How to Optimize your Website for SEO in 8 Simple Steps
You must first improve your website’s SEO to increase visitors.
The actions listed below will position you for SEO success. Then, while still updating and releasing fresh material, you may shift your attention to conversions.
1. Analyze all of your website data
One piece of data might not be able to tell you anything on its own, but as you gather more data, patterns begin to emerge. You might not have a problem if a few visitors to your site do not click on your CTA.
However, you might need to make some changes if a significant portion of visitors ignores your CTA.
Google Search Console traffic statistics and user activity report aid in presenting a clear picture. For instance, user behavior reports show you how site visitors behave once they arrive, and GSC data keeps track of important metrics like the number of sessions, the number of unique sessions, the bounce rate, and more.
Examine the data for particular trends. You may learn a lot about your audience from referral sources. How do visitors locate your website? Search for websites with higher traffic and conversion rates. Reverse-engineer the success of that page to implement it throughout your website.
2. Conduct thorough keyword research
It used to be possible to choose a keyword at random, create a 300-word article, and rank for that phrase the next day. SEO no longer functions in that way.
You can uncover keywords relevant to your business and niche using tools as Uber suggests. Use it to identify long-tail keywords that correspond to the user intent of potential customers. Consider the purpose of their search and the information they would expect to see on a website about it.
Start with a general keyword. For instance, if you provide dog boarding, you may start your search phrase with “dog kennels.”
You can filter the list of terms that Uber suggest gives you in several different ways. You’re looking for long-tail keywords that will help you draw in a particular demographic.
As you add more pages to your website, keep doing this repeatedly. Write extensive, in-depth articles that cover as much ground as you can.
3. Produce long and value-rich content
According to Buffer, a blog article should be 1,600 words in length. But that’s just the beginning.
Before you decide on the optimum length for your content, Google your primary keyword and visit the top 10 results in the SERPs. Are some of those pages longer than 1,600 words? Then yours should be, too.
Length isn’t everything. However, it sends a signal to Google that you’re providing more information. If lots of people spend a long time on that page — reading to the very end — you’re more likely to rank higher.
4. Optimize for on-page SEO
On-page SEO tells you how to optimize your website when you’re building specific pages. Factors like headlines, subhead lines, URL slugs, and meta tags fall into this category.
Your title should contain your main term, preferably right at the start. Additionally, it ought to be used in at least one sub headline and the slug. Aim for throughout the body copy. between 5% and 2.5% To avoid coming out as a keyword stuffer, try to stay away from the higher end.
Include your major and associated keywords in your subhead lines, body copy, and image alt text. Give each lot of contexts Google will know exactly what you’re talking about.
5. Optimize for off-page SEO
Off-page SEO, often known as off-site SEO, describes the methods you use to externally optimize your website. Your site’s SEO can be enhanced by influencer marketing, guest blogging, social media activity, and brand mentions.
Later on, we’ll discuss explicitly backlinks, but links, in general, can have a significant impact on SEO. Avoid acquiring links from unimportant, low-authority websites. They are not going to be of assistance (and they can hurt). Instead, when looking for backlinks, you should concentrate on reputable publications.
6. Optimize the website for mobile
You don’t want to leave those potential conversions out in the cold given that more and more consumers are accessing websites using mobile devices. Additionally, Google recently introduced the mobile-first index, so if you prioritize mobile friendliness, you might rank higher.
The simplest answer is responsive design. You don’t need to worry about installing any additional code because responsive WordPress themes are available for both free and paid downloads.
7. Speed up the pages
When it comes to SEO and conversions, page speed counts.
If a page loads slowly, you’ll probably click the “back” button and search for something else. Similar to this, if you’re filling out a form and it’s taking too long to submit, you’ll finally give up.
With Google’s Page Speed Insights, you can see how quickly your site loads on all devices and what particular issues you need to address to make it faster.
8. Get quality backlinks
Backlinks are a key component in improving your website’s ranking.
When credible websites connect to yours, Google takes the link as a sign of the authority of your site. Your pages will move up the rankings as you develop a strong backlink profile.
It takes work to obtain quality backlinks, but the effort will pay off. Think about sending emails to bloggers and influencers in your niche. Send them a link to your article and direct them to a page where you’ve shared some of their work.
Can SEO Improve Your Website Conversions?
What happens to your conversions now that we’ve talked about how to improve your SEO?
Results won’t be seen right away. With the abundance of information available online, rankings take time to develop, so you must put in a lot of effort to create high-quality content, draw backlinks, and gain Google credibility.
But you should start getting ready for conversions right away. Even if your website receives little traffic, you can still experience more conversions if you know how to improve it.
By sending the right searches to your content, SEO increases conversions. If you make a page’s goal obvious, Google can appropriately rank it based on the consumer’s search intent.
Writing longer, more valuable articles also improve the likelihood that a visitor will convert. They are interested after realizing the importance of what you said. You have a better possibility of converting visitors if you make an attractive offer to them.
Optimizing Your Website for Conversions – Improve the User Experience
User experience simply means how people perceive your site relative to navigation and finding what they want. A good user experience leaves the visitor satisfied and appreciative.
To snag more conversions, focus on the smallest details. For instance, examine your homepage and identify every element, from your logo and top navigation bar to the widgets in your sidebar. If you removed one of those elements, would you harm the user experience?
If not, get rid of it. Focus on driving your traffic toward the action you want people to take.
Try User Behavior Tools to Analyze What Needs Improvement
Simply put, user experience refers to how visitors view your website in terms of navigation and discovering what they’re looking for. A positive user experience makes the visitor happy and grateful.
Pay close attention to the slightest things to increase conversions. Take a look at your homepage, for instance, and note every component, from the sidebar widgets to the logo and top navigation bar. Would the user experience be negatively impacted if one of those components were removed?
If not, throw it away. Drive interest in the activity you want them to do by concentrating your efforts.
Conclusion
Although SEO can be incredibly complicated, having a solid foundation can help you get started.
Start by gathering as much information as you can and doing extensive research. Write material that is aimed at your audience, but make sure it is superior to that of your rivals.
Make distinct efforts for off-page SEO and on-page SEO. Ensure that your website loads swiftly on desktop and mobile devices and that you are gaining as many backlinks as you can. Then, consider how to improve your website’s conversion rate to avoid wasting all that worthwhile traffic.
Pay attention to the user experience and the trends you find in user behavior data. Based on your diligent work, you’ll eventually notice a rise in traffic and conversions.
Even outdated content can still be effective for you. Don’t dismiss your efforts as being simply temporary in nature. You can drive traffic and produce conversions for years to come if you create quality evergreen content.