You Can’t Trick Google

There are plenty of web design firms who also specialize in search engine optimization (SEO). Unfortunately, some of them engage in techniques that range from dubious to downright ineffective.

When hiring a web designer, make sure they’re expert in proven, above-board SEO techniques that are guaranteed to work. If your design shop doesn’t have in-house resources to do so, ask them for recommendations for an external SEO resource who can help both you and your designer optimize your site properly.

Here are some proven techniques you should expect from your designer or SEO company:

Develop Appropriate Keywords
Gone are the days of simply stuffing your site’s metadata with keywords to boost search rankings. Search engines are smarter now, and thus keywords must be utilized differently to be effective. Relevant keywords and phrases must now be included in the site content itself. To help determine what those keywords should be, you can use free tools like Google AdWords Keyword Tool.

Optimize All Pages and Page Titles
Page titles are the first thing search engines see when crawling your site. Make sure the titles accurately reflect the page’s exact content. For example, a page title like “Savings” probably won’t be as effective as “Online Coupons.” These same specific keywords and phrases should be reflected in the content on the relevant pages in that section of your site.

Label Links and Images
Search engines prioritize links partially by how those links are described: the little pop-up that appears when you hover over a link. “Learn more” isn’t as effective as “Find more information about online coupons.” And definitely stay away from “Click here,” as this is simply not enough information for search engines or users. Describe exactly what the user will get by clicking, and search engines will categorize and prioritize those links as well.

Create an Effective Site Map
Providing a site map not only helps users find what they’re looking for, but it ensures that search engines can understand exactly what is on your site, where it is and how all pages relate to each other. The more specific links you provide to deep content on your site, the better it will be spidered and thus the better search results will be delivered.