SEO Tips: The dos and don'ts of SEO

Making use of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is vital when compiling a website or web page. Unfortunately, it is not just about implementing the right keywords to boost your page ranking – you must be very precise to let your content shine. Here are some SEO tips.

1. DO: Use SEO analytics

Services such as Google Optimize and Google Analytics are built to show you data about your website, namely what draws people towards it. It may seem obvious, but use this as a blueprint for your keywords, so you know which ones help you.

2. DON’T: Overstuff keywords

However, going too far with them could look like a transparent attempt to exploit SEO. This could negatively impact your rankings and make the page seem unattractive – never prioritise SEO over a clear writing style.

3. DO: Keep user search intent in mind

On the topic of keywords still, you have to make sure your page is relevant to the searches it appears in. This might be a tricky tightrope to walk, but be mindful of how your content could potentially show up in searches it is not supposed to.

4. DON’T: Rely on external links

Generally, the last thing you want is to push people towards another website. Finding a way to keep all of the necessary content on your own site is a good way to solve this, especially as web crawlers penalise websites with excessive outbound links.

5. DO: Make your page mobile-friendly

Google has used mobile load-speed as a factor in determining rankings since 2018. This means your content has to be optimised not just for search engines but for mobiles to stand a significant chance of showing up.

6. DON’T: Ignore metadata

Metadata is more useful than you might think, as alt tags and meta-descriptions do a lot of the heavy lifting whenever you search online. Your keywords might be meaningless without the right page descriptions to complement them. SEO is a worthwhile endeavour but is just as sensitive as any other aspect of web design or marketing, and misusing it could drop you from page two of the search results to page six. For more on how SEO can help your site, contact the Mark 2 Creative Team.