SEO is a field of online marketing that is constantly evolving, and there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to doing it effectively. However, there are some general dos and don’ts that you should keep in mind when optimizing your website for search engines.
Do:
- Do your research. Keyword research is essential for on-page optimization. In order to find the right keywords to target, use keyword research tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner and semrush.com.
- Do create keyword-rich titles and descriptions. Your title and description are two of the most important elements of your website when it comes to SEO. Make sure to include your target keywords in these elements.
- Do use header tags. Header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) are important for both accessibility and SEO. They help structure your content and make it easier for search engines to understand.
- Do use alt tags. Alt tags are used to describe images on your website and are important for both accessibility and SEO. Search engines can’t see images, so they rely on alt tags to understand what they’re looking at.
- Do link to other websites. Linking to other websites, especially those in your industry, can help improve your search engine ranking. Just be sure to link to high-quality websites.
- Do use social media. Social media is a great way to promote your website and content. Be sure to post links to your website on your social media profiles.
- Do regularly update your website. Search engines like websites that are regularly updated with fresh content. If you can, aim to add new content to your website on a weekly basis.
Don’t:
- Don’t stuff your keywords. Keyword stuffing is the act of cramming as many keywords into your website as possible in an attempt to improve your search engine ranking. This is a bad idea for two reasons. First, it’s not effective. Second, it will actually result in a lower search engine ranking.
- Don’t use too many keywords. Using too many keywords on your website can result in keyword stuffing (see above). Stick to one or two target keywords per page.
- Don’t use duplicate content. Duplicate content is when you have multiple pages on your website with the same or similar content. This is bad for SEO because search engines will only index one version of the page, and the other versions will be ignored.
- Don’t use black hat SEO techniques. Black hat SEO is the use of unethical techniques to improve your search engine ranking. These techniques include things like keyword stuffing, link buying, and duplicate content. Using black hat SEO techniques will result in a lower search engine ranking.
- Don’t neglect your website. Neglecting your website can result in outdated content, broken links, and a general decline in quality. This will hurt your search engine ranking and could even result in your website being removed from the search engine index altogether.
