Search engine optimisation (SEO) is all about optimising your business’ visibility in Google (and other search engines) to drive more traffic to your website. And in the golden age of digital marketing, SEO is absolutely essential to getting noticed by potential customers.
In truth, SEO efforts take a few months to pay off – but there are some simple tactics you can do today to get the ball rolling and start boosting your visibility in search engines. Get started with these five quick fixes.
1. Optimise your website speed
Your website speed is a big factor impacting your ranking in Google, so it pays to make sure all your site content loads as quickly as possible.
PageSpeed Insights is a free tool you can use to test the performance of your website. Input your website URL and it will generate pointers about how you can improve your website speed. This includes things like keeping your image file sizes below 200kb using a simple website template (more complex designs can slow you down).
2. Use descriptive URLs
If you visit any major business website, you’ll notice that every page URL is descriptive – that is, they contain keywords that accurately describe the content on the page. The more descriptive your URLs are, the easier it is for Google to ‘understand’ what’s on the page and return it in search results.
This is especially important for landing pages (such as product pages) and blogs, where the content on the page is likely to be quite specific.
Here’s an example of a good vs bad URL:
Good: www.yourwebsite.com/blog/5-SEO-quick-fixes-you-can-do-today
Bad: www.yourwebsite.com/blog/blog-1736
You can see that the first URL is much more descriptive and provides context about what’s on the page.
3. Add keywords your metadata
Like URLs, metadata provides information to search engines about what’s on the pages of your website. Adding relevant keywords to your metadata makes it more likely your website pages will appear when people search for related terms online.
You can update your website’s metadata by logging into your website’s content management system. There are two important types of metadata to focus on:
- Title tags – include your business name and as many relevant keywords as possible – but make sure it’s easy to understand by humans as well. Keep the length under 60 characters.
Example: 5 quick SEO fixes you can do today | White Pages
- Image alt text: Keep it short and aim to describe the content of the image as accurately as possible while including relevant keywords.
Example: Beef burger on wooden serving platter
Not sure how to choose keywords? Ubersuggest is a free, easy-to-use online tool you can use to generate keyword suggestions for any topic.
4. Create some fresh content
Search engines love fresh information, so if you want to see impactful results, creating fresh content is one the best ways to get ahead. Think blogs, landing pages, tutorials and more. Discovering the types of content that work best for your business will take time and testing – but you’ll be building up your SEO power along the way. Just remember to include relevant keywords wherever they fit naturally.
5. Get online directory listings
When you have your business details listed on online directories like Google My Business (GMB) and White Pages, search engines will show your business to people searching for your products or services in your area. This is what’s known as ‘local SEO’, and it’s invaluable for attracting new customers to your business.
To set up your online directory listings, check out White Pages Connect. It allows you to quickly and easily update your details across directories, major search engines, social media sites, apps and maps – everywhere your customers are searching or talking about you.
