In most instances, it’s actually recommended that if you don’t have an in-house SEO strategy in place, then you should employ the services of a professional. However, there can be factors that make this difficult at times, so businesses are keen to know whether there are any strategies in place to help its SEO efforts when access to a professional isn’t available. Although the following can’t be relied on in the long-term, the tips will ensure that the basics of SEO are kept ticking over.
- Research Your Keywords
This is a common tip, and with good reason. Keywords are effectively the search terms that users enter when trying to find information, a product or a service. As such, you need to ensure that any content being created can make use of the right keywords, and this is where the research comes in.
You should initially have a brainstorming session, which will allow you to think of words associated with your product or service. Once you have an idea, you can then use an online keyword tool, such as ubersuggest or the Google Keyword Planner. This will give you a better idea of the terms being searched for and should allow you to come up with a reasonable number of keywords to use for future content.
It’s important that these keywords are used in the right context, otherwise you could fall foul of the Google search algorithm.
- Browser Caching
Browser caching is a great way of ensuring your website loads in the quickest time possible, as it will allow the browser to store information rather than it having to download the files from the server every time. If you’re unsure of how to implement this in a website, it can be worthwhile using a CMS solution such as WordPress and installing a plugin. You can set your expiration times, so if anything is updated on the website, then this will be reflected when your users visit the site.
- Optimise Your Website for Mobile Use
You may have spent some time on your current website, but if it’s not able to cater to mobile users, then it could be effectively useless. As more and more users adopt the online world, Google now favours mobile sites, with sites that only work via desktop coming after. As such, your priority should be ensuring that a mobile-friendly version of your site is up and running. If you’re using WordPress, then you will have access to thousands of different layouts that will adjust for mobile visitors.
- Make Use of Schema
Schema has been on the SEO radar for some time, but not everyone understands its importance. Schema offers a summary of your site for other users should anyone wish to use your content and helps inform search engines understand about certain elements of your website. For example, you could add information that relates to your locale, which would then place you on Google Maps.
Again, there are many plugins that can help aid new starters in optimising their information. However, if you’re keen to find out more, there are many guides online to help you get started.
