SEO

Search Engine Optimisation is somewhat feared by many organisations; and I am the first to acknowledge it is a field of continually changing dynamics which often makes it a headache to keep up with, let alone get ahead.  The reason the rules change so much is to combat the underhand tactics by some who try and cheat the search engines.  Therefore as long as you play fair and follow some simple principles and ensure you get the basics right,  you should see improvements without having to hire in expensive experts.

Before you even start with your SEO, you need to know what keywords to optimise your site for.  Be realistic about what search terms are worth going for but also ensure there is sufficient search volume to make your time worthwhile.

Listed below is a few things you can do (or I can help you with) which all provide good signals to the search engines as to what your website is about. As a result you can enjoy improved rankings in natural searches.

On-page SEO

Here are some tips for ensuring your own site is telling the search engines what keywords you want to rank against.

Meta Data: It is good housekeeping to have your meta data set up to accurately describe what is on each page on your website rather than using generic descriptions across the site. This helps tell the search engines what your page is about through meta descriptions, header tags etc.

Image Descriptions: ensure every image is tagged up to say what it is and tie it in with the theme of the page.

Keyword Density: long gone are the days of ‘keyword stuffing’, a sensible keyword density of the term you are optimising the page is recommended (typically 1-3%).

Internal linking: where possible link relevant keywords to other pages on your site, not only will this provide a good user experience, it will help your SEO.

Off-page SEO

Signals from third party sites helps boost your page rank and domain authority for your website.

External Linking: start by talking to your relevant customers and partners and ask if they will link to your site from theirs.  But be careful about link exchanges on irrelevant sites, this may do more harm than good.

Article placement: getting your content such as blogs, articles or press releases placed on relevant publications with links on your SEO keywords will add to your site rank authority. This should tie into your PR and communications strategy.

Contact me for more information and advice on getting your SEO set up correctly on your website.