Your website won't get much traffic if you ignore search engine optimization (SEO) in website design. SEO helps people find your website when they search online. Some small business owners allocate a percent of their marketing budget to hire a SEO consultant to optimize their website, and use other SEO tactics to gain more unique visitors. The more web traffic you can generate for your business, the more money you'll make, which is the goal of SEO. Start with your website design, by incorporating these 4 tips:
1. Use the Best Keyword Phrase for Each Page
The websites on the top two pages of Google didn't get there by chance. One of the reasons why the got there is due to using specific keyword phrases that the website owners targeted on those pages. Some entrepreneurs who are new to SEO and website design practices, write web pages without searching popular keyword phrases to include. For example, if you run an online floral shop, you should research which keywords buyers use the most to find an online floral shop each month. You can use Google AdWords to find out the search volume each month for particular keywords.
Some of your web pages should include at least one keyword phrase at least three to five times, such as "floral shop Atlanta" or "online floral shop." The goal is to show up in the first or second page in search engine results when someone types in the keyword phrase you select. The more content you have containing targeted keywords, the better. You should also title the pages using the keyword phrase. Find free tutorials online on how to research and pick keywords for SEO writing.
2. Meta Tags and Description
There's a debate as to whether meta tags and descriptions matter any more. It won't hurt to use them as part of your SEO and website design strategy, and you may rank higher in the end. Include keyword phrases in your meta tags and description, so that it's picked up by the search engines.
3. Optimize Video and Graphics
When you upload video and graphics, optimize them by writing a description. Write your keywords in the "caption" field, and also write a description on the page itself. The description should include the keywords. Search engines, like Google, really like it when your include more than just text on a page. They place more value on content with audio and visual material, and you'll rank even higher using SEO practices.
4. Modify Page Titles When Using Free Templates
There's no question that some free templates make it possible for many entrepreneurs to launch a website. SEO and website design elements have to be incorporated in those as well. WordPress templates are great to use because many of them are already optimized. If you're using other templates, don't forget to manually change the page titles for SEO purposes, by including the keywords you want to target.
If you're hiring someone else to build you website, make sure they have experience in both SEO and website design.
