If you’re going into 2022, still feeling that you’re invisible online, stop and take a look at your website. If you’re not getting impressions or click-throughs, chances are your on-page web content or metadescriptions isn’t optimized for SEO.
If 2021 didn’t result in more leads, clients, or opportunities to grow your brand, I recommend taking a look at how well the SEO of your site is performing. With SEO which stands for Search Engine Optimization, you are trying to convince the search engines that your website or blog is useful and should be ranked for certain keyphrases.
There are many ways to go about a site relaunch. Experts recommend focusing on the branding “feel good” elements that build a strong User experience and a connection. If however one of your goals is to boost your SEO ranking, then keywords and phrases
If you’re planning on doing a site relaunch in 2022, take a look at this SEO checklist broken down into 3 areas: keyword research, content, and WordPress SEO. And when it comes to optimization, all three are necessary for SEO.
Keyword Research
- Make sure the top-performing pages of your website answers a primary search query. Start by reading through your content and ask yourself what is the main problem area impacting your target audience? If you aren’t sure which keyword drives web traffic, you need to do some keyword research. It should NOT be skipped.
- Make sure your top-performing pages are optimized with money or transactional keywords and phrases. Money keyphrases have a high conversion rate because they’re transactional especially when used as a Call-to-Action (CTA). Use them strategically to complete the consumer buying cycle.
- Make sure the URL of your site has relevance for Google. Google likes direct authoritative queries. It doesn’t like esoteric cute search terms. People aren’t actively searching for information this way. Think like a User.
- Use direct search terms in your title and metadescriptions for the same reasons mentioned in #3.
Content
- Make sure your website has at least 1 optimized pillar page. Also known as service pages, pillar pages are super popular prime real estate on a website for conversion and a great opportunity for a prospect to get to know how you can help them. They build product awareness but also brand awareness.
- Look for opportunities to build FAQ pages or even mini-FAQ pages. These key pages are another conversion opportunity to build a relationship with a prospect or existing client. They engage, educate and convert at the same time. Finding a question in your keyphrase research allows you to capture visitors at all phases of the sales cycle. can also be a keyphrase so be sure to consider these in your research.
- Build credibility with a business blog. Many businesses feel comfortable with the “how-to” type content because it reflects the way user search for information, but don’t forget to add CTA (call-to-action) sprinkled within the post and/or at the end.
- Make sure you strategically insert a variety of keywords including primary, secondary, related words, and synonyms. Gone are the days when Google would rank content if the keyword matches the exact search queries. Now higher-performing articles rise in the search engines are content-rich.
- Optimize Headlines. 90% of people don’t click on blog posts unless there is a compelling reason for doing so. CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer – takes the stress out of headline writing
and gives you the data you need to write a clickable headline.
• Is your headline the proper length?
• Does it include power words?
• Is it easily skimmable?
It shows what your headline looks like in email and Google’s search results.
WordPress SEO
- Optimize the title, meta-title, description (WordPress). The title is what shows up at the top of someone’s browser bar. Instead of something like, “A random memoirist’s musings…” your blog might be called “Felicia Cohen’s Memoir.” The metatitle shows the name of your webpage. Your SEO Description – keep it to under 175 characters, with the primary keywords/keyphrases at the very beginning. This number keeps changing. Shorter is better.
- Consider an internal linking strategy which is also important for boosting your SEO. This helpful post from RedTree gives additional ideas for strategizing the internal linking of a website.
The importance of SEO to a business and for your overall website performance SEO cannot be underestimated. If you’re looking for help with SEO Business services to get your website up and running in 2022, reach out here.