Making sense of something as complex as SEO and it’s importance for your website is best explained with an analogy–your website is like a garden and the SEO tasks are the maintenance. To ensure continual growth of the plants, tasks like pulling weeds, watering plants, and distributing fertilizer are necessary. The same goes for you website. For increased website traffic and higher conversion rates, you must maintain it with specific SEO tasks.

To ensure quality information, we are referencing a great blog post from Search Engine Land. For a more technical explanation of these SEO tasks and their importance, visit https://selnd.com/2RzQ6oq.

The Importance of SEO Upkeep

Don’t fret, SEO doesn’t require constant maintenance. Some tasks, like migrating from HTTP to HTTPS, is a one-and-done task. Other tasks, like content development, are generally performed weekly or monthly, while a variety of others are just performed quarterly or yearly.

2019 is approaching and luckily, the end of the year is the perfect time to chat with your web developer and reflect on all SEO efforts that have been made this past year. In clearly defining what SEO efforts were working and what were not, you’ll have a head start on the new year!

SEO Tasks

1. Keep Your Content Fresh

As industry’s change and businesses adapt, content needs to be updated to maintain its relevance. Experienced web developers know this and they will be able to help you improve content that is deemed low-quality or irrelevant, while also ensuring users are being directed to the best URLs where the most beneficial content lies.  

2. Do Your Web Pages Load in 3 Seconds or Less?

Per Google, the largest search engine, fast loading websites are extremely important for maintaining a high-ranking website that provides an exceptional user-experience. Talk with your web developer about utilizing Google Analytics to keep track of your website’s page speed.

3. Rid Your Site of Broken Links

Websites require frequent updates. Certain pages may need to be deleted or changed and images will get replaced with new ones. In completing these updates, you are improving your site, however, these updates can result in broken links which can be detrimental for your sites quality. Work with a web developer and utilize their specialized tools to ensure any and all broken links will be taken care of as soon as they appear.  

Need Help From an Experienced Web Developer?

Contact our team at Iceberg Web Design if you have a WordPress hosted website that requires SEO maintenance! Or, if you are in the market for a new website, our dedicated team is more than happy to build that out for you. Give us a call today 763-350-8762 or visit icebergwebdesign.com.

The post Keep Up With These Crucial SEO Tasks appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

Researching the perfect keywords for your website content takes time.

A little bit of research will tell you that Google no longer focuses on keywords alone and that high-quality content is the way to go. Suddenly, all that hard work seems to go down the drain…or does it?

Focusing on Keywords Alone is a Bad Idea

There used to be a school of thought that said stuffing your website content full of keywords would improve your rank. Back in the early 2000’s, that was often the case. But now, Google and other search engines are too smart; they can see right through this tactic.

Focusing on keywords alone leads you to create thin content for the sake of improving your rank. This content does little–to-no good for your audience—the same audience Google wants nothing more than to assist. What used to attract search engines now deflects it, destroying your rank in the process.

SEO and Content: It’s a Partnership

Does this mean that keywords are a thing of the past? No! Instead, SEO and content must go hand–in–hand in a beautiful partnership. Google’s process on how search works says this:

“Put useful content on your page and keep it up to date.”

The keyword here (no pun intended) is “useful.” If you can create content that is useful and meaningful to your reader, the rest will fall into place.

For example, think about your blog. Content that is written to benefit your reader and teach them something that relates to your niche will have at least some of your keywords appearing naturally. You won’t have to force it. (The forcing is what causes Google to see warning signs, the same warning signs that hurt your rank.)

Supplement, Don’t Stuff

When you write content, you should aim to add value to your reader’s life. Keyword research gives you much-needed insight into what your audience is searching for. You can use your keyword list to supplement your content instead of stuff it. For example:

There are many other uses of keywords when it comes to technical SEO. If you’re interested in truly improving your rank—and doing so fast—hiring an SEO specialist is the best route to take.

Need Some Content Help? Call Us!

Your SEO strategy and content are the peanut butter and jelly of your website conversion sandwich—you simply can’t have one without the other. If you find yourself struggling to make both your SEO and content happen, reach out to our team at Iceberg Web Design by sending us a message.

The post SEO & Content: Are Keyword Lists Still Useful? appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.