Simple SEO Checklist

SEO Checklist,

Zach Heller — November 7, 2016
— November 7, 2016


Search engine optimization today seems like an old hat strategy. It’s been around forever, right?


But still, so many marketers out there aren’t familiar with common SEO strategies. So we thought we’d put together a high-level checklist for marketers and small business owners looking to get the most out of their websites.


Keywords



  • Use Google Webmaster Tools to find out what keywords people are using to get to your website
  • Use a tool like Google’s Keyword Planner in AdWords to find other keywords that are popular in your industry that you’re not currently ranking well for
  • Use the research from the two bullets above to create a list of the “top” keywords and phrases that you want your website to show up for when someone types them into Google or Bing (there is no magic number, start with 10-20 and add as you go)
  • Use a tool like ProRankTracker to track where your website ranks for those keywords

Onsite



  • Work those keywords into your headlines where appropriate
  • Use those keywords in your website copy as much as you can without hurting the overall readability of your content
  • Publish blog posts or articles on topics related to those keywords
  • Add alt-text tags on all your images, using keywords where appropriate
  • Make sure each page on your site has a distinct purpose, with one or two keywords you would specifically like that page to rank for
  • Make sure all of your links are working, fix those that aren’t, and add more internal links from one page of your site to another
  • Create an xml sitemap that includes all the URLs on your website
  • Create page title and description tags that are unique to each page and tell users/search engines what that page is about
  • Create a mobile optimized version of your site
  • Simplify the code on your website so that it loads faster on all devices

Offsite



  • Create branded social media accounts and share your content there
  • Reach out to bloggers in your space to share content and generate inbound links
  • Submit your site to relevant business directories
  • Submit your sitemap to Google and other search engines
  • Keep updated business accounts on review and listing sites, like Yelp
  • Reach out to any website that mentions your business by name and ask them to link to your site
  • Write and submit content to blogs and articles sites that links back to your website
Digital & Social Articles on Business 2 Community

Author: Zach Heller


View full profile ›

(21)

You may also Like