Writing content is easy, but the real challenge is optimizing that content for search engines. This is where effective SEO practices come to your rescue!
You can rank your page higher in Google’s results and make sure that users can access it. Because let’s face it, if you aren’t ranking in Google’s top 10 results for your target keyword, the chances of a user reaching your content are pretty slim.
SEO best practices can help you lay the groundwork for your site while increasing its visibility in search engines. Here are a few effective SEO practices.
Understand Search Intent
Search intent (user intent) is the purpose behind a user’s search. When you understand search intent and satisfy it through your content, you will rank higher on Google search.
For example, if one searches for “how to make crochet bags,” the user is looking for informative blogs that explain the process of making crochet bags.
While on the other hand, if the user searches “buy crochet bags,” it means the user is looking for pages that sell crochet bags.
Therefore, you can align your content accordingly when you know the user’s search intent.
Title Tag and Meta Description
The page title and meta description are important meta tags on your page.
Your title tag is the clickable headline that appears in Google search. As it is the first thing that users see, it should be compelling and informative to persuade them to click on it. Google shows the initial 50 to 60 characters of a title, so make sure that your title is concise but descriptive.
Include your target keyword in your title while making sure that it matches search intent. Be wary of keyword stuffing, though.
Moving on to your meta description. While your title tag is the first thing a user reads, the meta description is the second one. It is a brief summary of your page and is displayed right below your title tag.
Google limits meta descriptions to 155-160 words, so make sure to write a brief and accurate summary of your content within the word limit. It should be unique and match search intent.
While meta descriptions do not influence search rankings, they can affect click-through rates.
Improve your Page Speed
Page speed matters, and if your load time is slow, it affects user experience, and increases bounce rate. According to a research by Google, increasing page loading speed by 0.1 seconds can result in an increase of 8% in conversion rates.
Longer load times mean more frustrated users and eventually a drop in Google ranking. There are various tools that measure the speed of your page, including Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
Look at these tips to increase page speed:
- Compress your images.
- Remove unnecessary plugins.
- Enable browser caching.
- Decrease the number of redirects.
- Decrease server response time.
- Reduce CSS and JavaScript files.
Final Word
With effective SEO practice, you can dramatically improve your page’s ranking on Google. We hope this post gave you useful tips to help you optimize your website.
