{"id":118,"date":"2018-08-07T09:07:08","date_gmt":"2018-08-07T09:07:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/08\/07\/seo-101-11-tips-you-need-to-know-when-you-optimize-your-site\/"},"modified":"2020-02-03T09:44:34","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T09:44:34","slug":"seo-101-11-tips-you-need-to-know-when-you-optimize-your-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/08\/07\/seo-101-11-tips-you-need-to-know-when-you-optimize-your-site\/","title":{"rendered":"SEO 101: 11 tips you need to know when you optimize your site"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\"><strong>SEO can boost the traffic to your site by paying closer attention to what your visitors want from you. It can help you create the content that your readers will enjoy while optimizing your pages to be as useful as possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The first steps towards search engine optimization can be scary, but you can start implementing small changes to improve your rankings in search results. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">After all, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/05\/31\/image-optimization-for-seo\/\">SEO<\/a> success doesn\u2019t happen overnight, so it\u2019s better to start with the small changes that will gradually lead to greater success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Defining <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/12\/04\/techseo-boost-machine-learning-for-seos\/\">SEO<\/a> success can be subjective, but in general, we want to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Be more relevant for our target audience<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Increase the search traffic coming to our site<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Build awareness from search results<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Use the opportunity to improve the site\u2019s user experience<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><span class=\"s1\">Find new business prospects by beating competitors in search results.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>11 tips to keep in mind when you start optimizing your site<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Focus on your content<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">A good start to search engine optimization is to pay attention to your content. <a href=\"https:\/\/sewprod.wpenginepowered.com\/optimize-instagram-account-search-engines\">Keywords<\/a> can help you become more specific to your search objectives, but you still need to create quality content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Your content should make sense to your readers first, rather than the search engines. It used to be a common suggestion to add all your keywords throughout your copy but this risked the chance of alienating your audience. The modern approach to <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/08\/07\/seo-101-11-tips-you-need-to-know-when-you-optimize-your-site\/\">SEO<\/a> requires you pay attention to the quality of your content to stand out with your copy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Understand your keywords (but search like a human being)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2016\/05\/KWP2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-60399\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2016\/05\/KWP2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"634\" height=\"398\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">You need to perform a <a href=\"https:\/\/sewprod.wpenginepowered.com\/2019\/07\/15\/keyword-research-tools-free\/\">keyword research<\/a> to find <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2016\/09\/08\/five-keyword-myths-you-need-to-forget-right-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the best keywords that will bring you success<\/a>. The next step is to include them in your copy in the most natural way. It\u2019s important to understand that your <a href=\"https:\/\/sewprod.wpenginepowered.com\/2019\/07\/15\/keyword-research-tools-free\/\">keywords<\/a> are your search terms that people will search for your site. They need to make sense and they shouldn\u2019t be too general.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Think the way you\u2019d perform a search. Would you search for \u2018search engine optimization tips\u2019 or \u2018best tips for <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/optimize-instagram-account-search-engines\">SEO<\/a> beginners\u2019? The more specific you get, the higher the chances to find your niche audience.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Think like a user<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Once you start searching like a user, the next step is to also think like a user when you\u2019re improving your site. You don\u2019t have to be an <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/07\/12\/how-to-get-featured-snippets-no-link-building\/\">SEO<\/a> expert to make small tweaks to your site\u2019s performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">For example, how fast is your load page? If your site is too slow then this will also affect your search rankings. Moreover, if your site is not optimized for all devices, then Google probably won\u2019t place you high in the search results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2016\/05\/27\/five-ways-ux-blends-with-seo-to-improve-a-sites-performance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">User experience becomes more important<\/a> than ever and you need to consider all the changes that will make your site easier for your visitors. Seek suggestions from people who visit your site for the first time. The feedback can be valuable.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">The art of the headline<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Your headlines should be short but descriptive. It\u2019s suggested you create headlines of 50-60 characters. This is the limit of what search engines access so even if you create longer headlines, the rest won\u2019t be tracked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Use the headline to describe your content and the page that the visitor will access. Make it appealing, but not misleading. Feel free to be creative, provided that you still stay loyal to the context.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Add internal links<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Internal links help you highlight the value of your content. It\u2019s a good way to increase your traffic while boosting your SEO, one page at a time. Every link should have a different focus keyword to avoid cannibalizing your own content. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Add external links <\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">External links can also bring value to your site provided that you use them in moderation. You don\u2019t want to lose your readers by leading them to a page that serves as your competitor. Make sure you\u2019re only linking to pages of high authority to increase the process of building trust while adding further value to your content. Treat link building as a strategy and avoid the temptation of over-stuffing your content with external links.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Involve social media for authority building<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s common to ask whether <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2016\/09\/01\/how-social-proof-can-boost-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">social media affects your SEO strategy<\/a>. Although there is no direct correlation between the two, it is still useful to build your social presence while improving your search rankings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The more visible you are, the higher the chances of building your credibility by reaching a wider audience. After all, tweets can show up in search rankings and social success can still lead to multiple benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Create fresh content but don\u2019t forget your older content<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Fresh content can serve as a \u2018signal\u2019 that you\u2019re regularly updating your site. Whether it\u2019s a blog post or any tweaks to keep your messaging new, it\u2019s good to add new content from time to time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Except for new content, it\u2019s also useful to revise your existing copy. Your older blog posts can end up having bigger value than your latest ones. SEO takes time to work, which means that the older your post, the higher it can land in rankings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Make sure you create good content and you use the right keywords and keep an eye on the performance of your older posts to keep them up-to-date. This can be a good tactic to boost your site\u2019s traffic without necessarily creating new posts.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Add meta tags<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2016\/09\/meta-description-example.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-64592\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2016\/09\/meta-description-example.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"698\" height=\"552\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/04\/04\/a-quick-and-easy-guide-to-meta-tags-in-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Title tags<\/a> describe the content of your page. It\u2019s the language that helps search engines understand what your site is about. This is where you need to add the right keywords that are more relevant to your page.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Moreover, a meta description provides the right context for your <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/optimize-instagram-account-search-engines\">title tags<\/a> helping both search engines and people to get a quick glimpse of your content. A meta description should be no more than 160 characters and you need to pick your words wisely. This is the copy that may convince <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/12\/21\/guide-google-analytics-confusing-terms\/\">users<\/a> to click on your page.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Optimize your images<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2017\/03\/wordpress-photo-upload-highlighting-caption-and-description-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-67614\" src=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2017\/03\/wordpress-photo-upload-highlighting-caption-and-description-1.png\" alt=\"How to optimise images for SEO\" width=\"600\" height=\"351\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">SEO is not limited to written text, but it can also extend to images. As visual content becomes more popular, it\u2019s critical to optimize your images to make them easier for people to find them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Luckily, it doesn\u2019t take time to optimize your images, here\u2019s a guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2017\/11\/09\/image-optimization-101-how-to-rank-higher-in-image-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">help you improve image optimization<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Think of image search as a new chance of building traffic to your site.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Local SEO<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Local marketing is gaining ground as more marketers try to reach more targeted audiences. As Google invests in local advertising, there is also a growing space for local SEO. Keyword strategies focus more on local audiences and the copy can be optimized to fit different targeting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">A good way to keep up with <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2016\/07\/28\/five-ways-to-use-local-seo-even-when-you-dont-have-a-physical-premise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">local SEO<\/a> is to learn as many details as possible about your target audience. Think what their local needs are and what keywords could bring you more traffic to your site.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s3\">Overview<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">SEO nowadays is all about providing an excellent user experience by paying attention to everything that includes the copy, the design, the keywords and the <a href=\"https:\/\/sewprod.wpenginepowered.com\/2019\/07\/02\/competitive-research-insight-tools\/\">insights<\/a> from your target audience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Always think like the user and try to be relevant and useful with your content. Don\u2019t ignore keywords but make sure you use them only when appropriate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Last but not least, SEO takes time so don\u2019t lose hope if you don\u2019t see any difference in rankings after your first tweaks.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SEO can help you increase the traffic to your site and improve the user experience. Here\u2019s how to start optimizing your pages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[100,137,22,138],"content_type":[27095],"class_list":["post-118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo","tag-keywords","tag-local-seo","tag-seo","tag-user-experience","content_type-news"],"acf":{"tad_independentcommercial":false,"tad_content_format":false},"post_info":{"name":"Tereza Litsa","title":"","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/shutterstock_157952597-120x90.jpg","category":"SEO","timeago":"8y"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118"},{"taxonomy":"content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_type?post=118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}