4 Easy Checkpoints That’ll Get You to First Base in SEO (but not necessarily first page)...
Search engine optimization, affectionately coined SEO to make it easier to fit in long drawn out sentences like this one, can be something of a puzzlement. Web developers and code gurus have long guarded this digital treasure to keep everyday folks like you and I outside of their iron-coded kingdoms.
Enters 2021.
There’s a subtle celebration taking place at the gate of the castle. The internet has morphed into Oprah; tossing digital keys to everyone who searches. You get a code, you get a code, you get a code!
Wait, I may have gotten a little carried away there.
But seriously, SEO is no longer a hidden treasure and how it works is accessible to everyone by simply googling it. (Did you know that google is now officially a verb? In the legit dictionary?
Ok, let’s try and stay on track here.
If you’re looking to take a quick peek under the hood of your website or just checking out that annoying check engine light that’s been blinking for months (I’m thinking about my own car now.) take five minutes to speed read these four easy checkpoints to gauge your site’s SEO.
1- Locked Down
The first checkpoint is your site’s security. In its most recent algorithm update Google added site security to its long list of ranking factors. The easiest way to confirm that your site is safe and secure, according to Google’s terms, is to look for the padlock symbol in front of your url in the address bar. A secure site will also display the letter https, at the beginning of it’s url. This means that the site has been validated with an official security…
2- Go Mobile
Honestly, we’re not sure what took Google so long to roll out this ranking factor. You want to be sure that your site is mobile-friendly. First, because Google said so. Second, and possibly more important than first, you want people to be able to use your website and enjoy the experience. Nothing drives me crazier than coming to a website I’m excited about purchasing from and fighting through all of the unnecessary boxes to hit the buy button. Be sure that your site is designed for mobile first because that’s how most people will access it.
3- Meta, Meta, Meta
This parts easy. Meta fields are short cuts Google uses to find out what your site page is all about. Think – skimming the headlines of the front page of the newspaper. Triple check that your meta’s are optimized for the right keywords to trigger the right searches. Metatags and meta descriptions are a fundamental factor in search engine optimization and should be crafted carefully.
4- Stay on Message
Don’t be a blender! Keep your content clean and consistent. These principles are tried and true, especially, when it comes to SEO. Your content must be built on the pillars of your topical keywords and you must say on message.
SN: Be sure that the keywords you’re looking to capture; have a decent number of searches. Meaning someone out there is actually ordering what you’re serving.
Whew! Was that under five minutes? Did you grab any good pointers? Hopefully this helps you get headed in the right direction and on first base for SEO. First page of Google? That’ll require a little more work and a few advanced strategies but this is a great start!
Let’s Get Digital,
Shauna
@digitalcontentchick
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