There is a large number of websites competing for that top spot in google’s first results page, so before you start creating content you always have to ask yourself is your page relevant to the search query and does the reader gain from it. As the ranking algorithm becomes smarter and tries to deliver the most accurate results so should you. Here are nine ways you can achieve that:
SEO & URLs
If possible make your URLs short and make sure they include keywords that focus on searches you want to rank for. Also, try to avoid unattractive URLs. They should be easy to read and understand.
Title tag
Your title tag phrase should begin with your keyword. After the URL the title is the most important SEO factor. It has to be close to the beginning of the sentence. The same applies to your article or blog post. Also, make sure to include modifiers. Words like “review” or “best” in your title will help you capture variations of your keywords.
Headers
Try to always use <h1> and <h2> tags in your website pages. Content management systems like WordPress auto-include headlines <h1> to your website’s pages. Just make sure there is no conflict with the theme you are using. Subheadings <h2> stuffed with a keyword are also recommended.
Links
Each post should have three internal links to another page of your website and at least one outbound link to a related page of another. It is an application signal for search engines to understand your articles subject. Websites that use both outbound and internal links rank higher.
Speed
Page speed is a ranking signal for Google. Most people will abandon a page that takes more than 5 seconds to load and that reduces conversions. Check your hosting package, consider a cdn and optimize all the media you upload.
Keywords
Ideal SEO keywords have evolved to become more “human” and semantic in meaning. 70% of traffic comes from long tail keywords and half of all search queries are 4 words or longer. Imagine this part of the process as having a conversation with someone. Will they stick around or leave with the language that you are using.
Interactive Media
Adding images, videos and infographs keeps your audience engaged and decreases bounce rates. Make sure the files you upload are tagged and compressed. For example, the picture file name should be best_seo_practices.jpeg
Responsive Mobile
On a daily average 40% of all searches are from a smartphone and nearly 2/3 of users leave a site that is not properly set up. You can’t operate today without a responsive mobile friendly website. Everything you do must have a “mobile first” approach that will boost your traffic and attract new customers.
Content
This can be one of the most daunting tasks in getting SEO right. Longer content tends to rank higher and receives more shares and likes. That means posts should have 500 to 1000 words each with first page results going over the one thousand mark. Try updating and republishing old posts with new content.
Before you go live or hit the “publish” button scan the page top to bottom. All technical aspects have to be met. Its about putting your message across adequately to the right people so make sure you always create relevant good quality content that is properly tagged and linked.
