To read more about how On-Site Optimization works, check out our previous blogpost, “How does Search Engine Optimization work?”
This is the MOST important part of the entire local SEO process. So, I will begin here and give you a few tips for on-site optimization.
Site Architecture
Go through your site architecture and hierarchy, and make it flow for search engines. Search engines, index websites based upon how people use websites. So when you’re thinking about this, think about your menu bar, and the hierarchy and the way that one thing leads to the next. Always be thinking, “If I were my prospect, what question would I be asking next.” And then place a link to that piece of content right there.
For instance, if you have an “about us” page then, you know, that page is about you. But then you might have a “services” page. Well that services tab can drop down, and list service one, service two, service three, and each of those can be separate pages, so you want to lead people from point A to point B, and then from point B to point C, because this is how we think. This is how we work. Rarely do we like to go back especially when we’re searching for local information. Rarely do we want to backtrack on the same website to try and find something else.
We just want it to be easy. Kind of like this…Click here, okay. Now click here, okay. Now click here, enter some information, and click here. That is good site architecture and hierarchy. Of course, there are tools that you can use to help you with this, and we can help you with it as well, but make sure that your website has a good site architecture, and hierarchy, and it will help your search engine optimization.
WordPress Websites.
I can’t stress this enough. WordPress was built to handle content, and content is what answers people’s needs, and gives them solutions. Therefore Google, and the other search engines love WordPress. Remember – Google wants to help people find the solution to their problem.
Furthermore, WordPress has thousands, and thousands of plug-ins that helps make your website become more powerful and dynamic. “WordPress SEO” by Yoast, is a very intuitive plug-in that helps you develop your content, and your web pages around SEO, so I highly recommend that little plug-in for your website.
Duplicate Content
Another thing you must avoid is duplicating content. You don’t want to duplicate content, or Google may feel like you’re trying to game the system and then they will give you a penalty. Copyscape is really good tool to use to check for duplicate content. You can learn more here: CopyScape.
Titles and Tags
When performing on-site optimization you should go through your page titles, your H1 tags, your header titles. Do this for every single page. You should have the key word that you’re targeting for that page in it’s title. You should also go through your alternate tags, and just basically tell Google what this page and this content is about. Don’t Spam it, just make it natural. Remember create your content for your reader, not for Google.
Link Building
Create inbound and outbound links. Inbound links help people go from Point A to point B to point C. Outbound links take the reader from your website out to somebody else’s website. Google wants to know that you are trying to help people, and providing outbound links to relevant articles on the internet is a way of helping people.
My next blog post, “On-Site Optimization – Part Two“, I’ll discuss local directories, Google Plus Local, and more! Stay Tuned!
This blogpost is an excerpt from our latest book Digital Marketing Secrets for Small Business. It tells about the latest in digital marketing and what you need to know to grow your business.
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