SEO Hints & tips; where to start

Hints & tips to help you improve your SEO and get your website ranking higher on Google's search results for the keywords that matter to your business.

SEO (search engine optimisation) is a buzzword banded around a lot with lots of conflicting advise and technical jargon on the best way to optimise your website. It can be confusing to know what to do to improve your Google rankings.

Where to start
Before you begin, work out what keywords you want to target and what search terms you want your website to rank highly for. eg: estate agents in Fulham or property for sale in Fulham.

What should I target?
It's important to target specific keywords and phrases that you know your potential are searching for. Not what you think they are searching for.

In order to help you understand how many searches are being carried out each month for certain phrases and keywords, you can use a free tool in Google's Adwords platform. You don't need to start an ad words campaign, simply setup a Google Adword's account and use the free tool to find out how many searches are being done each month for various keywords and phrases.

You can also use this free online tool https://searchvolume.io/ as well if you don't have or don't want to setup a Google Adwords account (although the Google's Adwords tool itself will be more accurate)

What should I do once I know my keywords?
You should start to use those keywords and phrases in your website page content (the literal text on your website pages). Make sure you're using the relevant keywords and phrases on the appropriate page. For example, there's no point talking about property for sale in Fulham on a page related to advise for tenants.

The word content you use on your website is the most important thing you can do to help boost your SEO

Top Tips

• You should have a list of the keyword search terms you want to target. You should know where your website currently ranks for those search terms (eg: Page 1, position 8) so you can track what effect any changes you make to the website are having on your google ranking so you can measure it's success (or not)

• Ensure you are using the word content in the correct places. For example, you should ensure the specific keyword phrases are used in the Title, Window Title and Meta Description fields within VIA for your website Pages and Items

• You can tag any media you upload to VIA with keyword search terms. Once you have uploaded your media, click the image and rename it using keywords. This will help your website's SEO by using a trick called "alt tagging." It will mean your media will begin to appear in Google image searches as well