A good web strategy does not include writing pages of content, adding plugins or creating links. These only create clutter or a new layer between you and your potential customer
A good SEO strategy does not include creating aditional content, adding plugins or creating backlinks.
These only create clutter or a new layer between you and your potential customer. There are single page sites with no plugins or links that are higher than yours! So when you add a new page a good strategy is to remove any that are out of date, or that have not been updated in the last year.
Ignore the myths and shortcuts and let's get down to the important stuff.
A good website SEO strategy can be broken into five basic elements often referred to as the SEO Circle.
The SEO Circle
Step 1: Monitor & Benchmark
Make a note of how many visitors you receive weekly or monthly and how many calls or email you receive. The most popular free tool is Google Analytics and it is comprehensive.
If you are a plumber in Croydon, have a look at where do you appear in the searches for 'Plumber Croydon'? Make a note of your position, the page number and location on the page.
If you cannot find your site on the first few pages of the search results, you can try one of the free page rank tracking tools available on the market to see where your site sits.
We would not advise you taking them up on their various claims and paid subscription services but they are useful for understanding your sites position.
Step 2: Recognise Weaknesses
The majority of websites have missing elements, others can have over 100. View the HTML code of your website. Does your website have all of the necessary tags? These include page <title> tags, headdings <h1>, <h2>, <h3> etc, link title tags, and alt tags.
What is your websites load speed? You can find out more about the techncal elements on this article... The best ways to check your website’s performance are free.
If you are a Solicitor in London how many times do the words 'Solicitor' and 'London' appear on your home page? You don't need to go mad, but we have seen plenty of sites without any positove words.
The check list is long and self help websites will usually give you around half of the items that are required. The majority will require you to have a basic or advanced level HTML or PHP editing experience (tip: do not fake this stage by using Plugins).
Step 3: Analyse Competition
Repeat the same exercises for your competitor's website. They may have things that are missing but they may give you some good ideas also.
Step 4: Identify Advantages
Compare your findings. Make a note of all of the differences and elements you found on your competitor's website. Every extra HTML tag can double a website's score or position.
Step 5: Implement Changes
If you cannot make these changes yourself, speak to your website designer or developer. Some off the shelf systems may not allow you or your website designer to add or change these elements, or require a plugin. If this is the case then we would recommend a better system.
After making these changes repeat step one a week or two later. On average, you will normally see an improvement in your website's position after this length of time. Timings will vary from website to website depending on each sites score.
To find out more about SEO and some of the main elements - please follow the links below.
- Why use SEO?
- The difference between paying for SEO and receiving SEO
- Five Reasons why Good Organic SEO is Better than Other Forms of Advertising
- Most Common SEO Mistakes
- Going For Gold: A quick 5 step guide to a great website
