The SEO Makeover: Six Factors to Keep in Mind When Redesigning Your Website
So you’ve decided to revamp your website! It’s a smart move. While a fresh design can give it new life online, ignoring SEO (Search Engine Optimization) during this process could prove costly. A site that ranks higher in search results means more organic traffic and potential customers. In this blog post we examine six essential SEO factors you must keep in mind during any redesign project in order to maintain (or even increase!) search engine ranking.
- Website Structure as the Foundation of SEO Success
Imagine your website as a house: its structure forms its base. SEO defines this framework through multiple key components like sitemaps.
Clear Folder Structure: When organizing folders on your website, be sure to do it logically and reflect its content hierarchy. For instance, if you run a bakery website, organizing it into specific folders for cakes, pies and bread will make navigation simpler for both visitors and search engines alike.
Keyword-Rich URLs: Your website’s URLs should be descriptive and incorporate relevant keywords that reflect its content, rather than generic naming like “page1.html.” This allows search engines to better comprehend each page while improving user experience.
Internal Linking Strategy: Internal links connect pages on your website, creating a user-friendly experience while helping search engines understand its overall structure. Strategically link relevant pages, creating a smooth flow of information while leading users (and search engine crawlers) toward your most essential content.
- Keyword Research: Determining Words Your Audience Searches For
Keywords are at the core of SEO, representing terms users type into search engines to find information. Conducting a keyword research exercise allows you to identify which terms your target audience is searching for and discover relevant ones through keyword research. Here’s how you should approach it:
Keyword Research Tools: There are various free and paid keyword research tools, such as Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush, available that help users discover relevant keywords, analyze search volume data and identify competition for those words.
Focus on Long-Tail Keywords: While high-volume keywords might seem attractive, their fierce competition makes ranking them harder and attracting qualified leads more challenging. Long-tail keywords provide better chances of ranking well and attracting qualified leads; instead of targeting “bakery,” opt instead for something specific such as “gluten-free bakery near me.”
Once You Identify Target Keywords: Once you’ve established a list of target keywords, integrate them naturally throughout the content on your website – this includes page titles, meta descriptions, headings and body text itself. Overusing keywords unnaturally (known as keyword stuffing ) may have adverse impacts on SEO so be wary about overusing them without prioritizing readability and user experience as priority goals.
- Meta Magic: Crafting Appealing Titles and Descriptions
Meta elements are pieces of information that appear in search engine results pages (SERPs) and play an essential part in user click-through rates (CTRs). Here are two of the most crucial meta elements:
Page Titles: These clickable headlines appear in search engine results pages (SERPSs). For your gluten-free brownie recipe, it would be useful to keep the page title concise yet informative while including your target keyword at the beginning. For instance, something like “Delicious Gluten-Free Brownies: An Easy Home Baking Recipe.” would work nicely.
Meta Descriptions: Meta Descriptions are short summaries that appear below your page title in search engine result pages (SERPs). Aiming to attract viewers, they should compel users to click your site by using clear and compelling language, highlighting benefits from content you are offering, and including a call-to-action (CTA). For instance, an appealing meta description might read like this for a brownie recipe: “Looking for an easy gluten-free brownie recipe that uses just simple ingredients yet yields decadent results?”
- Prioritize Engaging Content (and Make the Connections Count): Prioritizing Quality, Engaging Content
Search engines favor websites with fresh, informative and valuable content. Regularly producing high-quality pieces that resonate with your target audience is critical to SEO success – here are a few strategies:
Content Relevance: Focus on creating relevant content for your industry, niche and target audience. This could include blog posts on industry trends or product reviews as well as how-to guides or articles that address pain points for your target audience.
Content Optimization: Although keyword integration is important, prioritizing human-centric content creation takes precedence. Optimize your text by naturally weaving in targeted keywords without overdoing it with keywords and avoid keyword stuffing.
Content Freshness: Search engines favor websites with updated, relevant, and timely content. So make sure that you plan on keeping your website updated and relevant.
As you can see, there are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to redesigning a website. The actual design is only a small part of what makes a website useful. So while you have the opportunity, take these pointers into consideration when you redesign your website.
