7 steps to keep your pages search engine friendly:
- Keep your pages as uncluttered as possible.
- Use metatags.
- Aim to comply with W3C formatting standards.
- Research your keywords.
- Use correct grammar.
- Use synonyms and metaphors.
- Keep your text tight.
Writing search engine friendly content
1: Keep your pages as uncluttered as possible
Use cascading style sheets where you can.
These keep much of the formatting for your page separate from the content. The result will be text that is easier for the search engines to read.
Where you need to include formatting, for example, on page titles or text headings, decide on three or four different types, sizes or colours which you are going to use and stick to them. This keeps things straightforward for your human readers, as well as limiting the amount of code the search engine will have to wade through.
2: Use meta tags
These are invisible text headers at the beginning of each page which give the search engines more information about your site.
You can use these to explain many things including what the page is about or whereabouts in the world you are based – handy if you wish to address an audience which resides mainly in your own country.
3: Aim to comply with formatting standards
Make sure any coding you have added to format your pages is correct.
As the internet standards improve, the search engines will inevitably be programmed to favour pages which comply to the standards.
Try to make sure your site complies with WC3 readability standards – you can check each of your pages for errors using the WC3 mark up validation service at this address: http://validator.w3.org/. The content management systems we offer will be WC3 compliant, if you use them with the wysiwyg editors switched on.
4: Research your keywords
Take time to determine which words and phrases the visitors you wish to attract will type into the search engines.
The popular keywords may not be the ones which spring to your mind.
If possible, ask others what they would use. Consider using keyword research tools, like Wordtracker or - if you specifically need to search for a UK database of keywords - Trellian.
5: Use correct grammar
Construct your sentences properly.
The search engines follow the rules of good grammar to carry out Local Context Analysis.
If you want them to understand your pages, you need to use good grammar.
6: Use synonyms and metaphors
If you use the same key words repeatedly the search engines may treat them as stop words and ignore them.
Using alternatives reinforces what your pages are about, meaning they can be catalogued more accurately.
That said, be careful using colloquialisms, slang or less well known alternative meanings or contexts for common words.
7: Keep your text tight
Make sure you have clearly defined subject matter for each page and stick to it.
The more closely you stick to your chosen topic the easier it is for the search engines to catalogue.
Try our marketing workshops for FREE
The first FREE introductory workshop will cover the Business Posture section of the Strategy Builder training programme.
This 45 minute call will cover the following areas:
- Splitting your marketing activities into customer acquisition and customer nurturing marketing strategies
- Add clarity to your objectives by asserting a well defined USP
- Generate a business posture by presenting value and results combined with your passion to deliver
The complete workshop programme includes Marketing Analysis, Content Marketing, Information Architecture, Improving Communication and Measuring Success. These workshops can be arranged as 45 minute telephone / Zoom calls to be held once a week (a time and day that fits). Those companies who wish to take this further can arrange one-2-one training or join an existing workshop group held on Wednesdays or Thursdays.
