What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a way of making your website appear higher in search results, like Google, ultimately bringing more people to your site!
You may have the best business around and the slickest website, but this means nothing if nobody can find it. That's why SEO is so important as it ensures your business gets seen by the right people!
SEO involves a number of factors, and whilst it’s impossible to cover them all in this post, there are a few key things that you can optimise and improve to make sure your website is well positioned for search engine visibility.
Understanding Your Audience and Keywords
Firstly, you have to understand what your potential visitors are searching for. The right keywords for your business are the ones that your ideal customers are typing in to get the services or products they need.
Complete the exercise below to gather a list of keywords.
For example, if you operate an outdoor adventure park for children in the Scottish Highlands, potential searches might include: 'things to do with children in Scottish Highlands', 'family day out in the Highlands', 'kids adventure park Scottish Highlands', 'outdoor activities for families in Scottish Highlands'.
In the SEO world, content is key. Writing relevant, valuable content that resonates with your audience is vital for engaging visitors. Remember, you're talking to real people, so avoid overloading your website with keywords. Instead, strategically scatter the keywords throughout your website copy to boost your visibility in search results!
Integrating Keywords Effectively
Now that you've compiled a list of keywords, it's time to integrate them in the correct areas of your website. To ensure optimal visibility, include your keywords in the following places:
Page Title
Your page title tag is the first thing that appears in search results so it should be clear and inviting. Here are a few things to consider:
- Have a unique page title on each page of your website.
- Avoid generic and vague titles, like 'Home' or 'Homepage'. No-one is searching for this to find your website.
- Include keywords.
- Recommended length: Between 30 and 60 characters.
Page Meta Description
The meta description is the text that shows up underneath the title in Google’s search results.
- Be descriptive yet concise. Clearly summarise the content of the page to encourage clicks throughs.
- Avoid duplication as each page meta description needs to be unique.
- Include keywords.
- Recommended length: Between 120 and 160 characters.
Page URL
Your URL is made of your domain name (such as embradigital.com), followed by a forward slash, followed by text separated by dashes (e.g. 'what-we-do'). It appears between the title and meta description in search results so it's important to:
- Include keywords so Google can identify what your page is about.
- Make sure it's relevant and appealing to users.
- Recommended length: Less than 75 characters.
Page Headings (H1)
Google examines your page headings to learn about the content, so the more descriptive your H1, the better.
- Make sure the title is relevant to the content on that page (e.g. 'Get in touch').
- Avoid generic and vague headings, like 'Welcome'.
- Include keywords where possible but don't go overboard! You still want to speak to humans, not search engines.
- Recommended length: Between 50 and 60 characters.
Extra tips to consider
Looking for more? These extra tips and best practices are designed to boost your website's visibility and attract more visitors.
Create a Google Business Profile
Setting up your Google Business Profile not only boosts your online visibility but also enhances your SEO efforts by making it easier for potential customers to find you in local searches. Get in touch to find out more.
Optimise Your Images and Videos
Boost your website's speed with some simple tweaks to your visual content.
- Add descriptive alt text to images for accessibility and better understanding by search engines.
- Compress images for faster loading times, as speed is a crucial factor for both user experience and search engine ranking.
- Choose relevant file names so search engines can accurately index your visual content.
Create a Custom Sharing Image & Favicon
Here's how to capture attention and drive engagement with custom sharing images.
- Sharing Image: This is the image that appears when your website link is shared via social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter). Using an appealing image can significantly increase engagement and drive traffic to your website. Recommended size: 1200 pixels x 600 pixels.
- Favicon: This is the small icon displayed in the browser tab next to your website title. Consistent use of your favicon across all pages is good for user experience and overall brand perception. Recommended size: 32 pixels x 32 pixels.
Use Internal Links
Internal links are like signposts within your website, guiding visitors to other pages with related information. Search engines also use these links to understand how your pages are connected, which can help your site show up higher in search results. Including a footer on your page is a great way to use internal links.
