12 tips to improve and optimize the SEO of a website

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is defined as a set of strategies and techniques which objective is to potentialize and improve the position of a website on the organic/natural search and on the results that appears in the search engines, gaining more visitors and consequently more conversions.

 

1 - Choose the right domain:

If you don't have a custom domain yet, now is the time. There are three things to keep in mind:

- first, it should be as short and captivating as possible for internet users to click when they see your name.

- second, the name of your company or your area of expertise must be included so that visitors can easily understand what you do.

- third, a great idea is to include your main keyword, if possible.

 

2 - Structure your website

This is a step that is sometimes overlooked, but a well-structured website is essential for an improvement in terms of SEO. In addition to facilitate good tracking by “robots / crawlers”, it is essential for visitors to be able to navigate correctly.

 

3 - Write unique titles and descriptions

Filling the metadata, that is, titles and descriptions, is one of the most important points in SEO. It is important to write unique titles and descriptions not only on the homepage, but also on all other pages and sections of your website.

Using the same metadata, conveys the idea that your website has duplicate content and this is something that search engines definitely don't like since they don't know how to position the various pages of your website.

 

4 - Use long keywords

Phrases that have two to five words are usually those that the user types in the search box of the search engines. For example, if you are the proud owner of a cupcake shop, you will want the visitor to type in the keyword “the best cupcakes” and find your website.

The more precise your keyword is the better, as it will be able to attract the right audience and increase the chances of Internet users clicking on your website.

 

5- Put a title on your images

A website without images is like a musical without songs. However, there is a small problem: Google and other search engines cannot see the images like we do. Therefore, it is necessary to add the “alt text” to help them understand what is in the photos that you insert.

 

6 - Submit a site-map

In summary, a sitemap is a directory of all the pages / menus of the website and shows how the different pages connect. In this way, it will always be useful to send a sitemap to search engines so that they can crawl the website easier and faster.

 

7 - Don't forget about local SEO

Are you a local business owner? Then you will surely want to attract consumers from your region / area of operation. The best way to get started is to enter your business on Google My Business.

This way, your company / establishment can be found when looking for something on Google Maps. Furthermore, you can gain a privileged position in the results that show up on the first page of Google and that includes a map and a list of several companies.

 

8 - Get more backlinks

Optimizing your website is already a great start to improve your presence on the WEB. But all websites need a little help. What we mean is that, to really have an exceptional SEO, you also need to have the so-called “backlinks”. That is: links from external sites on your website.

Contact partner companies or referral sites to exchange links, sponsor other websites / projects, place advertising banners on referral portals, etc.

 

9 - Website speed and W3C standards

Did you know that the speed of your website's response has a direct impact on organic positioning in search engines and user experience?

You will hardly be able to get the maximum score, but use the following tools / sites to analyze the results and the suggested recommendations:

- Google PageSpeed

- Pingdom

- Gtmetrix

 

10 - Social Networks

Another way to have your name / website spread on the “WWW” and attract Internet users' attention is through social networks. Each social network has its "target", age group and even preferences, so try to differentiate the communication / posts you share considering the respective network.

Also, do not advertise your company or brand on all existing social networks (the most popular) if you are unable to have an active / differentiated presence and a timely response to any notification / request.

 

11 - Content, content, content...

If you ask us what is the best tip for optimizing your website, the answer is just one: content. But not just any content will work.

It will be important to respect three conditions to achieve excellence

1st - must be exclusive, that is, don’t copy from other website;

2nd - updated regularly, to “compel” the search engine to search and index regularly;

3rd - be valuable, that is, make content that visitors will only find on your website.

 

12 - Don't be stagnant ...

Last but not least: don't settle for what you've already achieved. SEO is an ongoing effort and work. This doesn’t mean that you need to constantly recreate / redesign your website. Instead, you must understand what works and what doesn't, that is, what kind of articles or pages lead to more or less visits.

In other words, you should regularly analyze your website's metrics (time on page, number of visitors, location, etc.), because it will certainly help you create even more valuable and targeted content for your target audience.

 

 

The information contained in this document represents the current view of 4por4, on a subject as relevant  nowadays as the optimization of a website on the WWW, more specifically on search engines.

To download the document with the 12 tips, you can click here

On the other hand, you can access to our micro-site: https://otimizar-seo.pt/

Good reading !!!