We are frequently asked to share basic SEO tips so I thought I would provide some basic advice via a blog post.  We have discussed the importance of using Analytics software on your website in a previous post, so I’m not going to go into too much detail regarding the importance of analysing the data from your Analytics software.  However, to follow are a few basic tips you can easily implement to ensure your website is better optimised and more search engine friendly.

Start with the basics – create a keyword strategy

A keyword strategy will form the basis of your SEO strategy.  You will base your content strategy and information architecture, on keywords.  In essence the keyword strategy will comprise the keywords that searchers are most likely to use to find your website.  Think laterally and try to come up with a variety of keywords searchers will use to find you.  Keyword tools like Google Adwords’ Keyword Tool and Wordtracker are handy ways to find more key-phrase options to include in your keyword strategy.

Write content for your users

Once you have your keyword strategy, use this to create your content strategy.  While the keyword strategy will act as a guide when you write content, don’t try and force keywords into copy.  Write for your human users and not for search engines.  Once you have drafted the copy, reread the copy and see where you can fit keywords in (in a natural way) so that the copy flows and doesn’t seem ‘stuffed’ with keywords.

In addition to writing for human users, make it easy for them to read your copy.  Keep in mind that reading online differs from reading text on paper.  Online readers are more likely to scan copy – therefore, bold the key-phrases you want them to pay attention to.

Use descriptive title tags

Don’t use the same title tag on all of your pages. Make sure you have a unique, descriptive title tag on each page and try to include keywords relevant to the page’s content in the title tag.

Name images appropriately

Search engines cannot ‘see’ images, hence it is important to properly name them in order for search engines to index them correctly.  Read more about naming images on the TopRank blog.

Make use of proper in-text linking

In-text linking is used to draw visitors ‘deeper’ into your website.  It is important to make sure that the page you are linking to provides the visitor with relevant information.  In addition, link on the keywords relevant to the page you’re linking to.  For instance, don’t link “click here for more info”, rather link “advanced SEO tips”, if you were linking to a page about SEO tips.’

SEO is a long, continuous and time-consuming process, so you won’t see results overnight. However, through continuous measuring, testing and tweaking you are sure to see results eventually.  For a more aggressive approach contact us to find out about our SEO packages.

Is a website’s content really that important?  If you want to rank well on search engines, yes.  Search engines are all about content. When searchers type in a query on a search engine, it produces search results that show the most relevant content in its repository based on the keywords in the query.

Quality website content is king. Google handles about 34 000 searches per second.  Think about that for a minute – that is 2 040 000 searches per minute and 122 400 000 searches per hour.  Consumers are looking for information and they want relevant, informative content.

In order for your website to appear on search engines’ result pages your website content has to be well optimised. That’s where Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) fits into a digital strategy.  SEO comprises a number of factors, but your content and keyword strategy play an integral part in your overall natural search campaign.  The goals you want to achieve through your SEO campaign (e.g. increase sales or offer informative content) will also have an influence on your website’s content strategy.

Many website owners make the mistake of writing content for search engines by stuffing keywords into the copy. This results in the website copy being difficult to read for human users – a sure way of losing website visitors.  First and foremost always write for your human traffic, then go back to the content to see where you can fit in relevant keywords without breaking the flow of the copy. Internet users are more likely to scan online copy, so content needs to flow easily and logically. To make it easier for visitors to scan your web copy, bold the keywords and key-phrases you want them to pay attention to.

An analytics package will tell you how visitors engage with your website and which pages have the highest exit rates.  A high exit rate on a certain page could indicate that visitors are not finding what they are looking for on that page.  There is no excuse for not making use of an analytics package, especially since there are numerous free options available (like Google Analytics).

Our next couple of blog posts are going to focus on SEO tips and myths so be sure to keep an eye on the blog!

For an SEO campaign to be successful, there are many factors that have to be considered. It’s important to note that a successful SEO campaign needs constant attention, tweaking and nurturing and is definitely not a once-off process. As a digital marketing agency specialising in SEO, AlterSage has had a lot of experience planning, implementing and managing SEO campaigns for a variety of clients. Below we’ve identified three reasons why many SEO campaigns fail.

#1 The website’s target audience has not been clearly defined

Your website’s target audience plays an important role in an SEO strategy as it will determine, among other things, the tone of your website copy and form the basis of your keyword strategy. The aim is to attract qualified visitors to your website therefore you need to know how your target audience is going to be searching for you. Based on this you will create a comprehensive keyword strategy for your SEO campaign.

#2 Benchmarking is not properly implemented

Even though it can take a few months for an SEO campaign to mature and return tangible results it is important to analyse the website before implementing the campaign. Use the results from this analysis to benchmark the progress of the website on a monthly basis. This will give you a clear idea of the success of the campaign and help you to identify areas of the website where you can improve.

Visitor behaviour and engagement can be measured with analytics packages like Google Analytics, important benchmarks for a website could include:

• Keyword rankings on the search engine results pages
• The number of visits to the site
• The percentage of visits from various sources
• The percentage of new visitors to the site
• The number of leads and sales generated by the website

It is helpful to put a timeframe to these metrics. Set realistic goals and projections so that you know what you’re aiming for. Goals should be constantly measured and re-evaluated.

#3 Little or no content development

Search engines thrive on content therefore it is important to regularly include new, optimised content on your website, either through articles, page creations or blog posts. Optimised, informative articles with links back to your website work well to increase awareness for your brand and the ranking of your website. Additionally, other websites will link to your website if it offers informative content.

What other factors play a role in the success of an SEO campaign in your opinion?