Getting to know SEO: Optimising your site for Google and people

It goes without saying that Google is the most used search engine in the world. A report from netmarketshare shows that over 73% of desktop and laptop internet searches, and a whopping 81% of mobile searches were performed on Google in 2018. 

These numbers are impressive, so you’d be forgiven for immediately thinking you should perfect your site for Google searches alone. However, there’s balance to achieve between creating a Google-friendly site and optimising your content for the people who are ultimately performing Google searches; your customers.

 Below are some simple tricks to help you get the basics of a Google and audience friendly site off the ground. With this information you can tackle bigger SEO learnings such as Google’s SEO starter guide. 

Provide visitors with clear information
According to Google, this is the single most important thing to do. Particularly your homepage, your site should give visitors clear, useful and accurate information on topics they’re specifically seeking. By creating pages that fulfil the needs of reader you’ll encourage sharing and linking to your site, which improves your overall ranking.

Create an SEO keyword guide
To re-iterate, Google is only finding the search terms and keywords that people are typing, so when it comes to SEO keyword always write for people first. While you should avoid using words that are never or infrequently used, it’s important to balance your content with words that are brand-specific and generic.

The simplest way to build a keyword list is start a spreadsheet. By consistently adding target words to use in your text, you’ll soon have an inventory of words that you can rank according to importance.

When would your website require editing?
If your site was originally written by a non-native English speaker or translated by an agency it is a good idea to have your website reviewed by an English copyeditor. This will ensure the copy is crisp and reader-ready before your site goes live.

Often text translations are done by non-native speakers, and agencies choose direct translation over transcreation. This frequently results in unnecessarily lengthy paragraphs, jumbled sentences and lost messaging.

Don’t forget about metadata
Website metadata is the information that appears on search engine result pages (SERP) when someone performs an internet search. These appear as a title, description and keywords. When writing metadata it’s important to again think people first. 

Title and description metadata give the reader information of what is on a webpage. So, if you’re creating a contact page, make sure you include your company name, location and keywords such as contact us, call now or address. This will ensure your site appears when a client does a Google search for this information.

Create quality content
When you create great content that audiences’ value you generate engagement, and we all know that an engaged visitor likes, comments and shares what they read. The more your content is shared and linked, the better it ranks on Google. 

Create a content strategy
A structured content strategy will help you post relevant content at consistent intervals, so your readers know when to check back for new posts or updates. Using a scheduled posting calendar, you can plan topics, research strategies and prepare your online presence to better engage with your audience.

A content strategy will also ensure your SEO keywords are refreshed, divers and ready for Google (and people) searches.

Holistic approach
Hidden Champion takes a holistic approach to web design and can help you build a site that meets all the requirements for great SEO ranking. Give us a call today and let’s discuss how we can work together to get your business seen.