The SEO Crash Course: Step Two
Keep your SEO goals in mind while you develop your website. Search engines look for quality content, so you must ensure your layout follows your SEO plan. Using the right tags during the build helps search engines understand the value you offer to your customers. When you focus on clear structure, you create a better experience for your users and improve your online visibility.
Making the Most of Title Tags
Title tags are one of the most important parts of SEO. They are the first thing a search engine sees, and they appear as the main link in search results. A good title should be clear and get straight to the point. For example, a local business in Napier should include its name and city in the title.
Always put your most important keywords first. This helps search engines weigh your content correctly and helps users find what they need quickly. You can also add a few descriptive words before your business name to help your page stand out. Keep your title between 10 and 80 characters so you do not get penalised by search engines.
Mastering Your Meta Tags
Meta tags are often misunderstood, but they are vital for your site's success. There are three main tags you should include on every page: description, keywords, and robots. Other tags like "author" or "date" do not add much SEO value and are mainly for your own internal use.
Creating a Great Description Tag
The description tag is the short blurb that people see under your title in search results. You want this text to be helpful and concise. It needs to tell users exactly what they will find on your page so they feel confident clicking your link. Aim for a length between 20 and 200 characters to ensure search engines display the full text properly.
How to Use Keywords and Robots Tags
Your keyword tag should list the most important words from your page. These are usually words that appear more than once in your text. Do not use common words like "the" or "and" in this list. Like the description, keep this tag between 20 and 200 characters to stay within the recommended limits.
The robots tag tells search engine bots how to treat your page. It tells them if they should index the page or follow the links on it to find more content. While many people use robots.txt files now, it is still best practice to include this tag to keep your site health at a high standard.
The Golden Rule of SEO
The most important rule is to make sure your tags match your content perfectly. Your title, keywords, and description must all reflect what is actually on the page. This consistency helps search engines trust your site. It also ensures that your readers find exactly what they expect, which leads to better engagement. By using short sentences and simple words, you make your message easy for everyone to follow.