5 Ways to Optimise your SEO Strategy

Whether you are starting a new business or you are already part of an established business but need more traffic, one of the most effective ways to achieve this is through search engine optimisation (SEO). Are you confused as to why your website traffic is low, has a high bounce rate or isn’t ranking highly in search engine results? This is most likely due to your outdated SEO strategy. The world of marketing is never stable; changes happen consistently and SEO is a vital aspect to upkeep if you want to revive your business.

It is reported that approximately 93% of searches on the internet start with a search engine. The most common search engines include Google and Bing, as well as smaller sites such as Yahoo. For international audiences, search engines vary per country, where Baidu is popular in China and Yandex in Russia. It is also worth optimising your website for international SEO purposes, but this is another topic!

What is SEO?

For this article, I will outline the 5 best practices for search engine optimisation that are guaranteed to drive traffic, leads and conversions for your website. No matter the size, industry or budget of your brand, these are simple and cost-effective solutions to bettering your website quality and future prospects!

1. Page Loading Speed

   Did you know that almost half the number of users will leave a page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load, and the majority will never re-visit the website in the future? Having a slow page loading speed due to a large number of videos, images and plug-ins is very harmful for your bounce rate. Users will immediately dismiss your website and search for an alternative, harming both your rankings on search engines such as Google and Bing and your web traffic.

   By optimising your page loading speed, visitors will want to return to the page and this is more likely to end in a conversion or sale. Search engines will subsequently rank your website of good quality and you will appear higher in search results. For this, you will need to choose your website host and server very carefully, and ensure that your pages are not filled with irrelevant resources. This includes eliminating third-party apps, plug-ins and extra code, and instead enabling a cache and using HTTP2.

2. Keyword Research and Content

   Another way to ensure your website ranks highly in search results is by using relevant keywords in the copy. There are a variety of keyword research tools that allow you to identify common themes and questions involving a particular subject. Including these on your website allows users to find you through mirroring phrases and keywords. You can even view competitor research, to ensure that you aren’t missing out on audiences with the potential of becoming customers.

   You can include keywords in the main body of text, as well as headers and title tags. In order to create high-quality content for your website, it needs to be well-written and concise, without using keyword stuffing. This is where many businesses make the mistake of writing irrelevant content and solely focusing on repeating keywords; search engines are able to detect this and it will have the opposite effect of ranking lower.

3. Optimised Titles and Meta-Descriptions

   Using this keyword research, you equally need to make sure that your titles and meta-descriptions are optimised, both on-page and in search results pages. The best practice is to use keywords, figures and call-to-action phrases, to catch the attention of a user and outshine other competition on the page.

   An aim of SEO is to make your website as eye-catching as possible, so using SERP optimisation tools allows you to create listings that will stand out from the rest. This will place your website above other competitors and your CTR is guaranteed to soar.

4. Local SEO

   Whether you are a small or international business, it is always a good idea to think about local SEO. When users search with more of an intent to purchase or find a location, Google will provide local results. Search engines understand that customers are looking for business suggestions in their area.

   You can start by including the exact address of your business, or if there are multiple locations, a map allows users to browse the nearest building. This address, along with your company phone number and other personal details should all be added to local directories. This is particularly useful for Google My Business, where 90% of searches are carried out on this search engine. You can also include company reviews from Google, Facebook and TrustPilot to gain trust from your customers.

5. Mobile Optimisation

   Did you know that most searches from the present day are carried out on a mobile phone device, rather than a desktop or tablet? With this in mind, it is essential to optimise your website for mobile app users, seeing as this will encompass the majority of your target audience.

   As 60% of Google searches now come from a mobile, the design, structure and layout of your website need to complement the device. Responsive web design relies on the page’s ability to change and adapt according to each device, so that your website is easily accessible for everyone. This could relate to horizontal and vertical perspectives, font size and interactive button features.

How can we improve your SEO strategy for your business?

At Assemble Digital, we offer free SEO audits for every new client, in order to determine why your website is not ranking as high as it could. We are highly skilled in analysis and can decide for your business if it is best to run a technical SEO audit, local SEO registration or content audit. We create interesting and high-quality copy for your pages, ensuring that they are visible on search engines.

Take a look at our SEO Services page to read in further detail about each individual service that we offer. Whether you are a start-up or long-standing, established business, search engine optimisation is vital. We can use your budget wisely and spend it on the areas that will have the most positive effect.