You recently had an idea that you are actualizing and you need a website for it. Coming up with a site is easy as people may think but what matters is how you optimize it. A web developer comes in handy, but an SEO content creator will help with the optimization process.
Everybody is always fighting to have their pages rank highly on Google. But what are some of the things that affect a site’s ranking?
- Page Loading Speed
Google has a ranking algorithm which takes into account various aspects. One of the issues is the website’s page loading speed. Every second literally counts when it comes to potential clients visiting your site. It is recommended that the site loading speed should around three seconds.
People are attracted to a site that loads faster. They will be more interested in what to offer which increases the dwelling time (amount of time people stay on your site). On the other side, if your site takes long to load, the bounce rate will be higher which makes you not rank highly in Google.
As of January 2018, Google announced that they would also use the page speed for mobile search ranking. As such, it’s essential to find ways of increasing your site’s speed. Google has a tool for rating your site. Google Speed Insights helps you identify what issues are causing the slow loading rate.
- Web Design and Layout
Many people think that they can just download templates for their site and use them on the site. However, getting a professional web designer is recommended. Just the same way getting an efficient laptop for your business to avoid driver power state failure as explained in https://techloris.com/driver-power-state-failure/, hiring a web designer is equally as important. They are aware of what would fit your site depending on what products or services you offer.
A user-friendly layout helps improve the user experience. People are visual. As such, it’s vital to ensure that your site looks professional and appealing to your audience.
Layout could mean:
- Font size. Make it easy to read.
- Paragraphs. Make the paragraphs short.
- Bullet lists are recommended for clarity.
- Relevant Content
Is the content on your website relevant? Relevant content equals more dwell time for visitors. People are continually looking for compelling content. Having content that will convince your visitors to stay will increase the amount of time they stay on your site.
Google also checks for the dwell time when it comes to page ranking. By content, it doesn’t mean having 5000 words in content. If it’s helpful to the readers, then they will keep reading it.
- Constant Content Updates
A site also needs to be active. You have to update content on your site regularly. This way, it becomes evident that your site is active. Since Google monitors the activity level, it’s important to post content as well as make necessary updates of the site.
- Image Optimization
Keep image sizes at a minimum as this is a great help to users who are on slow connections. You could save them in JPEG format. If you are using Photoshop, use CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+S as a shortcut for saving the optimized images. There are also plugins available that you can use for image optimization.
Images are a translation of quality content. They can help in enriching the user experience. The photos you choose for your site should be clear and relevant to your audience. Such are some of the overlooked factors that will attract them to keep reading your content and even buy your products.
Also, you could consider putting up videos to explain a point on your content. The conversion rate will ultimately be higher if you keep your visitors interested.
- Keyword Choice
Identifying what keywords suit your site is one of the most crucial things to do to acquire a good ranking. What keywords do you intend to incorporate on your site? Come up with a keyword that best suits your site. Search for that particular keyword on the search engines to know who your competitors are. Check their websites and see what they are doing right. Look at some of their loopholes and leverage on that.
Getting a suitable keyword will help you drive traffic to your website. Also, you will get the right kind of people. You can go for long tailed keywords as they are easier to get ranked and are less common. For example, if you own a hotel in Maui, you can go for ‘the best hotel in Maui’ as this is a long tail keyword.
- Outbound Links
Which sites do your outbound links lead? Having links from trusted sites helps the site’s ranking. Having relevant links that are in line with your site as this helps search engines have a good idea of what your site is about.
Website optimization is undoubtedly unavoidable. Do it right and see your page rise above the rest.
