SEO Checklist for Business Owners
Introduction
We continue our series with an SEO Checklist that will help business owners get started and ahead in their digital and SEO journey. Whether you're a startup looking to establish a sound foundation or an established company aiming to maintain and expand your market share, a robust SEO strategy can significantly elevate your online presence. This SEO checklist, curated by Alterior Digital, is designed to guide you through optimizing your website effectively to get ahead of your competition. Ok, let's get started.
Why an SEO Checklist is Important in 2024?
SEO can seem overwhelming with its many elements, jargon, and continuous updates. It could be a daunting experience for someone with no technical background. We've noticed that a checklist provides a structured approach to ensure you cover all bases in your SEO strategy, helping your business achieve measurable improvements in search engine rankings and online visibility.
SEO Checklist for Business Owners
There are several components, but it all boils down to On-Page SEO, Off-Page SEO, and Technical SEO. Let's remember CONTENT. Yes, the content you produce can elevate you through the ranks, keep you in place, or, worst, push you down the ranks. No need to worry; with this list, you should be able to get your structure in place and make the necessary adjustments. Let's start with the Technical SEO piece.
Technical SEO Essentials and Know-How
Ensure that your website's technical foundation supports optimal search engine crawling and indexing with these steps...Ok, but what does this mean?
- Secure Your Website: Implement HTTPS to ensure a secure connection. For the most part, your web host provider will implement this to provide the HTTPS security. However if not, there are other ways to get a SSL/TLS Certificate. Here is a link to provide more information directly coming from Google.
- Improve Site Speed: Utilize tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to analyze and enhance your website's loading times. This is important. Please take a second and think about a time you searched for something on Google, you went into the website and it took forever to load. Did you end up leaving the site and kept searching? Most likely than not, you did. So the speed of your page is an important factor. If the users are going to your page and are bouncing off due to load time, that signals to Google that your page might not be adequate to push up the ranks.
- Mobile Optimization: With mobile-first indexing, ensure your site is responsive and functions well on all devices.
- Duplicate Content: Make sure your meta and title tags are optimized with the different services you offer, and DO NOT simply copy and paste the same information over. Check the 'Title Tags and Meta Descriptions' below.
On-Page SEO Optimization Know-How
Ok, on to the On-Page SEO optimization section. The content on your pages needs to be optimized for both users and search engines:
- Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Ensure they are descriptive, include relevant keywords, and are within the optimal length. DO NOT copy your meta descriptions to other pages' meta descriptions. You are losing an opportunity to target different keywords, but not only that, it provides clarity to your potential customers about what other products and/or services your company offers.
- Header Tags: Organize content using H1, H2, H3, etc., to help search engines understand the structure of your content. DO NOT use multiple H1 in the same page. H1 Headers should be used once on each page, followed by H2, H3, etc.
- Keyword Optimization: Include relevant keywords throughout your content, especially in title headers. Make sure to have the main keyword you want to rank for in your H1 Header, which is usually the first text everyone sees when landing on your website.
- URL Structure: This one is not a well-known tactic and is not mentioned. But we are here to provide value and guide you through the SEO world. Make sure your URLs make sense; that is the first thing, and do not have something like www.alteriordigital.com/contact93jdd2. First, it is not appealing to the eyes, it does not look professional, and third, you can optimize your URL structure to include keywords when it merits. Usually, you can target several keywords or questions and add them as part of your URL. Take a look at how this URL is structured so you can get a better idea.
| SEO Element | Description | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Title Tags | Short, descriptive titles using main keywords | High |
| Meta Descriptions | Compelling descriptions that encourage clicks | Medium |
| Header Tags | Clear, logical content hierarchy | Medium |
| Keywords | Relevant to content, used appropriately | High |
| URL Structure | Relevant to web page and keyword | Medium |
Off-Page SEO Strategies and Know-How
Your online reputation matters and off-page SEO helps build this:
- Backlink Building: Gain links from reputable sites. This shows search engines that your site is a trusted resource. There are several ways to obtain these. We will be writing a blog related to this topic; for now, we welcome you to do a quick Google research.
- Social Media Engagement: Active social profiles can drive traffic and improve your site's visibility. These are free and can begin driving traffic to your website in a short period of time. If you have your address on the social media platform, ensure it is exactly the same as your Google Business Profile.
Content Quality and Relevance
Ok, we are on content, and content is king in SEO; seriously, now more than ever. High-quality, relevant content drives traffic and engagement:
- Create Valuable Content: Produce content that addresses your audience's questions and needs.
- Use Rich Media: Include images, videos, and infographics to make your posts more engaging.
- Update Regularly: Keep your content fresh and updated to remain relevant and competitive. Remember to update the date as well. Ah, and if you do not have a date, make sure you add one. There are different strategies that talk about not adding a date because it keeps the content "evergreen". Though we do agree with that strategy, more often than not, you have a higher bounce rate due to not knowing if the content you are reading is fresh. Think about it for a second: You are searching for a specific topic, and you have two articles with virtually the same H1 Header, but one of them had a date from last month, and the other did not have a date; which one would you automatically think is the most current? In our case, we will go with the one that has a date on it.
BONUS: Data and Analysis of Your Website Performance
- Google Analytics: Track visitor behavior, traffic sources, and conversions.
- Google Search Console: You can clearly see the keywords your website is showing up for.
- SEO Audits: Regularly review your SEO strategy to identify and rectify any issues. Get yourself an SEO Audit tool such as AHREFS or SEMRUSH. Both of these tools are able to conduct a website audit and tell you what is wrong with your website.
How Alterior Digital Can Help
We do our best to provide value to everyone, especially business owners who want to do the SEO themselves, and we will continue providing value. That said, there will be other individuals who just want an SEO expert to take care of it for them. A company that is fully transparent and cares about their clients as they do their own company. That is where Alterior Digital comes in, your premier SEO company offering SEO services in Los Angeles and nation wide, with a full arsenal of SEO expertise and experience. If you want us to implement your SEO strategy, let's start by providing you with a complete free SEO Audit and get on a call to see if we are the best fit for you.
Conclusion
SEO is an ongoing process; it is not a one-time setup. By following this checklist, you can ensure that your business not only survives but thrives in the digital landscape. What challenges have you faced in your SEO journey, and how can implementing these steps help overcome them?
Call to Action
Are you looking to enhance your business's online presence? Remember that you have us as your Los Angeles SEO Consultant. Contact Alterior Digital today to explore how our tailored SEO strategies can drive your business forward.
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