Over the years, the methodology for effective SEO has been laid out clearly with the help of simple and precise guidelines from SEO experts and other notable authorities, such as Google. It happens, however, that there are certain factors which can be easily overlooked when implementing SEO. Some of these factors, as highlighted below, should be given due consideration if a website’s SEO campaign is to be successful.
Site Structure
Visitors should be able to easily navigate a website and every page should be easy to locate. When this is not the case, there is a chance that search engines will also not be able to browse these web pages. This raises a red flag indicating that the site would be of little value to visitors. This point is at the top of the list because it is not an easy task to restructure an already existing site. It is, therefore, imperative that site structure should be given prime attention when the site is in its design phase.
Meta Tags
Meta tags can be described as commands in the HTML programming language. It contains data which is displayed to the crawlers of search engines and the actual pages of the website. Meta tags should be defined clearly following the niche of the website. It is highly imperative to do so, even if the website has very good content. The intent of the website is laid bare to the search engine through meta tags. Failure to clearly define meta tags will lead to poor ranking in search engines. Stuffing Keywords in Meta and BodyTo achieve a high ranking, there should be an appropriate usage of keywords in the website’s meta and body description. Some sites, however, go ahead in taking steps such as incorporating targeted keywords in superfluous quantities, which is meant to fool the search engines. This, however, can backfire and cause the website to drop in ranking due to bad user experience on the site.
Domain Name
According to James, head of digital marketing at Domains 4 Less, stated that although Google does not attach any significance to the domain name of a website, it is still a vital aspect of SEO. “A short, catchy, and relevant domain name is easy on the eyes and is easy for users to remember. It is vital for gaining traffic”, he says.
Creating Unique ContentOver the years, search engines have become advanced enough to spot websites that contain useful and valuable content as opposed to those that do not provide any value for its visitors. Creating unique and valuable content takes time and commitment. Sites that fail to create good content for users rank low in search engine results.
Images and ALT Tags
To be able to create engaging content, it’s necessary to incorporate images which will serve to present the content in a more memorable way. A captivating and memorable image attracts the reader’s attention and helps to reduce the site’s bounce rate. This subsequently improves search engine ranking. However, most search engines can only interpret the text on the site. This is where the importance of ALT tags comes in. It is meant to explain the relevance of the image to the search engine.
Incorporating Videos
Videos are just as important as images in creating engaging website content. Just like images, it helps to lower a site’s bounce rate and improves search engine ranking through getting the search engine to consider the site as an authority. Optimization for video should also be carried out to encourage better ranking.
Site Load Speed
The time it takes a site to load is very important. A slow load speed will result in a higher bounce rate. Search engines place considerable emphasis on the load time of a site. This is because a website that has a lagging load time is not going to receive many visitors and is forfeited for other faster loading sites. Amazon stated that they could lose as much as 1.6 billion dollars a year through having just a second’s delay in their site load time.
Focus on Link Quality Rather Than Link Quantity
Incorporating quality backlinks on a site is important and produces a desirable result for SEO. Making use of a higher authorities’ domain gains the trust of search engines because it is often easier to create hundreds of quality links than it is to get quality backlinks. It is therefore imperative to invest appropriate time and commitment into getting quality backlinks, to produce significant results over time.
Broken Links
Broken links, when found, should be reported to the owner of the site to be immediately removed. Google should also be notified not to consider such links for SEO. Broken links lead visitors to a dead end and cause bad user experience.
Mobile Responsiveness
It has been found that mobile devices have a high rate of use. People use their mobile devices almost every minute of the day. They use it before going to bed, when they wake up, and even when using the bathroom. Therefore, having a website that is not mobile responsive is a sure way to lose a large amount of traffic. Mobile devices are used more than personal computers and they are used to browse the web far more than personal computers. Websites should, therefore, ensure mobile responsiveness.
Multiple Usage of Same Anchor Text
Using the same anchor text to build links is ill advised. It looks unnatural and raises a red flag in search engines. It creates the impression of links being bought from sellers. Modified versions of the keyword preferred for use as an anchor text should be used in the link building process.
Post Content With Proper Formatting
Good content should be well formatted to make it worth reading. Appropriate spacing and indentation of headings should be observed. The font should also have uniformity throughout the entire content. Appropriate formatting makes navigation and reading easier. It encourages readers to quickly get through your content in an efficient manner and grasp the value intended.
