Website SEO Check…

…and a Couple UX/UI Ideas for You

 

Not having a lot of success with your website traffic or engagement? Wondering if you need to consider a website SEO check? Are people leaving right away? Have sales been in decline?

There are so many elements that go into web development and SEO, and some things can fall through the cracks. Little details like alt text and keyword density are often a couple things that people miss when creating new website content.

 

 

I am here to provide you with a website SEO check to help you get your site back on track. (And I’m also mentioning a couple UX/UI ideas that I really like and are easy to implement.)

Read these through, and make sure you’ve at least checked off all of the missing on-page SEO requirements I’ve recommended.

Here are 7 things your website is missing (maybe).

 

William’s Website SEO Check

 

ALT Text on Images

This one is huge (and an easy-to-do website SEO check action item) because a lot of people forget to do this after adding or updating content. When you add an image to a web page or blog post, be sure to put in the accurate alt text.

Short for alternate text, alt text is how search engines like Google understand what an image is about. The alt text is added to an image tag in HTML and is useful in cases where the images on a page can’t be found. This means that if the user can’t see the image for some reason the alt text pops up to explain what the image is.

Misleading alt text is almost as bad as none at all. For example, if the image is a picture of an elephant and your alt text says, “zoo animal”, it’s technically accurate but doesn’t get the actual image across to the user or search engines. Make sure all your images have alt text.

 

Keyword Optimized Pages

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be a tricky process that requires the help of an expert. That being said, there are some steps you can take on your own to remain SEO friendly.

This next website SEO check item is about keyword optimization. This is because keyword optimization is one great way to ensure you are doing what you can to tell the search engines what each website page is about. This increase the chances that your pages will be found by search engines.

So, what does that even mean? If you are an electrician with a website and there is a page specifically for inspections, then the keyword should reflect what the page is about. Let’s say the best keyword for this page is electrician inspections.

To optimize the page for SEO, you would have this keyword in the:

• first paragraph
• title
• subtitles (H1 – H6)
• meta description (it describes your page in a SERP)
• body text (the content of your page – aim for a 2% density when writing)
• URL

If you can check off all these boxes, you’re already on the right track.

 

Broken Links and Backlinks

If you’ve ever seen error 404: page not found, you’ve witnessed a broken link. Broken links are terrible for a website. They decrease authority and are extremely inconvenient for the user. Website auditors can detect these errors and fix broken links so this doesn’t happen. Without regular web maintenance, these links build up and can hurt your SEO and page rankings.

 

 

Make sure you monitor the number of broken links on your website and make sure to either remove them or redirect them:

• Remove them if they aren’t providing value and have not received traffic in the past
• Redirect them if they were a valuable website page that now has a new URL

In addition to regular website URL maintenance, link building is another important factor in maintaining SEO for your website. High authority websites that link to your website content tell search engines that your content is important. There are many ways to build backlinks, and we love Brian Dean who runs Backlinko.

Check out Brian’s Link Building for SEO: The Definitive Guide.

 

Consistently Updated, Relevant Blog

A lot of websites don’t have a blog because they think they don’t need one. The truth is that potential customers actually do read blog posts. A business’ blog provides an opportunity to highlight what makes you different and how you can deliver helpful knowledge to your visitors.

 

 

Producing regular, thoughtful blog content shows your existing customers and potential customers that you are passionate, consistent and that you are in touch with relevant topics that affect your industry. Blog content, like email marketing, allows you to deliver a personal touch that brings you closer to closing sales and delighting customers.

 

And Now for Some UX/UI Business

 

Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

Have you ever downloaded something because it said, “FREE DOWNLOAD” and you were curious about the contents of the document?

First of all, be careful with that! Second of all, that’s an example of a call-to-action.

It is basically any command that brings the user to a link. Often, users will click the link due to some incentive like 10% off or a free subscription or an awesome tip sheet that will help their business.

Keys to a successful CTA include bright colors, visually pleasing, and a clear command. A CTA trend over the past year has been a pop-up that says, “subscribe now to our emails” and in order to click out of the pop-up you have to click, “No I don’t want to improve [blank]”.

An example of this would be if on our website page a pop-up said, “subscribe now to our emails” and the exit box said, “No, I don’t want my website to flourish”.

In my opinion, this is a little aggressive and can be obnoxious, but depending on the target audience it can work. It stands out, clearly explains the benefit, and is disruptive.

 

A Contact Page

This is pretty standard, but a lot of people don’t actually have one. Having a contact page is a way to provide a clear path between the customer and you.

Don’t make a visitor have to look hard to find a way to call or email you. They’ll leave your website and go to a website where contact information is easily accessible.

 

 

 

 

A good contact page has contact information for your business (phone number, contact email, business address if need be), a form that can be filled out and submitted to request you reach out to them, and an expectation for when they’ll hear back from you.

This alone is a great way to improve engagement and close more deals with customers.

 

Interactive Multimedia

This is a relatively new theme in web design, but it’s huge.

Creating interactive content, forms, and multimedia is a great way to entice potential customers to stay active on your website. There are a plethora of ways to bring interactive assets to your site that will catch a visitor’s eye and keep them on the website long enough to see what you have to offer.

Check out this really cool example from a graphic designer in Amsterdam:

https://juliebonnemoy.com

Notice the peace sign in the top left that moves when you hover over it, how the “Hello Stranger” moves as you hover over it, and the way the images float in as you scroll down the page.

The whole experience is fluid, easy to understand, and just all around a cool user experience.

 

Well, now that you’ve read 1,000+ words SEO and web design, I guess it’s time to put those words into action!

Are you ready to create interactive multimedia, optimize all of your pages, fix all of your links, create a blog, contact page, and amazing CTA’s that will entice?

 

It’s a lot. Let us help you.

Want to talk more about my SEO website check? Drop me a line.

William Manning

will at heartbrain dot marketing