The secrets of SEO

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Studies show that at least 75% of clicks on search engine results happen on the first page. This means it’s essential that you’re doing everything possible to get your business as close to the top of the list as possible, in order to be seen by your potential customers; but how do you achieve this? The answer lies in the fascinating world of SEO.

 

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. It is a combination of practices and techniques, including website design, construction and content, that help to improve the website position in the unpaid search engine results, also known as ranking. The aim of SEO is to drive an increased level of more valuable traffic to your website.

 

The SEO topic is so vast that scores of books have been written on this ever-evolving subject. It can be an extremely detailed and intricate process when considering SEO for a website, so we’re just scratching the surface on the topic in this post. However, you can always get in touch with our team to find out more.

 

What can I do to help support my SEO efforts?

 

The purpose of search engines is to find the most suitable results for the user, based on the words or phrase typed into the search bar. To do this, search engines use algorithms, which is like a set of digital rules or a tick list. Although these algorithms are not made public, experts in this field can help us to understand key elements that are likely to be included.

 

In order for your website to achieve the best possible ranking, it’s important to make sure an experienced web design agency builds or reviews the website for desktops and mobile devices, as they will be familiar with all the elements connected to the design, content and build.

 

However, there are a few simple steps every business can take to help improve their SEO…

 

1) SEO focused content

 

Write authentic, clear and engaging content that naturally includes words and phrases used by people who search for your products or services.

 

Think like the user – what would your potential customers search for? Great content encourages people to share and return to your website. This helps to show the search engines that your site is interesting, valuable and provides information users are looking for.

 

2) Use keywords throughout the website

 

Keywords and phrases play a vital role in optimising a website for search engines. It’s one of the ways the algorithms can help to understand if your site will be suitable for the user. There are lots of tools available to help you get ideas of important keywords to include, such as this one from Google, but writing clearly about your products and services is often the best place to start.

 

It is important to include these keywords and phrases naturally as part of a sentence, as the algorithms can also pick up when websites are forcing words they want to rank for into the site, also known as ‘keyword stuffing’. The search engines know this often creates a poor user experience, so it can actually push your site down the search engine rankings.

 

3) Keep your content updated

 

Another factor that experts believe is considered by the algorithms is how fresh and up to date your content is.

 

This doesn’t mean you have to rewrite your entire site every 6 months! A blog or news section is a great way to share new content to help benefit your SEO efforts, as well as keeping your audience informed of all your latest developments, such as special offers, new products and services.

 

If you’re stuck for ideas, a great topic for a blog post is to think of questions your customers often ask you. Your post will then not only give some helpful advice, but the title of the blog post could well be exactly what the user typed into the search bar.

 

4) Quality over quantity

 

Remember to write good quality, engaging content as opposed to lots of it. As always, think about what your website looks like for the user’s point of view – they want to be able to access clear information quickly and easily.

 

It is believed that the algorithms also consider time spent on a site. If a user visits your site only to be met by an overwhelming amount of content, they are likely to leave the site to look elsewhere for clearer information rather than dig around to find what they need, which could tell a search engine that your site isn’t very helpful.

 

It’s also essential to remember the increasing amount of traffic your site will be receiving from users on their mobile devices. Scrolling through large blocks of content on a mobile does not offer a very enjoyable user experience, no matter how useful the content might be.

 

Ultimately, the important thing to remember is that the search engines continually update their algorithms to ensure the results they deliver are as close as possible to what their users are looking for.

 

Therefore, your SEO efforts should always have your audience in mind. A helpful, engaging website will allow users to efficiently find what they want, adding value to their interaction with you and helping to build trust in your company, products and services, as well as naturally contributing to your SEO.

 

Interested to find out more about SEO and how this could be improved for your website? Give us a call on 01326 250879 or email thecrew@fastnet.agency – we’d love to hear from you and help make your website shine!

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