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In this post, we’ll look at several other optimizations you can add to your content to help it rank so your target audience can find it more easily.
Content Updates
Some may have the mindset that you should delete all underperforming content or outdated pages in favor of brand-new content. However, this can be a bit of an over-exaggeration. If you had a dull knife, would you throw it away or take the time to sharpen it? You may think you’re saving time by just scrapping underperforming content entirely and starting completely from scratch. However, by taking time to really evaluate these pages, you may find that the content is still valuable and may just need a little “sharpening”.
For content that is already performing well and delivering traffic and conversions, see which areas can be fine-tuned. You can adjust the content for display on various platforms and this will encourage more traffic towards your website. If you aren’t sure how to sharpen or update your content, white label SEO services will help you to develop a plan.
NAP stands for name, address, and phone number. Local businesses that require physical interaction with their customer base need to display this information on their website in a clear and accessible manner. This information should stand out and customers should not have a difficult time looking for ways to contact you. You can display this information in a variety of ways, including header and footer content or by creating a clear navigation button.If you don’t have a Google local listing set up, a white label marketing agency can help you. Implementing the right local SEO strategies will allow your business to be more visible in local SERPs. If done well, your business could also show up in map packs (listings that show a map and 3 businesses underneath) when online searchers living near your area search for a keyword relating to your business.
Catering to National, and International Audiences
Your on-page optimization strategy relies on the audience you are targeting. If you want to attract national audiences, the way you build your site and create the content on your pages will be different from a business looking to draw international attention. With international SEO your pages will be optimized based on the country and language you are targeting. Your content should be displayed to that audience in their local language. Through the use of language tags, you can let Google know that multiple versions of your content exist.
You can adjust the content for display on various platforms and this will encourage more traffic towards your website.
Readability and Featured Snippets
Formatting can be equally important to the content on your website.Put yourself in the shoes of a searcher. You go on to a website only to find that the font they used is too small. You manage to read what it says, but it’s not the information you were looking for. You try to skim through the rest of the article but they don’t have proper subtitles or indicators to help you figure out what section you’re looking for. At this point, it’s too much trouble and you decide to leave the site and look for answers elsewhere.
The way content is displayed on a page could mean the difference between a successful conversion and the scenario I just described. Even if you produce high-value content that could help the site visitor, that effort is wasted if it isn’t readable. Additionally, you need to optimize your content with mobile viewing in mind.
Readability Principles
Text – If a user needs to zoom in to view your content comfortably, your page and maybe even your whole website need better formatting. These are simple text guidelines:
- 16 point font and above
- A readable font style (Calibri, TNR, Helvetica, etc.)
- If you choose any color besides black for your text, make sure that the color of the background contrasts with the text in a complementary manner.
- Use bold and italics to add emphasis to important points
- Refer to Google’s website accessibility guidelines for more text tips
Sections and Outlines – Organize your content with outlines, subtitles, and other forms of sectioning to let readers know where certain information is. This is especially helpful to those who skim content which happens much more often than you may think.
Information Organizers – These are lists (bullet points), tables, and other creative ways to arrange and display pieces of information in relation to each other.
Media – Not only are images, videos, and other graphics visually appealing and engaging, but they can also be helpful indicators of certain sections of content and what they cover. However, make sure not to flood your pages with images as they could distract rather than complement your content.
A well-formatted site with an intuitive structure has a higher chance of becoming a featured snippet or that box of text that sometimes comes up above other search results.
URL Structure
Formatting does not only apply to the copy of your website but also to the structure of your URLs. Because URLs are displayed on SERPs, they influence whether a searcher clicks on them and are a minor ranking signal for Google. However, URL formatting should be done primarily for the searcher rather than the engine. Below are some areas to apply this formatting:
When naming your URL make sure it clearly conveys the information on that page. Make sure as well that people can understand the contents of your page through the URL. Use separators, specifically hyphens, between words in URLs. Organizing your pages into folders to help visitors and search engines understand the topics of your content. Avoid putting dates in your URLs unless the content is reliant on it.
Make sure your URLs aren’t overly saturated with keywords. If your page name already contains the targeted terms, including them in your folders and subfolders seems redundant and unnatural to a visitor. You need to strike a balance where your URL is descriptive enough to be informative while not being overly saturated to the point where it gets cut off, anyway. Shorter URLs are also more “share-friendly”. Include location identifiers in your URLs, too. This could be the city/region where you operate.
As a white label agency, we can help make sure that these and other SEO strategies are utilized to their fullest potential.
