Search Engines are constantly refining the way the compile the results that you see when you search. The results displayed in the body of the page are known as organic results as opposed to Adwords, the paid sponsored results at the top and right side of the page.
An Algorithm is what drives these organic results and it is fairly complex. There are some components which we know the current algorithm is factoring in to these the results. The weighting on these is subject to change at any time and these changes are not divulged. Through research we have a fairly good idea of what they are looking for. Below is a guide for you on how to help your organic SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) results.
Search engines are driven by the phrases we put into the search box on the search engine we use. Historically around 50% of searches were unique phrases that had never been searched before. Recently with the launch of Google Instant and auto fill search boxes phrases are suggested for you. The result of this means that proper phrase research is becoming even more critical.
The aim is to work out what the phrases are and then to load them into key areas on the website.
A great resource in working out the phrases that are applicable to your business is the Google Adwords tool. You need to have a Google account and be logged in to use the tool. N.B. You do not need to have paid Google Adwords to use this tool.
These SEO phrases that you select need to go into 3 places.
- SEO Title
- Paragraph 1
- Meta Description
Ideally the phrases or at least variations of the phrase need to be also found in the:
- H1 (or Page Heading)
- Fully content body
The Jojo CMS which is used for all WebMadeSimple websites has fields to make it really simple and easy to SEO your website. The Jojo CMS will also intuitively populate these fields if you leave them blank. There are counters beside the SEO Title and Meta Description and these relate to Google which has about 90% of the search market in NZ. These may vary across different search engines such as Bing!
SEO Title
This sits under the Page Heading in the CMS.
This should include the key word(s) relating to this specific page that people are likely to search for i.e. “Wedding Photographer”. N.B. make sure these are the key word(s) are terms that your clients would use, not necessarily what you in the industry call things.
We recommend you start with your preferred search phrase, This is limited to a total of 70 characters minus “ - YourSiteName”. In the example site this is 57 characters.
You can see what the SEO Title is as it shows at the top of the page.
A good example is a photographer with the SEO title starts with “Wedding Photographer Auckland”. This is a good search phrase.
A bad example is a photographer with the SEO title starts with “Wedding Photography with Attitude, Style & Fun”. People will not be searching this specific phrase. It makes a great Page Heading, but a bad SEO Title.
Paragraph 1
In the opening paragraph you should include the phrases you have used in your SEO Title. These need to be in natural language. Search Engines are evaluating how natural content is in their Algorithm.
Meta Description
The Meta Description is another component which is referenced by the Algorithm. This is also really important for conversion when you appear in the results.
Good Meta Descriptions are a sales oriented description or Call to Action of the page. Try to keep this within 155 characters, as anything larger will be chopped from the snippet.
The Meta Description should also include the phrases you have used in your SEO Title. These also need to be in natural language and in a Call to Action format.
This sits at the bottom of the CMS.
A good example is a photographer with the Meta Description with “Looking for a great team of professional wedding photographers? We're available anywhere in New Zealand. Book today: 0800 746 121.”. This is a great Meta Description. This will make you click on the link.
A bad example is a photographer with Meta Description that has not been set
“Stephen Roke Photography Ltd.mobile +64 9 274 951278. Site logo. Folio; Personal Folios; Work Projects; About; Contact. All Rights Reserved © 2010 Stephen Roke Photography Ltd. | contact”. Unless a person is specifically looking for this contact, they are unlikely to click through on it.
Good SEO is both an art and a science. It is quite technical to get it right and get good results. Our On Page SEO Strategy and Implementation package is ideal for getting this right for you. Please contact Sarah on 09 950 3385 or contact us if you would like to find out about getting this for your website.