Maybe you’ve heard that search engine optimisation (SEO) can help your website receive more traffic and higher ranks, but you’re not sure how it works or where to start? You’ve come to the right place. Continue reading to learn what every entrepreneur needs to know about SEO, before building a website.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for ‘Search Engine Optimization,’ and it refers to the practice of obtaining traffic through search engines’ free, organic, editorial, or natural search results. Its goal is to boost your website’s ranking in search engine results pages. Remember that the higher up on the list your website is, the more people will see it.
How to optimise SEO
Follow these tips to increase your search engine optimisation (SEO) and see your website climb the search engine rankings to the top.
Publish Quality, Authoritative Content
The number one driver of your search engine rankings is quality, authoritative content, and there is no alternative for outstanding content—this is especially true when it comes to SEO marketing. Quality content tailored to your target audience boosts site traffic, which boosts your site’s authority and relevancy. Sharpen your web writing skills and establish yourself as an expert on the subject you’re writing about.
Regularly Update Your Content
You’ve probably noticed how passionate we are about content. Search engines are no exception. Maintain in mind that regularly updated material is one of the best markers of a site’s relevance, so make sure to keep it up to date. Audit your content on a regular basis (every semester, for example) and make any necessary modifications.
Metadata
Each page on your website has a place between the <head> tags where you can insert metadata, or information about the page’s contents. If you have a CMS site that was built by the UMC web team, this data will be pre-populated for you. However, as your site evolves, it’s critical that you analyze and update metadata.
Have a site that is worthy of being linked to
A content-rich, authoritative, unbiased homepage that helps visitors learn more about what they’re interested in is more likely to draw links from other websites, improving your search engine optimization.
By including relevant links within the content, you can increase your authority and credibility. Instead of “click here” links, consider writing out the destination’s name. “Click here” has no search engine value beyond the linked URL, however “Cape Town Tech Enterprise” is keyword-rich and will increase both your and the page you’re connecting to’s search engine rankings. Always use descriptive links when linking keywords—it not only helps with SEO but also gives value to your readers.
Make use of alternative tags.
Always use alt tags, or alternative text descriptions, to explain your image and video files. They make it possible for search engines to find your page, which is critical for folks who use text-only browsers or screen readers.
Final Thought on SEO
Although SEO can be highly complicated, learning the fundamentals will give you a head start. Begin by gathering as much information as possible and undertaking extensive study. Write content that is tailored to your target audience, but make sure it is superior to that of your competitors.
Separate your on-page and off-page SEO activities. Ensure that your site loads swiftly on both desktop and mobile devices and that you are attracting as many backlinks as possible. Then, to avoid wasting all those fantastic visitors, figure out how to optimize your website for conversions.
Concentrate on the user experience and the patterns that user behaviour reports reveal. Because of your efforts, you’ll see a rise in traffic and conversions over time.
