Do you find yourself getting a little tense or anxious when you think about improving your SEO? Sometimes it can feel like there’s simply too much to do. Search Engine Optimization is continually changing, but there are a few simple steps you can take to improve your website, without needing to be an SEO pro.
Here are 5 easy SEO changes to make today:
1. Prioritize User Experience
SEO doesn’t necessarily mean continually running keyword searches. One of the best ways to improve your SEO is to consider the functionality of your site.
For example, if your page loading speed is too slow, this will impact your ranking in the search results. But slow pages will also impact how your visitors are engaging with your content and how long they stay on your website- also hurting your ranking.
Some other common issues to look out for include:
- Images: These should be optimized properly, as small as possible (without impacting the visuals), and you should use your keywords in the image title.
- Effectiveness: Can users easily find the information they need, the products they want, or your contact information within a few clicks?
- Efficiency: How quickly can users complete a task? If it takes a long time, they’re more likely to click away from your site, impacting your ranking.
- Dwell Time: Users will stay longer on your website if you’re providing quality content. Dwell time can impact your ranking as it tells Google your website is helpful and valuable to users.
2. Optimize for Voice
By 2020, half of all searches will be voice searches. By optimizing for voice, you have the opportunity to rank at the top of the search results for these queries.
Voice searchers search differently than text searchers, and the devices they use will take data from the search results and give them information from the Google featured snippet box.
For example, someone searching by text might type “Keto Diet.” Someone searching by voice might say “What can I eat on the Keto Diet?”
Voice searches are largely question-based. That means that one of the best SEO changes you can make is to optimize your website so you’re answering these questions.
3. Remove Broken Links
Broken links are annoying for users, who are less likely to continue to search on your website. But search engines consider them to be a sign that your site is old and/or neglected and this can impact your ranking accordingly.
You don’t need to go through your site manually. Luckily, there are many apps and tools that can help scan your site so you can remove broken links. These include W3C Link Checker, Google Webmaster Tool, and Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
4. Write Longer Content
Content marketing and SEO go together like milk and cookies. One of the best SEO changes you can make is to increase the length of your content. In fact, one study found that the longer your content, the more likely it is to rank at the top of the search results.
This doesn’t mean finding your old posts and adding paragraphs of fluff. Instead, choose topics you can dive deep into- giving your readers the information they need. While you could write three or four 500-word posts about related topics, you’ll get better results if you condense these into one 1500-2000 word post with excellent headings, bullet-points, and short paragraphs for easy scannability.
5. Build High-Quality Links
Link building has a bad rep, simply because some business owners and marketers fell into the trap of assuming any links are good links. However, low-quality links can actually have the opposite result you’re looking for, harming your site and lowering your ranking.
Links from high-quality sites, on the other hand, are still an extremely effective way to improve the ranking of your website. You can achieve these links through influencer marketing, outreach, and creating high-quality content that other sites want to link to.
One way to do this is to take a topic that’s trending in your industry and write a piece with a slightly different take. You can also reach out to influencers in your industry and let them know if you’ve created a piece of content that their followers or readers might love. Infographics and videos are particularly great for this.
Are you ready to try these SEO changes? If you’re not sure where to get started, get in touch today to learn how we can help.