5 Top SEO Tips

5 Top SEO Tips

1. Links

Links are the foundation stone of SEO – particularly in terms of Google. You need to ensure that quality, high-ranking websites from within your industry or niche are linking through to your website. Each link is a vote of confidence in the eyes of Google so ensuring that these high quality websites link to you is going to increase your reputation with Google.

2. Title tags

Title tags are the most important on-page SEO UK aspect you can pay attention to. Make sure your title tag consists of fewer than 70 characters (as Google won’t display any more than this) and that your keywords are given prominence within the tag. However, don’t over-do it and simply stuff the title tag with keywords as neither users nor search engines will be impressed.

If your main keyword is ‘web design Cardiff’, use this in your title tag.

3. Page descriptions

This is one which is often overlooked as it doesn’t directly affect your search engine rankings. However, your meta description tag is what shows up underneath your title tag in the Google search results, so you’ll need to ensure that it is well-formed for users rather than stuffed with keywords and text intended for SEO purposes. Use this as your biggest sales tool.

4. SEO friendly URLs

If you’re using a content management system, this is particularly important. Always ensure that your page names and URLs are SEO friendly. Don’t use file names such as 2h2g4gg4.aspx as that means absolutely nothing to a search engine. Utilise your keywords in file names (‘SEO Wales‘, for example) to help both users and search engines know what that page is all about.

5. Optimise your pictures

Make the most of image alt attributes in order to mention any relevant keywords. A word of warning, however: Google can read images and will know if you’re simply throwing in keywords which have nothing to do with the image. If an image is linked, the alt attribute effectively acts as the link anchor text, so use this wisely.