Search Engine Optimization can get overwhelming especially if you’re just getting started. There over 200 ranking factors Google takes into consideration for each website.
With so many issues to address things may get complicated and you tend to loose sight of what’s truly important for your website.
So in order to simplify this for you, here are the 5 SEO factors you should begin with when optimizing your website:
1. Content
I will put content first because this is one of the main indicators that Google takes into account when showing your website for specific keyword searches. John Mueller, Webmaster trends analyst at Google, stated that content should be unique, compelling, and high-quality.
2. Loading speed
Under 2 seconds. That is the ideal loading time for a webpage. However that is hard to achieve, event with just a basic presentation homepage. As long as you keep it under 3 or 4 seconds you should be fine.
In order to achieve a high loading speed make sure you don’t upload images with a large file size (the ideal size should be under 100 kb), that you optimize the rendering process and that you keep the above the fold content as simple as can be.
3. Meta tags
Meta titles and meta desriptions continue to be among the top 5 SEO factors for Google. These are the main indicators for ranking.
Make sure your meta tags are relevant, different for every main section of the website and explicit.
4. Sitemap
The sitemap is another powerful tool for search engine optimization. This file can tell Google what and how to index. So you need to make sure after every structural change to your website that you also update the sitemap and resubmit it for indexation.
If you run an online store, make sure you use canonincal tags for identical or duplicate pages.
Also make sure your links have relevant names. Usually you can use the meta title for the link as well.
5. SSL
Security is a big deal for Google and it should be for you as well. Using an SSL certificate for your website will increase traffic, improve ranking and conversions.
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Remember these aren’t the only SEO factors, but they are the first you should look into when first optimizing your website. Once you checked all 5 you should see an increase in rankings after 1 to 2 weeks.
Good luck!
Marele Diminutiv 