracting more customers through your website.

1. Site speed

One of the most important conversion generating/contracting aspects of our website is the page load speed. Imagine clicking on a search result, a text ad, or even a banner and seeing that the site just loads, loads and loads... At that point, any sane person would take that page and close it and look for another one. One of the amateur mistakes we make is to fill our website with 4K resolution images, which look good, but our loading speed increases significantly. We can reduce the size of our images with a simple application called TinyPng, without any loss of quality. Another important aspect is the optimisation of our website code. If we have too much JavaScript and CSS code running on our site when it loads, it will slow down in the same way as large images. It is therefore worth compressing these, as well as reducing the number of HTML queries.

2. Mobile optimisation

A mobile-optimized website isn't solely essential because of SEO, but also due to the way we all browse for our favorite products when we're not at work. 

#m1-y#Mobile browsing is the go-to choice for most people, and that's why mobile compatibility and fast loading times are paramount for users.##

3. URL structure

The URL structure of our website is less important for users, although if we see a URL with interesting characters (>#&@) in the top bar of our browser, we are also confused. However, Google is much less tolerant of poorly structured URLs like this. Using URLs that are not SEO friendly will have a negative impact on our search engine optimization rankings as well as our search engine rankings.

4. Site link

When we turn to Google for information about products or services, we input keywords into the search bar. Google then presents us with web pages that boast the most pertinent content. Among these, the first item a user encounters is the title of our website. It's crucial to ensure that not only our main page features a distinct and compelling title but also that we craft individual titles for each of our sub-pages, tailored to their specific content.

For the title of our website (ideally 55-60 characters), it's advisable to align it with our primary service and relevant keywords. Opt for a keyword that's specific rather than overly generic. For instance, if you run a pizzeria, consider "Italian artisan pizza" rather than simply "pizza." The choice of this keyword is critical, as it will resonate throughout all the meta data on your page, as well as in your textual content.

5. Meta title

Like the title of our site, the two-line meta description will also appear in the search engine if someone has searched for the keyword that we have carefully placed in the meta data and content of our website. After the title, the meta description (160-180 characters) is the second text, which is the content that is specific to us in a good case. 

Here it is also important to place our main keyword, but here we should include it in one or two meaningful sentences. Feel free to add other services and features to your description. Again, keep in mind that people will read it, so keywords only help the search engine to provide relevant information to users. As with the meta title, it is important that all our pages (subpages and main page) have a unique description. This will avoid duplications and make your page more relevant in search results.

6. H1 headline

Headings, denoted as H1, H2, and H3, serve as signposts in your content, highlighting key sections. They offer a glimpse of the content contained within. You can think of them as the "titles" of paragraphs, each potentially incorporating your primary keyword.

The most crucial heading is H1, typically encompassing the page's main keyword. However, it's important to remember that H1 is not solely for search engines; it's intended for human readers, so it should form a coherent, meaningful sentence.

While it's beneficial to include H2 and H3 headings as subheadings throughout your page, they're not obligatory. If your content doesn't naturally call for them, it's acceptable to omit them. The primary goal is to ensure that your headings enhance the clarity and organization of your content.

7. Textual content

The misconception of SEO optimization as a one-time, magic solution is somewhat understandable, but it's vital to remember that we're not crafting content solely for Google; it's meant for real, discerning human beings. If users encounter spelling errors or poorly written content, their trust wanes, and rightfully so. Therefore, it's imperative to produce relevant, well-structured sentences that incorporate not only the main keyword but also relevant keywords. 

#m1-y#Avoid keyword stuffing, as it renders content akin to a poorly translated product description.##

8. ALTernative names for images

As previously discussed in the section on page speed, enhancing content with eye-catching, high-quality images and videos is crucial. 

Furthermore, beyond naming image files when saving them, we must also provide them with alternative names after uploading. The purpose of the ALT tag is to convey to Google the content and context of our images. To maximize the visibility of our website content in Google's image search, select images that are pertinent to your website's content and furnish an alternative description, incorporating the main keyword. This practice improves the chances of your content appearing in image search results.

Summary

Optimizing a website for search engines is undeniably a complex endeavor. Nevertheless, implementing the adjustments outlined above can significantly contribute to ensuring that you remain visible to potential customers. While these modifications may present a challenge for website owners who lack in-depth expertise, we are here to assist you in achieving higher rankings in search engines, ensuring that your product or service doesn't go unnoticed by potential customers.

#promobox#Do you need SEO advice for your website? Request our SEO audit!##