Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Citation preview
SEO Your Home Page
David Rosam: Writing For SEO and Web Positioning Centre
I have a confession
• I got you here under false pretences• This presentation isn’t about SEO-ing
your home page
Most of these tips can be applied to your whole site
It’s even better value!
Some of what I’m going to say is about WordPress
But most of it will apply to any site and its platform
SEO: Search Engine Optimisation
• Done correctly, SEO will get you high positions on Google and other search engines
• Done wrongly, SEO makes Google put a thick, dark cover over your site and leave it to gather dust
Take my site
• Last week, the traffic looked like this:
• 82% from Organic Search
• 8% Direct
• 5% Social• 3% via
Links
Why wouldn’t you want that traffic?
Your top focus
• Great content– Better than your competitors– You should have a reason for everything
you put on your site• Will it appeal to your readers?• Does it fit with your content strategy?
What if you could make every piece of content you create work
harder for you?
Here’s what to do
• Make sure your site is working for you technically
• Pay attention to your title tags• Use h1 and h2 tags to format your
content• Write a unique Description for each page• Write great content• Put some natural links in place
Technical Stuff
• Can Google spider your content?– If it can’t, Google can’t analyse your site
and you won’t rank– Use www.spidertest.com to check– Are your URLs understandable?
Good and Bad URLs
• Don’t use URLs like this:– http:
//www.google.co.uk/search?q=bad+urls&oq=bad+urls&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3.3064j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=urls+google+doesn't+like
• Instead, set them up to be like this:– http://www.writingforseo.org/urls-google-l
ikes
• This is easy in WordPress
– Use key phrases in your URLs
Do it once
• Get the technical/basic stuff done once
• Do it right• Forget about it
• Use your time writing the best content you can
Title tags and Header tags
• Together, these tell Google a lot about your content
• They’re VERY IMPORTANT!• So spend time getting them right
– Now– With every post
Page Titles
• Those are the words at the top of your browser window– Or squeezed on to a tab
• <title> tags indicate what the title is• Check if your site has:
– a different title on each page– the title contains your most important
key phrase for the page
Header tags• Header (or Heading) tags are bits of HTML• <h1>This is a headline</h1>• <h2>This is a subhead</h2>• <h3>This is a smaller/less important subhead</h3>• You only need to worry about h1 and h2 tags• Your page shouldn’t be so complicated you need so many types
of headings• Google only gives extra weighting to h1 and h2 content• Put different key phrases in your h1 and h2 tags
More about tags
• On Writing For SEO:– Header Tags and How To Use Them In SE
O Copy– How Many H1 Tags Can You Have On A Pa
ge?– Make Title Tags Work For You– WordPress Timesaver for H2 tags
Write a Description
• No more than 160 characters• But aim for at least 150• Sell your page gently with benefits
and information– It appears sometimes on Google’s search
engine results and can encourage click-through
• Don’t worry about key phrases– This tag doesn’t help SEO
Making things easy in WordPress
• Use a plug-in – I use All In One SEO– Others prefer WordPress SEO by Yoast
• They make adding unique Title, Description and Keyword tag information easier
• Grab one!
Two Last Things...
• Put some real content on your home page– Not just bits and pieces like many
Ecommerce sites– A good chunk of copy – say 250 words – with
key phrases and header tags
• Are there any links to your home page?– Make one from one of your other sites– Publicise your content on Social Media and
let others make the links
Need to know more? Need help?
• More information about SEO-ing Your Home Page on my site Writing For SEO
• Sign up for my newsletter– Using the form on Writing For SEO – Leave me your business card
• Hire me for consulting, strategy or content
• Talk to me about coaching and training
Contact me
David RosamFounderWriting For SEO+(0)1273 [email protected]:www.webpositioningcentre.co.uk
Twitter @writingforseoFacebook www.facebook.com/WritingForSeoGoogle Plus www.writingforseo.org/googleplusLinkedIn www.writingforseo.org/linkedin
