The inside guide to Search Engine Marketing

In this, Donald Stephenson, Account Manager at QueryClick looks at search engine optimisation (SEO), giving you five top tips to help you develop a solid SEO strategy. Enjoy!

1.  Don’t stuff page titles with multiple keywords

One of the most important things to consider is the ‘title’ you give your web pages. The page title is not only visible across the top of your browser window but is also displayed on the search engine results pages. It is often this title that will encourage the person searching to click through.

Don’t be tempted to ‘stuff’ page titles with multiple keywords. Instead, keep each page title focused around a single search term, and stick to the 70 character limit to prevent it being shortened (truncated) on the search engine results page.

This ensures the search results are synchronised and relevant to the content of the page – making for a better user experience for the person searching.

2.  Don’t underestimate the importance of the main heading

The main heading (H1) on each page of your website, which can often be edited via the Content Management System, is a strong signifier of the relevance of web content to search engines. By tagging key phrases on your site as H1 you are signalling to the search engines what the page is about.

Many website owners are guilty of tagging their logo as the H1, or of including multiple H1 tags on a single page. This just serves to nullify what should be a highly effective way of informing search engines about the context of your page.

3.  Target one key phrase per page to rank well for a variety of terms

Don’t blur the focus of a page with mixed messages or more than one key phrase – the end result will be confusion on the part of the search engine, and the loss of potential ranking performance.

Of course, using secondary or synonymous terms on the same page to reinforce the message of the content is great, and can enhance the page’s ability to rank for your selected key phrase.

Don’t stray off topic, keep the content tight, and have a clear focus for each page.

4. Be more creative in your internal linking strategy
Internal linking is an important part of any SEO strategy, not only aiding a user on their journey, but also reinforcing the purpose of specific web pages.

Don’t use standard phrases like ‘read more’ or ‘click here’ as the linking text when a more creative alternative, appropriate to your website, could be used. To do so would be a missed opportunity – as you could be providing the search engines with additional context about the page being linked to.

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For example, if you want to link through to a video about apple pies, the anchor text should be ‘apple pie videos’, rather than ‘click here’.

5. Include a strong call to action in the meta description
Meta descriptions are displayed beneath each listing on the search engine results. Although they have little direct value in determining ranking, the importance of the meta description must not be underestimated.

They give the user a clear understanding of what each page contains. Ensuring there are clear ‘calls to action’ in the meta description can make a listing stand out on the results page.

Consequently, this can increase click-through rates. Just remember to remain within the 160 character limit to prevent any information or calls to action being shortened.

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