There is a lot of information about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to be found online. Some good and some bad!
SEO can generate great results if it is executed well! However, there are many aspects to take into consideration and it does become quite a complicated art (or science depending on how you view it).
SEO can be really complicated. Google is generally pretty mysterious when talking about the various different factors used to rank and display websites on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
Google also tweaks the way it does things periodically too, which keeps things interesting for webmasters… These tweaks – or updates – are designed to improve the experience of the people who search for things online.
If you are interested in improving the SEO of your own website, this article can help you cover some of the basics. Keep in mind though that in many cases it makes sense to use a professional SEO agency. They will have the knowledge, experience and skills to get things done properly. They’re also likely to be up to date with the most effective strategies too.
Don’t Underestimate The Design & Layout Of Your Website
One of the most important indicators that Google uses to rank websites is how users interact with the web pages they click on to. Things like bounce rates and dwell times can give Google a lot of information indeed.
Think about it. You’re searching for a product, or a bit of information using a search engine… The search engine displays a list of websites that have the answer… You click on the first website… But when the page eventually loads, you cannot find the answer to your question. You also see adverts popping up and the page snaps around while some images load, which makes the information even more difficult to find!
It is fair to say that you are likely to click off of that website pretty quickly. It is also likely that you will click onto the next website on the list to try and find your answer.
That interaction has all been logged by Google! Given that other people who search for the same things are going to have a similar experience, Google will quickly work out that the website in position 1 is not giving people the information they are searching for. It will demote that website to a lower position on the SERP and push a new result into the top spot for next time.
This process is always happening! The algorithms don’t stop refining the results either!
Website owners need to make sure that:
1. Their website is well designed so people can find information easily.
2. The information on the website is useful and relevant to the sort of things people are searching.
3. Their website is well coded so that there are no issues with mobile usability, or layout shifts as a page loads.
Quality Content Matters
There is an awful lot of information on the world wide web. One of the challenges for search engines is how to decipher what information is valuable, and what is not.
One of Google’s core updates in 2022 was focussed on connecting people to helpful content. The long and short of this is, the helpful content update was designed to phase out content that doesn’t really provide much value. In a world of AI content spinners, websites should put extra emphasis on providing quality information.
It does not matter if you are repeating information that is already out there, or builds on an existing knowledge base… It is important to make sure content is well-written, properly structured and ideally created by someone with expert knowledge of the subject.
Another thing to consider is referencing sources. Ideally, web pages should give sources for the information. That way people can find more information if they wish. Plagiarising content is not recommended if you want sustainable results from SEO. With this in mind, create unique content that is well researched and referenced too.
Work On Your Offsite SEO
While we are talking about references… This introduces another important factor for SEO success. Search engines like it when other websites reference content on your site.
Next time you read an online article, pay attention to links and mentions of other websites. SEO experts tend to find that websites rank higher on the SERP if they have a lot of backlinks from different websites.
Backlinks are hyperlinks from one web page to another website (ideally your website). Quality backlinks are great indicators that a website contains good information. They are a bit like a vote of confidence. These votes of confidence can be a big bonus for your website’s SEO, especially if the website that is linking to yours has a good reputation in Google’s view (think big websites like forbes, BBC, or something like government websites and even wikipedia).
Offsite SEO is almost as important as website design if you want to do well with organic search. Be wary of things like content syndication and Private Blog Networks (find out more about PBN’s here)
So What Can You Do To Develop An Effective SEO Strategy?
Whilst this article has covered a few aspects of SEO, there are many more factors that can generate success when it comes to digital marketing. As with anything, SEO is about getting the basics right and then building from there. If you would like to find out more information about SEO there are many resources available online. Google even has written guides and a whole host of videos that can help you understand how to improve your website.
