SEO quick wins and common mistakes

From SEO mistakes to SEO quick wins

SEO, or search engine optimisation, has become one of the most important marketing tools and considerations of website design. And with over 85 billion visits to Google in the last month, it is no surprise. But, with such a high volume of searches, how can we get our content to appear at the top of search engines? We wish we could tell you it would all be easy, that a few hours work will jump your content to the top of search results…however we would be fibbing if we did. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few SEO quick wins our experts at Next Chaptercan share to help you, it just means these SEO improvements are just the start of your SEO strategy .

1. Use descriptive and useful alt tags on images  

Image alt tags are one of the most underutilised features on many websites and adding them can lead to various benefits. Firstly, it allows Google and other search engines to understand what your image is showing. This helps them judge if your content is relevant to a search term and can ultimately improve rankings. Secondly, adding alt tags improves the accessibility of your site. For example, screen readers can read out the alt tags of each of your images, therefore reducing the amount of content not viewable by those with visual impairments.

2. Clearly define the page content in your meta-titles

As so many user journeys begin on search engines, meta-titles are one of the first impressions a user gets of your brand. Ensuring these are descriptive and relevant to the content on the page is key to appearing at the top of searches that will convert or lead to traffic. You may find a keyword with a higher potential search volume, but if your content doesn’t provide the information those users are looking for you won’t rank. It is far better to create a new piece of content that better targets the new keyword, therefore ranking for both.

3. Convince users to click with your meta-descriptions

Meta-descriptions don’t directly affect search rankings, however they have a massive effect on clickthrough rate and can help justify the relevancy of your content. This is the text just below the main link on your Google search result and should be used to explain more fully what content users will find as well as your key selling points . Why should a user click your link rather than your competitors?

4. Make sure your site is ‘crawlable’

Try to make it as easy as possible for search engines to crawl your content. Start by including both a robots.txt file and a sitemap to clearly indicate which pages should be visible, which are just for internal use, and which are your most important pages .

When publishing new content, double check it has been indexed correctly using Google Search Console’s free URL Inspection tool. It will raise any issues, as well as tell you if it has been indexed yet. If you find a page has not been indexed, it is best not to panic and start making changes. It may just be that Google hasn’t crawled your site yet, but it will. If you are concerned, or if you have made changes to your page and want it to be crawled again more swiftly, you can submit your URL for indexing to highlight the page to Google.

5. Ensure you consider keyword intent

We recently discussed the importance of keyword research in marketing activity, however selecting appropriate keywords can also lead to a series of SEO quick wins. Ensure the keywords you select are specific and relevant to the content you offer, and pay careful attention to the ‘intent’ of the chosen keywords. A user searching for general information on ‘marketing’ isn’t going to initially be interested in a marketing agencies homepage, they may however enjoy insights or news pieces sharing information which could lead to them looking for an agency down-the-line. Be sure if you are aiming for a keyword, your content matches your user’s intent .

6. Make your focus keyword present on the page

Once you have carefully selected your main keywords, you need to create content and copy which features that phrase and explains why your content I relevant. Now, when we say; ‘features that phrase’, that doesn’t mean put it into every sentence. We should always be writing for our readers first , so ensure the copy makes sense (Even more important since Google’s ‘Helpful Content’ update). The optimum number of times to include a key phrase is around 5 or 6, so try to fully explore the topic.

7. Create engaging and useful content for your users

This may sound a bit obvious, but identifying what information your users are looking for is so important for SEO we are saying it anyway. There is no point wasting valuable time and resources creating content for a key phrase or even topic area that is no longer relevant . Cluster you organic keywords to see what topics already bring traffic, and explore what successful content your competitors have. Can you get involved in any local events or celebrate any national days?

8. Be careful using infographics on your website

An easy mistake to make, but also an easy fix for quick SEO improvements. Replacing infographics with coded copy and icons means Google and other search engines can crawl the information presented. This contributes to ranking and overall content relevancy and authority .

9. Need more expert SEO advice?

Get in touch with Next Chapter, a leading SEO marketing agencybased in North Yorkshire . With some SEO quick wins under your belt, our experts in competitor comparisons, keyword research and link building can help progress your SEO strategies and plan content your users are itching to see.

And don’t forget to check out our range of expertiseto see if we can help with a future campaign.