SEO: Your path to digital success

seo web developer working at laptop living room

Search engine optimisation. I often get asked if I offer SEO as part of my services and the answer is yes and no.

There are many components that make up SEO optimisation for your website. The elements that I cover as part of my website packages include Technical SEO and On-Page SEO. These ensure that your website is set up to best practice standards. The other main areas of SEO are Keywords, Content and Off-Page SEO. I offer Keyword Research and Copywriting as add-on services.

In this post, I’ll break down all of the aspects of SEO which contribute to making your website perform well.

On-Page SEO

Keywords

I ensure all of your pages have appropriate page titles, meta descriptions and headers. Meta titles provide a brief description of a web page’s content and purpose, displayed on search engine results pages. Compelling meta titles and descriptions that entice users to click through to your site. A well-optimised meta can significantly impact click-through rates!

H tags

H tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) provide a clear hierarchy to your content, helping search engines understand the structure and relevance of your information. Properly using H tags can improve your website’s SEO and boost search rankings and this is something I focus on when structuring your site.

SEO-friendly URLs

I ensure we use clean and concise URLs that describe your page’s content, making it easier for search engines and users to understand your website’s structure.

Technical SEO

SSL Certificate

An SSL certificate on your site is a must – Google rewards SSL-secured websites with higher search rankings (not to mention it instills trust in your audience).

Speedy loading time

Your website load time comes down to multiple factors – optimised images, lean plugins, and most importantly, your web host has a lot to do with this. When I build sites I optimise images before uploading them and then further compress them with a plugin. I also recommend using WP Rocket which is a caching plugin to further speed up your site. Pro tip: ensure you reduce the size of your image files before you upload them. As a rule of thumb, make sure they’re smaller than 200kb.

Ensure it’s responsive

Mobile-optimised websites provide a seamless and user-friendly experience to visitors accessing your site from smartphones and tablets. Pages load faster, and content is easy to read and navigate, leading to higher user satisfaction and reduced bounce rates. Search engines like Google prioritise websites that offer a positive user experience, contributing to better SEO rankings. All of the sites I design are designed first for desktop and then optimised for seamless performance on mobile and tablet.

Submit to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools

To ensure Google begins to crawl and index your site so that you can start ranking, it’s important to submit your website’s site map to Search Console. This is something I do for all website clients.

Keywords

It’s important to do some keyword research to ensure you’re including search terms that will actually allow clients to find you. Some free tools to do this include: Google Search Console, Answer the Public, UberSuggest. Ensure each page on your website focuses on a separate keyword search and consider the intention e.g. Informational (answering a question via a blog post), Investigational (researching/comparing services), Transactional (they’re ready to buy) or Navigational (they’re looking specifically for your brand).

Content

High-quality and engaging content is the crown jewel of SEO. By creating valuable content that educates, entertains, and connects with your audience, you ensure Google loves the content but also position yourself as an expert.

An easy way to provide engaging content is to include a blog on your site. Consider what your target audience would be searching for and regularly upload quality content on those topics. This ensures you become an authority and more likely to show up in search results.

Off Page SEO

These are some of the ways you can improve your SEO, externally from your website.

  • Create and optimise your Google My Business Profile
  • Posting across social media platforms
  • Link building – this is where you ensure there are backlinks to your website on other reputable websites. They act as “votes of confidence” for your content, indicating to search engines that your website is reputable and valuable. Google considers backlinks as a crucial ranking factor.

Below are some ways you can attempt to gain more backlinks to your site:

Create High-Quality Content

Develop valuable and shareable content that stands out in your industry. Informative blog posts, research reports, infographics, and how-to guides attract attention from other websites, increasing the chances of them linking back to your content.

Guest Blogging

Offer to write guest posts for reputable websites within your niche. By contributing valuable content, you can earn a backlink to your site in the author bio or within the article.

Build Relationships

Connect with influencers, bloggers, and industry experts. Engage with their content, share their posts, and provide value to their audience. Building strong relationships can lead to organic backlinks as they may reciprocate the support.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborate with other businesses or organizations on joint projects, events, or initiatives. These partnerships can lead to backlinks from their websites.

Create Linkable Assets

Develop valuable resources such as free tools, templates, or guides that others in your industry would find useful. Share these assets with your target audience, and they may link back to them as a valuable resource.

Submit to Directories

List your business in relevant industry directories and local directories. While some directories may have no-follow links, they can still drive referral traffic and boost your online presence.

Guest appear on a podcast

Podcasting is a huge area of potential to get your name out there to another audience. The podcast host is giving you authority by inviting you on to their show, and you gain access to a new audience. It’s a win win.