Custom web page design and internet marketing can seem daunting if you start by thinking you need to do a total overhaul of your current website. Relax. Relatively small changes can pack a big punch, and make a tremendous difference in your search rankings and business success. Here are some quick, no-nonsense ways to boost the search engine optimization (SEO) value of your site without scrapping it and starting over:
Take Another Look At Your Meta Description
Google anything. For example, if you Google “cats” right now with the movie Cats is in theaters, most meta descriptions–or the short descriptions you see right under search engine result links–will show a few brief sentences about the movie and/or musical. Go further down, and you’ll see links to veterinary services and breed information.
Your goal is to craft a meta description that is so relevant, useful, and to-the-point that users will know exactly what your website is about from just those two or three sentences. Be plain. Use a few key terms. Omit any extraneous information. If the user is confused or uncertain after reading those few words, they’re likely to move on to another website.
Update Your Blog Regularly
According to custom web designers a simple way to boost SEO without a lot of design know-how is to blog–and blog often! Businesses that blog have up to 434% more indexed pages on Google and other popular search engines.
A few quick pointers: Keywords are great–in moderation! Remember, Google looks out for inorganic and unnatural language. If the content is so packed with keywords that it is unreadable, Google will penalize you for it. Similarly, spelling errors, grammatical errors, and typos make a considerable difference–and can significantly lower your SEO value. Always use spell-check and review content prior to publishing. Finally, make blogs user-friendly! Always write about subjects pertinent to your business and useful to your customers. Use bullets, headings, and subheadings to make content digestible and easy-to-read. Use social media to encourage customers to interact with your blog posts!
Use Your Phone
Custom web page design and web design services agree: a site that shows up markedly different on your phone or tablet isn’t doing you any favors. Make sure your webpages can be viewed on a small screen without losing functionality. Elements like a drop-down menu are more popular on mobile sites because they allow users to search pages quickly and efficiently. The text should be big enough to read, even when you access sites using your smartphone.
Double-Check URLs
Using the right URL can go a long way to improve your search rankings. URLs should always match the exact content of the site. Avoid using words like “untitled” or “unnamed” in web addresses and also watch out for URLs that look like a bunch of random numbers and characters. Use clear, direct titles, and reuse them in URLs for the best SEO benefit.
Speed Matters!
If your website takes forever to load, that’s a problem. Sure, customers may get impatient or irritated–but Google is going to dock your ratings, too. Compressed images are a big culprit on slow-moving sites. Use free tools or work closely with custom web page design experts to identify your problem areas and fix them!
Use Audit Software
There are several programs that you can download and use to help determine what is impacting your ratings. For example, web pages without much content or with very little content at all hurt search rankings. These programs can help point out pages on your website that may be extraneous, contain duplicate content, or are otherwise unnecessary.
Custom web page design and search engine optimization can be simple–with the right tools and mindset. Blog more, check URLs for random characters, work on your site’s speed, and use software to scan pages for optimal SEO value for you.