How to create an SEO-friendly website

What is SEO?

Before we launch into the ins and outs of how you can start putting together a show-stopping SEO strategy, let’s start by addressing what the abbreviation means. Standing for ‘Search Engine Optimisation’, SEO is all about driving higher numbers of organic traffic to your website from a targeted audience. From conducting in-depth keyword research to building links in order to improve your businesses’ credibility, we’ll tell you everything you need to know with this guide on how to create an SEO-friendly website. . 

What are the benefits of SEO?

So, why should you definitely incorporate SEO into your digital marketing strategy? With meticulous planning and by researching Google’s ever-changing algorithm, you’ll be able to improve your website’s visibility. By adhering to a search engine’s ‘rules’, it’s highly likely that your website will start ranking higher on Google, and you’ll consequently heighten your credibility in the process. 

How to make your website more SEO friendly

1. Keyword research

One of the first steps to creating an SEO-friendly website is keyword research, which is the process of discovering words and phrases that are relevant to your target audience. Think about what your target audience will be searching for (and to what extent) by researching search volume, evaluating the popularity and competitiveness of each – ask yourself, is this a keyword I’m likely to rank for? Just remember to avoid the traditional marketing tactic of keyword stuffing. This will end up having an adverse effect on your content, leading your overall website visibility to plummet. It can also make your work seem somewhat robotic, removing that personable aspect readers love. 

2. On-page SEO optimisation

Before you begin implementing your targeted keywords into your website’s content, start by structuring your article to visualise where they could be embedded. You should always include SEO keywords in the title tag and meta description, so that readers and search engines immediately know what the article will be about. Using SEO-friendly keywords where necessary throughout the main body of text is essential, however be careful not to keyword stuff.

3. Link building

Internal linking is another key aspect of creating an SEO-friendly website, being that linking to other pages on your website enables Google to crawl through the content, helping it to understand the page’s theme. Similarly, external linking, which is done when linking to pages outside your domain, helps to build your site’s ranking. However, always check the sources you’re referring to, and avoid providing any broken links or dead ends. This will affect crawlability and could end up negatively impacting your Google ranking – which is a no no. 

4. Creating valuable content

The next step to creating a brilliant SEO strategy is to provide valuable content that clearly explains the topic you’re writing about. This means being extra careful to double check for grammatical mistakes, avoiding using unnecessary repetitions of keywords and, most importantly, making sure you’re providing a high-quality answer to a search query. Share your work with another pair of eyes to confirm that you’re supplying relevant information, and always remember that you’re writing for your audience, not for yourself.

When writing website content that’s SEO-friendly, it’s vital to refer back to EAT (meaning Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) which is an important ranking factor. Be sure to double-check your work to ensure that you’re ticking off all three areas. For example, are other sources linking externally to your page? And are you making reference to other reliable sources? Consider how you could optimise each one to prove to Google that you know your stuff.

Applying YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) best practices to your website content is essential for any pieces you’re writing that could directly impact on someone’s wellbeing – think finance or health advice. If you deceive your audience in any way, or provide them with untrustworthy information that isn’t backed by facts, Google will pick up on it and give you a lower ranking. 

5. Structuring your website

Planning your website from an SEO perspective can be really beneficial when it comes to the crawlability of your site. Having a logical site navigation helps Google to find every page on your site, which will also boost your ranking. User experience and web navigation also goes hand in hand. If you have a well-planned navigation, it will be easier for users to find products on your site and can help to increase conversions. 

6. Optimise category pages 

The category pages within your site can be optimised to rank on Google – keyword research will help with this. Adding keywords to your category pages will help them massively, whether this is in the body content or headings – it is a vital part of SEO. Make your site SEO-friendly by improving the content and structure of all of the pages within your website.

7. Improving user experience

User experience (UX) is all about understanding how people engage with your website, adjusting certain design features to ensure smooth navigation. Before heading over to your own website, transport yourself into the mind of a member of your target audience. What’s the loading speed like? Does the layout support easy navigation? Is it mobile-friendly? All of these factors matter for SEO, and you’re more likely to outrank your competitors if you’re consistently making sure that your website is easy to use. We’ve discussed some of our top UX tips in a previous article, so if you want to provide your audience with the best digital experience possible, go ahead and check it out.

Tracking your results

Now that you’ve applied all of these SEO tactics to your website, don’t stop there and be done with it. Constant improvement is needed to keep up with Google’s ever-changing algorithm, so to stay on top of the game, check to see whether any changes you’ve made are generating results. Your job can be made a lot easier by relying on the help of experienced SEO professionals (that’s where we come in), who can provide you with the knowledge you need to ensure that your website is in Google’s good books. 

Set up a winning digital marketing strategy and get in touch with our friendly team of professionals today. We can create a plan that fits in with your business objectives, ensuring that you’re getting the most out of your website to generate real results. 

All Articles