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Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's algorithmic search results. Google analyzes over 200 “signals” about your web site, and there can be up to 50 variants within each signal. Trying to optimize your site can get very messy if you chase the algorithm. 

SEO can help your site or blog move higher in the search engine result pages (SERPs). Here are a few things you can consider.

On the page ranking factors - things you control on your site

  • Content Quality/Living Content
    • Is your content high quality? 
    • Is it unique and authoritative? 
    • Does it get updated regularly if not frequently? 
    • Have you asked peers to review your work?
  • Content Research/Words
    • Have you searched for content similar to the page on which you are working?
    • How did you find the content? 
    • Are there keywords that you should be using to help people find your content?
  • URLs, Page Titles and Headers and Meta Data
    • Does your page URL describe the content?
    • Are your page titles descriptive?
    • Do your page titles contain keywords?
    • Have you added meta data to your page in page properties?

Off the page ranking factors - things that are controlled from off your site

  • Link Quality/Text/Quantity
    • When someone links to you, what words do they use?
    • Are the right sites linking to you?
    • How many links are there?
  • Who is sharing your content?
    • Are the people sharing your content reputable?
    • Are social networks sharing your content?
    • Are you sharing your content?

Things to avoid

  • Thin, fake or hidden content
  • Paid Links/Link spam
  • Blocked by user

Our Content Quality Checklist - things we suggest you consider when working on SEO

  • Keyword-rich page name
  • Well written and consistent content that is regularly updated
  • Appropriate media with captions or transcripts
  • Use of popular search words
  • Concise, authoritative and referenced

Take the time to add Metadata

  • Take a few minutes to add unique and relative Keywords and descriptions
  • Focus on unique terminology
  • Keep your keywords concise and relative to your content
  • Make sure your description conveys only the content on your site

Other, design suggestions

  • Accessible content
  • Usable design
  • Site-wide consistency
  • Remove it until you improve it

Further Reading