In this podcast episode, Rebecca reviews the checklist she uses to optimize website content with her team at emagine. She’ll take you through a quick rundown of all the core elements needed to optimize web pages and blog posts.
On-Page Optimization Checklist
Researching Keywords
- Think about the keyword phrases your target demographic would use to find your specific content
- Review keyword search volumes in tools like SEMrush or KW Finder
- Review Google SERPs for Semantic ideas in FAQs (People also ask) and Related Searches
- If this is an existing URL, review Google Search Console to see what is currently ranked for the URL
Selecting Keywords
- Establish primary phrase – This is the highest level topic for the page
- Establish secondary phrases – These are supporting topics that naturally fall under the primary
- Validate focused keywords are not already ranking on another URL or assigned within Yoast
- Use keywords naturally throughout the content and do not focus on a specific keyword density (it no longer exists)
URLs
- Should include the primary keyword phrase
- Should be as short as possible
- Should not be more than 3 clicks from the home page
Header Usage
- H1 header – Only one per URL and should include the primary keyword phrase
- Semantic HTML5 subheaders with a proper outline structure
- Some subheaders should use keyword phrases and/or Semantically related terms
Introduction Paragraph
- Includes primary keyword phrase
- Make it at least 40-50 words
- Use it to set an overview of the article content
Readability
- Use keyword variations and/or natural variations of your keyword phrases
- Use short paragraphs and avoid very long stretches of text that will be difficult to read on mobile devices
- Use bullets or lists where applicable
Linking
- Use internal links to support SEO efforts of other content
- Link anchor text used to describe the destination page and focused keywords of said URL
- Only use one link per destination page
- Minimize links in the first paragraph to give humans and crawlers an opportunity to digest content
- Only include links that provide value to the human reader
Images
- Include images if available
- Do not allow them to be excessive and interrupt usability
- The image file name should describe the image and be short
- Image alt attribute should describe the image and only include a keyword if relevant
Meta Title
- Between 50-60 characters
- Include keyword phrase
- Written in title case
- Does not need company name or website name in all URLs
Meta Description
- Between 155–160 characters, however, Google will use up to 300 characters at times
- Include keyword phrase
- Written in sentences
- Describe the content so people know what they will receive once clicked
The Takeaway
Optimizing website content for search is something everyone can do, however, you do need a plan and a checklist to help make sure you don’t miss key items. Use this checklist as a guide and never compromise the user experience for SEO.
Today’s Episode Sponsor
A big thank you to Scripted.com for sponsoring season three of the SEObits podcast!
I’m very particular about who can sponsor our show and who I’ll put my name behind, however, today’s podcast sponsor won me over when I did a walk-through of their Cruise Control content offering. They had all the core ingredients for attracting search engines and appealing to the real humans we all want to convert.
Effective content marketing takes hard work, time, and expertise. The Cruise Control package offers all three. Don’t let content get in the way of achieving your SEO goals. Get help from the talented team at Scripted.com.
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