The Best of the Unspoken SEO Tips — Do The Right Thing
Creating properly structured website content can be complicated for beginners, so we’ve kept these SEO tips simple. The basics of SEO aren’t that difficult to understand; it mostly boils down to using keywords and links to get your site to show up near the top of search engine results.
However, with Google almost constantly changing its search algorithm, sites that once relied on keyword-stuffing and other black hat SEO techniques have all but disappeared. Some marketers still think that an over-optimized website or blog post will get them the website traffic they want, but this is not the case anymore.
Despite the changes that Google is always making, it is still very possible to create a great website using on-page SEO techniques. So, let’s get down to it. Here are five SEO tips that will prove useful for anyone.
Create Quality Content
One of the problems that people have with SEO is that they think it’s about creating bad content that focuses on repeating certain keywords and phrases as often as possible. While this content once did work when it came to ranking high on search results, what visitors to your site really want to see is quality content. This means creating original content that isn’t posted anywhere else, content that is useful and content that is well-researched. It does take some time to create this kind of high-quality content, but it will be well worth your efforts.
Update Your Site Frequently
A site that doesn’t get updated regularly will fade into obscurity. That is true of everything from personal blogs to e-commerce websites. You should update and post to your site regularly, but how regularly will depend on the kind of site you have. A news site may need to be updated several times a day, while your online store may only need to be updated a few times a week. In any case, you shouldn’t let a week go by without some kind of update.
If you want a better idea of how often to post, look to your competitors, those sites that fulfill a similar niche or purpose as your own website. Look at the ones that show up near the top of most Google searches and see how often they are updated. Create a schedule that matches their frequency and stick to it as much as possible.
Consider The Titles and Descriptions of Your Pages
Every page on your site should have a unique title, one that will stick out not just to users but to search engines. Titles give insight on a page’s content, so they should be descriptive and catchy.
As for your page descriptions, they should be informative and eye-catching as well. A page’s description is the short 150-character blurb that shows up next to a page’s name on a search engine result screen. It can tell users a lot about what to expect from a page, so it should never be neglected.
Pay Attention to URL Structure
URL structure is important to on-page SEO. A clear URL structure will help search engines and users to better find individual pages, while a poor URL structure can render a page all but invisible. Proper URL structure uses hyphens to separate individual words. For example, a URL such as www.yourpage.com/top-seo-tips/ is very easy for search engines and people to read.
Create Internal Links on Your Website
Internal linking to specific pages on your website not only makes the pages themselves easier to find, but it lets search engines know that these pages exist. Users may be able to go directly to a page from a Google search result, but if they don’t find a page in this way they should be able to find it on a link elsewhere on your site. Help your users & the search engines put the puzzle pieces together. Everyone will appreciate it.
Use these SEO tips to get your website started on the right path. Remember above all else, when in doubt, do the right thing. Create quality content that your website visitors will appreciate, give credit to others for their work, & don’t get too caught up in playing the SEO game, unless you’re dedicated to understanding all of its nuances.
For more advanced information or help getting your site to the top of search, contact one of our SEO experts.
Source: http://searchenginewatch.com/sew/opinion/2334934/so-you-think-seo-has-changed
