Basics to improve your SEO

In the crowded online space, simply having a website isn’t enough—ensuring it’s easy to find is what truly matters. With countless sites vying for attention, optimizing your website for search engines like Google has never been more important. Whether you’re launching a new site or fine-tuning an existing one, these 10 SEO strategies are designed to help you climb the search rankings and attract more visitors. From enhancing titles and descriptions to eliminating broken links, each tip will make your site more search-engine friendly and visible. Let’s get started!

The Basics

  • Optimize Your Website Title and Description
    Ensure your website has a clear, compelling title and description. These are crucial for ranking on Google and attracting visitors.
  • Add Descriptions to Every Page
    Utilize the SEO settings available in your web-building platform (e.g., Squarespace) to add unique descriptions to each page. This improves visibility on Google.
  • Review and Refine Your URLs and Slugs
    Check that your URLs (or “slugs”) are descriptive and relevant. For instance, ensure your services page URL is something intuitive like “mywebsite.com/services.”
  • Rename Images with Relevant Keywords
    Google indexes image titles, so rename files with descriptive, keyword-rich names instead of generic ones like “d432.jpeg.” For example, label your images with names like “classic-logo-design.”
  • Fix Broken Links
    Go through your website to ensure all links are functioning. Google penalizes sites with broken links, which can hurt your rankings.
  • Craft Searchable Blog Post Titles
    Title your blog posts with keywords and phrases that users are likely to search for on Google. For example, “How to Build a Digital Marketing Strategy” is better than a generic title.
  • Include Your Business Location
    If your business has a physical location, make sure it’s prominently displayed on your contact page or in the footer of your site. This helps with local SEO.
  • Submit Your Sitemap to Google
    Submitting a sitemap is essential for helping Google understand your website’s structure, making it easier to index and improving your discoverability.
  • Build High-Quality Inbound Links
    Focus on acquiring inbound links from reputable websites. This can be done through partnerships, guest blogging, and earning mentions on other high-quality sites.
  • Create and Maintain High-Quality Content
    Regularly publish valuable, keyword-optimized content. Consistency and quality are key to improving your website’s SEO and maintaining high rankings on Google.

Conclusion:

Improving your website’s SEO doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By taking it step by step and applying these tips, you’re setting your site up for better visibility and higher rankings on Google. Remember, SEO is a long-term game—consistent updates, fixing those pesky broken links, and refining your keywords over time will pay off in the long run.

Don’t stress about getting everything perfect right away. Start with one or two changes and build from there. As you continue to optimize, you’ll likely notice an increase in traffic and engagement. And if you ever have questions or need some extra guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out or drop a comment—I’m always happy to help. Best of luck with your website, and here’s to seeing it soar in the search results!

Picture of Sally Selveri
Sally Selveri

Design and marketing expert