What is SEO?
How to improve search engines ranking (SEO)?
Keywords
Domain name
Page URL address
Title and description tags
Web page title tag
Page description
Principal title page (h1)
Alternative texts
Favicon
Contents
Links
Directories
Blogs
Social networks
Local SEO
The 10 don'ts of SEO
Seo Tools
Google Trends
Google Search Console
MyPoseo
Adwords and Adwords express
User experience
Mobile
Download speed
HTTPS
Structure and ease of navigation
Conclusion
Additional reading
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SEO is the acronym of "Search Engine Optimization". Google robots look at web pages and with a complex algorithm, determine which pages will be in the top rank of search engine result. The SEO , it's all the practices which allows a site to appear on these search engines, for example, the content quality, the number of incoming links and the keywords, etc.
Despite the fact that no one has successfully deciphered Google's algorithm, we know enough about it. Here is an organic SEO guide for small businesses.
First, what is a search engine? A search engine is a computer application for searching a resource. On the internet there are websites whose main service is research, they are then themselves designated as search engines. The best known are Google, Yahoo, Bing and Baidu.
In fact, it is not because your website is online that it is visible. There are millions of websites and it is unfortunately not all of them are fortunate enough to find themselves on the front page of queries. A good SEO is base on a complex algorithm and several factors are taken into consideration. With Webself, there are several elements that you can edit/add to ensure a better positioning.
So we will explore more in depth 8 elements that make a good Web SEO. The Keywords a word or a phrase that is entered by a suffer to search and find a website on the web. You must choose the words or phrases you want to be found on the search engines, and integrate them into your web content.
Choose your keywords
• Think about what your customers will type on the search engine to find your website.
• Make a list of all the words, phrases and words combinations.
• Do not accumulate the keywords: make a top 10 list and only focus on the best words and expressions.
The trend of research tends to expand over the years,it is therefore relevant for you to target the type of query which includes 4 t 6 words, because they will help you achieve a better result faster.
Write your content with the best keywords in mind. Those keywords and phrases should be included in your website title, description,URL and the page's title.
Be careful do not accumulate them, or make a list, because these practices are poorly see and you will be penalized.
Domain name
Another essential element for your visibility is your domain name. You must choose it carefully, since it is a factor to improve your SEO.
Example : restaurant75.com is an accurate domain name, but when you consider millions of restaurant websites, this is not specific to your business. Nameoftherestaurant-paris.com is much more accurate and includes keywords that will help find your website faster.
Tip : We recommend using a hyphen if you use multiple words for your domain name and also avoiding having a name too long or using special characters.
URL of the page
The URL address is the access path to your web page. By default, it is based on the page name, the address will be displayed like this: https://www.YourSite.com/URLofYourPage. For a good SEO, you can customize it by adding strategic keywords.
Basic principles :
• Choose a URL address that contains keywords or specific terms.
• Limit the length of your URL, so that it is easier for the visitor to remember.
• Separate words in URLs with a hyphen (-).
Title and descriptions tags
Title tag of a web page
The title of the page also called Title tag, is the primary data analyze by search engines. It is displayed for each search result entry and must describe accurately what your page is about. The most important Page Title of your website is your homepage.
Take the time to choose a title that is short and that corresponds to the content of the page. It is also preferable that it be different for each page.
Page description
The description of the page appears on the search engine results pages. The description should be short and concise, but should be in the form of a readable paragraph. It should contain between 70 and 160 characters. Do not forget to add your keywords, but they must be integrated in complete sentences and not in list form.
Principal title page (H1)
After creating your website, it is important to choose a good title for it. The ideal is to give your site a site that contains the keywords by which you wanted to be found on the search engines. Visually the title is also important because it provides a benchmark for internet users.
Alternative texts
Alternative texts are texts that describe the photos that presented on your website. In case the image is not displayed, because of a server overload or the page is on a screen reader for blind, the alternative text would be displayed and the information would not be lost. Alternative text is important for the SEO of your website, because the search engine robots evaluate the sites that are base on this criteria.
Favicon
A Favicon is the information icon that represents a website. Some browsers use the favicons in the address bar, tittle bar ,for bookmarks, tabs and other shortcuts.
Tip : the favicon help strengthen the brand image by associating an image with your website. Insert your logo as a favicon or create one that represents your business with your colors.
Content
Many people believe that optimization of their website starts once it is over. However you should start thinking about it when you start writing your content, since it is very important when search engines explore your website.
After identifying your main keywords, it is important to write your content around them. The more they are present in your texts ,the more the robots will consider them as relevant to your website. You must adapt the textual content of your website for the search engines. It is said that it must content between 3 and 5 % of keywords by which you want to be found.
Use your list of keywords and integrate them harmoniously into your texts. Do not overload your page with keywords or phrases, because it will be counterproductive. Search engines can analyze your content and determine whether the use of words is relevant or not.
When writing your content, make sure you are original and unique. Avoid copying content found elsewhere, because you will be penalized by search engines. You must also hover your content regularly and update it by adding new texts or pages, articles to offer new content to indexers,thus increasing your notoriety. On the other hand , do not forget that first of all, you write for humans and not for robots. Keep your texts readable , enjoyable and relevant.
Links
Use your professional connections to increase your visibility. Propose a link exchange and be present on the websites of your partners, suppliers,customers, etc. This strategy also called "netlinking" is to obtain a large number of quality links ( popular and relevant) to your website in order to improve the SEO of the website, while focusing on quality and note quantity.
Links are important in your optimization strategy because the search engines assume that the more links you have to your site, the more it is highlighted by others, which means that your content is rich and interesting. Links also allow to increase the numbers of visitors to your website. Indeed, if another website felt they should link its website to yours, it is that your content is relevant, and Google algorithm love the relevant content.
Directories
Most directories offers free registrations and SEO (via links), you only have to register! Some directories are paying, others are free, and others will also ask you to add a link to your website, to create a backlink and to validate the SEO of your website on their directory.
Tip: Like all good things do not abuse it. Google and its robots negatively detect the arrival of a large number of links to your site.
Blogs
A blog will improve the SEO of your website since you will add content on a regular basis. The more your blog contains relevant and interesting articles, the more you can gather an audience and the more likely it is to share your articles on the web.
Socials networks
Social networks are easy to access, free and widely used nowadays, so why not use them. Social network will allow you to share your website or articles for free while increasing your visibility on the web!
The most popular search engines consider the social network into the SEO in your website depending on the social activity on it. It is suggested to add social network buttons directly to your website so that people can talk about it or share it !
Tip: There are several social networks but choose only those that suit your target audience. Example : If you sell jewelry or highly visual products for women, Pinterest might be a better resource than Google+
Local SEO
Local SEO is to be more visible on search engines locally, close to your location. If you have a storefront , you must register for Google MyBusiness. This consists of appearing first on a specific query, on a map, due to your physical address. For example, when a web user makes a request like: French restaurant in New York, here is what will appear first , even before the other result, even those paying.
1. Having duplicate content
2. Making too many spelling errors
3. Having inadequate page titles
4. Using vague or generic keywords
5. Imposing music on your visitors
6. Having broken links
7. Having too many images ,photo albums or flash
8. Using too many colors
9. Having too many widgets on a page
10.Showing too much advertising
Google Trends
Google Trends is a free tool very useful for the SEO of your website. By making queries with different keywords, you will be able to observe their popularity and frequency in the search engines. The tool also allows to analyze these data by region or language. Knowing the researches of web users is a real competitive advantage in terms of digital strategy. The data is updated daily, so follow their evolution according to the news. For example, following a high-profile event, there may be a big change in the results on certain words or searches.
Google Trends is a great tool for:
• Search for keywords to improve SEO in the texts of your website
• List of most popular related words
• Determine exactly what your customers are typing when searching on Google, based on location and language.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool available for all website types. By entering the domain name, Google will provide you with data , tools and diagnostics necessary for the success of your website from the point of view of SEO. Formerly known as Webmasters Tools, Google search console will help you better understand.
MyPoseo
When you have all the necessary tools to optimize the SEO of your website, it is good to follow its position on the search engines. MyPoseo allow you to track your keywords according to your domain name. With this tool,you will have the chance to compare your positioning on several search engines, but also according to your competitors, in addition to obtain important statistics, for example charts of the evolution, the competitor's website who holds first place as well as search volume by keywords.
Adwords and Adwords express
Another tool to know is Adwords, Google advertising system. It can display text , image or video ads on search engines as well as partner websites. As an advertiser, you are only charged when the visitor clicks on your ad according to a bidding system defined for each keyword. It is also possible to create an advertising campaign that directly reaches a pre-defined audience, according to categories such as language, gender and age of the audience you want to target.
Although AdWords may be essential for your business, it is a little complex. Fortunately, there is another tool much simpler and easier to set up : AdWords Express. With AdWords Express, you can create advertising campaigns on Google and you only pay for the result, no additional costs. Just select an allocated budget for your ad and you have the option to edit, pause or delete the ad at any time.
In his constantly evolving algorithm, Google takes more and more into account the satisfaction of the web user. Which means that your website and your content must be optimized to ensure that the web user has an incredible experience on your website. He must find what he's looking for, no matter what device he's accessing, and quickly. So here are 3 criteria to consider when you improve the SEO of your website.
The mobile
Did you know that about 50 % of your visitors arrive on your website from a mobile or tablet? Since 2015, Google has decided that this percentage, which is only increasing, was a good guide and therefore began to take into account in its criteria the organic SEO.
What is a website that is not "mobile friendly" ? It is a website that is similarly displayed on a desktop, while the reading surface is much smaller. The content became small and unreadable, so you have to zoom and scroll the content vertically and horizontally. It is quite unpleasant, and it will encourage your visitors to go elsewhere.
Make sure to have a mobile version of your website that is performed: with the same (or almost) design as the desktop version, a larger font, image that are optimized for the sized of the screen and a structure easy to navigate!
Pssst: With Webself, we automatically generate a mobile version of your website. You can preview it, modify the structure, and remove some element that you think only necessary on the desktop version!
Download speed
Web surfers are more and more in a hurry! They visit your website in order to make a purchase, to find out about your services,to contact you for a quote, and this, quickly. You have to pay attention to the download speed, especially above the waterline, which means what the visitor sees without having to scroll.
In order to increase the download speed, make sure your content is not too heavy, including your images. They must be of good quality but not too big, because it greatly reduces the speed of a website. Same thing for content: keep your texts simple, short, and concise. Remember that your visitors are in a hurry, and unless you have a blog, you have to stick to the important information and delete all the extras!
Https
Since 2015 Google takes into consideration the https secure protocol. This technology ensures a secure connection between your browser and your website, and protects your visitors when they are on your website. When using the HTTPS, the data is encrypted and authenticated and secure.
Pssst: On the WebSelf side, your websites are automatically secured with this protocol!
Structure and ease of navigation
The structure is also important to ensure a good customer experience! When creating your website, bet on a structured navigation, with a clear menu, and your information divided into pages and sub-pages. The content must be accessible in less possible click, this will limit the bounce rate. The bounce rate is a web analytics indicator between the ratio of the total number of visitors and the number of visits to a page.
In addition, Google will judge your content as interesting, relevant and rich, which will have an impact on the SEO of your website.
If you've been there, you've probably figured out that a good SEO of your website is based on several actions, and a lot of effort is needed. The reality is that you will not find on the front page of search engine results overnight, but if you are diligent and you put time and effort, you will be rewarded!
Additional reading
Blog Posts
Everything you need to know about keywords
Mistakes to avoid doing while optimizing your website
How to optimize the SEO of your site using Alt text
6 Tips to improve your blog's SEO
The domain name
How to write your website content for a better SEO
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