Your website was designed with your clients and customers in mind. Therefore, it should be visible and easy to find. This is why search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most important tools you have to market your website. Good SEO will help you bring in the right traffic so that you can gain visibility, increase sales and grow your business.
It’s time to get your website ranking, and we’ll show you how to do it! Successful websites start with the right ingredients, which include a website designed with SEO in mind. Below are the essential steps you need to know.
Create Quality Content
A great website starts with great content. This is why we at Magna Technology ask for content upfront so that we can start incorporating it into your design. Search engines are always on the hunt for quality content that makes their users happy, so you can expect your efforts to pay off.
Just be sure that you follow the best practices for SEO, as keyword stuffing is no longer the way to get ahead. While it’s not an exact science, Google looks for high quality, original content that puts readers first. Of course, you’ll still want to drop in keywords when appropriate, as the search engines still look for these to understand content.
Add Social Proof
Roughly 88 percent of consumers trust user reviews just as much as personal recommendations. Be sure to add social proof to your website in the form of testimonials, case studies, trust badges, certifications, user-generated content, ratings and awards. The goal is to show that you are a reliable brand that people trust
Choose a Legible Font
Pick a font that not only looks great on your website but is also easy to read. The goal is to ensure that people are comfortable spending time on your website. Make sure your body texts are no smaller than 16 pixels and use fonts with simple patterns and shapes. Also pay attention to other small but important features like white space, contrast and spacing.
Use Headers to Create a Hierarchy
Many people who visit your website will be skimming through, which is why you’ll want to include headings and subheadings in your content. This way, readers can skip to the parts they’re interested in.
But it’s not just people who use headers – the search engines do, too. By including H1, H2 and H3 headers in your content, Google can better understand the hierarchy and flow of your information
Fill Out Your Website’s Metadata
Metadata refers to descriptions added to your website’s pages. While they aren’t visible on the page, they help Google understand the content so they can show it to the right users. This way, your pages are more likely to appear under the right queries. Take some time to fill out the following:
- Title tags
- Meta descriptions
- Alt text
- Structured data
Practice Internal Linking
Internal links connect one page on your website to another page on your website. They are a critical part of your design, as they help users find the information they’re looking for and spend more time on your site. They also help the search engines understand what your pages are about and how they are related.
Choose Seamless Architecture
The architecture of your website should also be seamless, allowing users to find what they need in as few clicks as possible. To help users navigate your site, include navigation menus, categories and subcategories, tags and descriptive labels and a sitemap. Your site should also be mobile friendly and display consistently across all devices.
Create an SEO-Friendly Website Today
Building a website with SEO in mind is the best approach. You’ll have less work to do on the back end of things, and your website will rank faster in the search results. To discuss your web design project, contact Magna Technology today. We design fast, optimized websites that rank well and include good SEO practices.
