If your goal is driving organic traffic to your business website — and who isn’t thinking about that today? — you have to implement good SEO practices. The better your SEO, the higher your site will rank on the search engine results page (SERP). And the closer you get to the top of page one, the more people will find your product, service, or blog.
Before I provide you with tips and tricks for improving SEO on your WordPress site, let’s start with a quick SEO overview.

What’s SEO and Why Should You Care?

SEO is an acronym for “search engine optimization.” Google uses a complex algorithm sequence to assess site content, page elements, tags, and site availability — among dozens of other elements — to decide which websites are most relevant to a searcher’s query. If you want people to find you, you have to make sure that the Googlebot crawling the web not only finds your site but likes what it sees. When Google can’t find your WordPress business site, you won’t be indexed and will have zero chance of ending up on the first page. In this case, the only way for people to find your website is if they know the URL or business name.
Fortunately, WordPress comes with built-in functionality to satisfy those bots. The platform’s features literally guide the search engine through individual posts, pages, and categories, making it simple to collect information about your enterprise — and increase your SERPs. Key SEO tools help you give organic searchers and Google what they’re looking for.

Tips, Tricks, and Tools to Boost Your Ranking

See what Google sees with the feature-rich plugin Yoast. It provides instant analytic feedback on your content so you’ll quickly discover if keyword placement follows best practices, images are properly tagged, and your posts have a favorable readability rating. It also gives you a preview to see how you’ll show up in the SERPs and whether your focus keyword appears in the title, content, and meta description.
Optimize all your images with alt tags (you’ll see this field when you upload the image file). High-quality images on your business website not only enhance customer experience, but Google considers images when indexing. Since computers only read words, make sure Google can find your photos by using keyword-rich titles. You will rank higher if you name your image “women’s-purple-Sandel” than if you use standard file names like “IMG0002309.”
Avoid duplicate content. Check your site to make sure that every URL has unique content because you’ll be penalized if the same content is used more than once. For example, don’t use the same product description on the pages for “women’s shoes,” “women’s blue shoes,” or “women’s footwear.”
Use WordPress categories strategically. Like tags, categories help you organize related posts. They also provide clues for readers about article content and make it easy for site visitors to find relevant posts on similar topics. Tags are totally optional (although we don’t recommend you opt-out), …

Keep these five pointers in mind when designing your website and you could soon start seeing your content rank higher in the SERPs.

When you’re trying to improve your website’s performance, it’s important to remember that you have to focus on numerous factors simultaneously.

In both life and digital marketing, we tend to give all of our attention to one or two important elements while neglecting something else that can turn out to be equally as important.

If you want to do better in the SERPs, it takes more than just SEO.

Your website also needs to be designed well, or you risk squandering all of that organic equity you have been building.

SEO and web design work together more seamlessly than many people might realize.

Their components mingle and flow together so well that, when executed correctly, your website visitors should not actually notice anything about what you have created; they should simply start navigating through your site.

So, what are those elements where SEO and web design collaborate? Check out these five ways they are used together.

1. Mobile-Friendliness

Anyone who’s even slightly familiar with SEO or web design should already know the importance of making your website mobile-friendly.

In fact, if this isn’t something you’ve taken the time to do yet, you’re already a few years behind.

Google made mobile-friendliness a ranking factor in 2015. That’s half a decade ago.

The search giant then introduced mobile-first indexing in 2017. It’s clear to see how importantly Google views mobile-friendliness, but many websites still haven’t caught on.

The number of people searching on desktops has been declining for a few years now, while the number of people searching on mobile devices has been steadily increasing.

More than half of all web traffic is coming from mobile devices, which means that more than half of your audience is also likely to be on their mobile phones.

Without a mobile-friendly website design, you could be accidentally alienating half of your users. That is massive.

A website with a high bounce rate due to not loading properly on a phone or tablet is going to send bad signals to Google, and your rankings could plummet.

2. Easy-to-Read Design

If you’ve been working on improving your SEO, content is likely something that you have spent a lot of time on.

Some people might not realize what a huge impact the design of a website can have on your content, or at least the presentation of it.

Poor web design can make it impossible for users to read what they came to your website to do.

Pages with blocks of content in strange places, with too many hyperlinks that don’t serve a clear purpose, essentially erases any audience that you managed to bring onto your site.

And if no one can get the information they want, what’s the point?

At some point, you’ve probably been on a website that had text that was impossible to read because of the page design.

Maybe it …

A great website design is important to any business trying to find success online, but if a website doesn’t have a chance at good search rankings, very few people may ever get to see it. To avoid having a website that is not search engine friendly, you simply need to take into consideration some basic SEO principles and good content development practices.

As a web designer, I put a lot of thought into what issues I have encountered and issues I have heard others deal with when building websites with SEO in mind. Here are 10 great SEO tips that can lead you to a more search engine-friendly web design without sacrificing your creativity and style.

1. Make Sure Your Site Navigation Is Search Engine Friendly

Using Flash for navigation on your website can be bad news if you aren’t aware of how to make Flash objects accessible and web-crawler-friendly. Search engines have a really tough time crawling a website that uses Flash.

CSS and unobtrusive JavaScript can provide almost any of the fancy effects you are looking for without sacrificing your search engine rankings.

2. Place Scripts Outside of the HTML Document

When you are coding your website, make sure you externalize JavaScript and CSS.

Search engines view a website through what’s contained in the HTML document. JavaScript and CSS, if not externalized, can add several additional lines of code in your HTML documents that, in most cases, will be ahead of the actual content and might make crawling them slower. Search engines like to get to the content of a website as quickly as possible.

3. Use Content That Search Engine Spiders Can Read

Content is the life force of a website, and it is what the search engines feed on. When designing a website, makes sure you take into account good structure for content (headings, paragraphs, and links).

Sites with very little content tend to struggle in the search results and, in most cases, this can be avoided if there is proper planning in the design stages. For example, don’t use images for text unless you use a CSS background image text replacement technique.

4. Design Your URLs for Search Friendliness

Search friendly URLs are not URLs that are hard to crawl, such as query strings. The best URLs contain keywords that help describe the content of the page.

For example, think about the following URLs for an HVAC website:

• hvacompany.com/services/repairs/
• hvacompany.com/services/residential-repairs/
• hvacompany.com/services/commercial-repairs/

The above URLs are excellent for HVAC SEO. In comparison, these aren’t:

• hvacompany.com/services/repairs-final-version/
• hvacompany.com/hvacrepairsforcommercialcompanies
• hvacompany.com/HVACrepairs4CommercialCompanies

Be careful of some CMS’s that use automatically generated numbers and special code for page URLs. Good content management systems will give you the ability to customize and “prettify” your website’s URLs.

5. Block Pages You Don’t Want Search Engines Index

There could be pages on your site that you don’t want search engines to index. These pages could be pages that add no value to your content, such as server-side scripts. These web pages could even …

When it comes to designing or redesigning a website, it’s easy to get hung up on the aesthetics. Does that shade of blue look right? Should the logo be on the right side of the screen, or left? What if we put a giant animated GIF in the middle of the page?

However, in a world where folks have more than 1.8 billion websites they can potentially land on, you need to make sure yours is not just a pretty face. It should be designed for usability, how easy your website is to use, and user experience (UX), how enjoyable it is to interact with your website.

Now, you could spend years studying the ins and outs of these disciplines But for the sake of giving you a jumping-off point, we’ve assembled a list of the fundamental guidelines and best practices you can apply to your next website redesign or website launch. Then, we’ll review 10 features you’ll need on your site to put these recommendations into practice. Let’s dive in.

Free Workbook: How to Plan a Successful Website Redesign

 

 

 

 

1. Simplicity

While the appearance of your website is certainly important, most people aren’t coming to your site to evaluate how slick the design is. They want to complete some action, or to find some specific piece of information.

Therefore, unnecessary design elements (i.e., those which serve no functional purpose) will only overwhelm and make it more difficult for visitors to accomplish what they’re trying to accomplish.

From a usability and UX perspective, simplicity is your best friend. If you have all the necessary page elements, it’s hard to get too simple. You can employ this principle in a variety of different forms, such as:

• Colors: Basically, don’t use a lot. The Handbook of Computer-Human Interaction recommends using a maximum of five (plus or minus two) different colors in your design.
• Typefaces: The typefaces you choose should be highly legible, so nothing too artsy and very minimal script fonts, if any. For text color, again, keep it minimal and always make sure it contrasts with the background color. A common recommendation is to use a maximum of three different typefaces in a maximum of three different sizes.
• Graphics: Only use graphics if they help a user complete a task or perform a specific function (don’t just add graphics willy-nilly).

Here’s a great example of a simple but effective homepage design from HERoines Inc:

Image Source

2. Visual Hierarchy

Closely tied to the principle of simplicity, visual hierarchy means arranging and organizing website elements so that visitors naturally gravitate toward the most important elements first.

Remember, when it comes to optimizing for usability and UX, the goal is to lead visitors to complete a desired action, but in a way that feels natural and enjoyable. By adjusting the position, color, …

Brands need SEO first, as it is the most viable and cost-effective way to both understand and reach customers in key moments that matter.

This year, the need for SEO rose to an all-time high. As consumers shifted en masse to online, even the most traditional business realized that they need to accelerate the shift to digital.

SEO is the most viable and cost-effective way to both understand and reach customers in key moments that matter.

Many brands and businesses know (or think they know) that they need SEO for their digital properties, and the benefits they will get from the SEO work being implemented on their behalf.

SEO will certainly improve a website’s overall searchability and visibility, but what other real value does it offer?

Why is SEO growing in importance the way it is?

These 15 reasons should offer some clarity, regardless of the industry or business size, as to why businesses need SEO to take their brand to the next level.

1. Organic Search is Most Often the Primary Source of Website Traffic

Organic search is a massive part of most businesses’ website performance and a critical component of the buyer funnel and ultimately getting users to complete a conversion or engagement.

As marketers know, Google owns a significantly larger portion of the search market than competitors like Yahoo, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and many, many others.

That’s not to say that all search engines don’t contribute to a brand’s visibility – they do. It’s just that Google owns a considerable portion of the overall search market.

Nevertheless, it’s a clear-cut leader, and thus its guidelines are important to follow.

…

Brands need SEO first, as it is the most viable and cost-effective way to both understand and reach customers in key moments that matter.

This year, the need for SEO rose to an all-time high. As consumers shifted en masse to online, even the most traditional business realized that they need to accelerate the shift to digital.

SEO is the most viable and cost-effective way to both understand and reach customers in key moments that matter.

Many brands and businesses know (or think they know) that they need SEO for their digital properties, and the benefits they will get from the SEO work being implemented on their behalf.

SEO will certainly improve a website’s overall searchability and visibility, but what other real value does it offer?

Why is SEO growing in importance the way it is?

These 15 reasons should offer some clarity, regardless of the industry or business size, as to why businesses need SEO to take their brand to the next level.

1. Organic Search is Most Often the Primary Source of Website Traffic

Organic search is a massive part of most businesses’ website performance and a critical component of the buyer funnel and ultimately getting users to complete a conversion or engagement.

As marketers know, Google owns a significantly larger portion of the search market than competitors like Yahoo, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and many, many others.

That’s not to say that all search engines don’t contribute to a brand’s visibility – they do. It’s just that Google owns a considerable portion of the overall search market.

Nevertheless, it’s a clear-cut leader, and thus its guidelines are important to follow.

But the remaining part of the market owned by other engines is valuable to brands, too. This is especially true for brands in niche verticals where voice, visual and vertical search engines play an essential role.

Google, being the most visited website in the world (and specifically in the United States), also happens to be the most popular email provider globally with more than 1 billion users.

YouTube is the second biggest search engine and over 2 billion people access it at least once a month.

We know that a clear majority of the world with access to the internet is visiting Google at least once a day to get information.

Being highly visible as a trusted resource by Google and other search engines will always work in a brand’s favor. Quality SEO and a high-quality website take brands there.

2. SEO Builds Trust & Credibility

The goal of any experienced SEO is to establish a strong foundation for a beautiful website with a clean, effective user experience that is easily discoverable in search, thanks to the trust and credibility of the brand and its digital properties.

Many elements go into establishing authority regarding search engines like Google.

In addition to the factors mentioned above, authority is accrued over time as a result of aspects like:

• Natural links.
• Positive user behavior.
• Machine-learning signals.
• Optimized on-page elements

…

Running a small business is extremely rewarding, but it also has its challenges.

Anyone who runs or works in a small business knows how many different hats you have to wear in order to complete a variety of different daily tasks, from monitoring finances to managing staff and handling customer support. Keeping your website in great shape shouldn’t have to take up too much of your attention.

Your website should be a fun and satisfying project that represents your best work, and helps you grow your business. In order to keep it joyful and effective, it is essential to be efficient every step of the way, so you can spend more time on what matters most to you.

There are a few core things that you can do to save time when it comes to managing and maintaining your website. From automation and content strategy to outsourcing technical work, there are lots of tasks you can take off your plate.

We’ve put together a list of the top time-saving website tips that will help optimize your website and workflow, resulting in more overall happiness! We hope you find them helpful.

6 time-saving small business website tips

1. Work with Professional Developers

The internet is a fast-changing environment. There are always new methods and tools coming out that improve the functionality of a website, which is exciting and beneficial for your business. The technology at our disposal helps business owners to stay up-to-date on the latest ways to run an efficient website that consistently delivers an excellent user experience.

Some of these areas include new developments in SEO, UX design, hosting, and security that could boost your business’ success – or threaten it.

Delegation is the biggest time-saving tip for your website’s maintenance and development. To save time as you strive to make your site an effective business asset, consider hiring an agency to handle all your website’s daily, weekly, and monthly technical tasks.

Delegating tasks to an external agency will cost less money and time for your business in the long run. It also provides you with a team of experts you can rely on to have the expertise you probably don’t have.

An agency can fully manage your site’s:

• • Security
  • Backups
  • Hosting
  • Plugins
  • Themes
  • Speed testing

This way, you won’t have to worry about getting involved in anything technical at all when it comes to your website’s performance. You can trust that your site will be kept secure and up-to-date. Delegation can also significantly increase your productivity because you can remain focused on what you do best for your business.

2. Use Automation Tools

Automation software is one of the most practical time-saving tools for businesses. We are lucky to live …

Brands need SEO first, as it is the most viable and cost-effective way to both understand and reach customers in key moments that matter.

This year, the need for SEO rose to an all-time high. As consumers shifted en masse to online, even the most traditional business realized that they need to accelerate the shift to digital.

SEO is the most viable and cost-effective way to both understand and reach customers in key moments that matter.

Many brands and businesses know (or think they know) that they need SEO for their digital properties, and the benefits they will get from the SEO work being implemented on their behalf.

SEO will certainly improve a website’s overall searchability and visibility, but what other real value does it offer?

Why is SEO growing in importance the way it is?

These 15 reasons should offer some clarity, regardless of the industry or business size, as to why businesses need SEO to take their brand to the next level.

1. Organic Search is Most Often the Primary Source of Website Traffic

Organic search is a massive part of most businesses’ website performance and a critical component of the buyer funnel and ultimately getting users to complete a conversion or engagement.

As marketers know, Google owns a significantly larger portion of the search market than competitors like Yahoo, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and many, many others.

That’s not to say that all search engines don’t contribute to a brand’s visibility – they do. It’s just that Google owns a considerable portion of the overall search market.

Nevertheless, it’s a clear-cut leader, and thus its guidelines are important to follow.

But the remaining part of the market owned by other engines is valuable to brands, too. This is especially true for brands in niche verticals where voice, visual and vertical search engines play an essential role.

Google, being the most visited website in the world (and specifically in the United States), also happens to be the most popular email provider globally with more than 1 billion users.

YouTube is the second biggest search engine and over 2 billion people access it at least once a month.

We know that a clear majority of the world with access to the internet is visiting Google at least once a day to get information.

Being highly visible as a trusted resource by Google and other search engines will always work in a brand’s favor. Quality SEO and a high-quality website take brands there.

2. SEO Builds Trust & Credibility

The goal of any experienced SEO is to establish a strong foundation for a beautiful website with a clean, effective user experience that is easily discoverable in search, thanks to the trust and credibility of the brand and its digital properties.

Many elements go into establishing authority regarding search engines like Google.

In addition to the factors mentioned above, authority is accrued over time as a result of aspects like:

• Natural links.
• Positive user behavior.
• Machine-learning signals.
• Optimized on-page elements

…

SEO is important for greater searchability and visibility but offers more real value than that. Here are 12 reasons why businesses need SEO to take their brand to the next level.

Many brands and businesses know (or think they know) that they need SEO for their digital properties, and the benefits they will get from that SEO work being implemented on their behalf.

SEO will certainly improve a website’s overall searchability and visibility, but what other real value does it offer? Why is SEO so important?

These 12 reasons should offer some clarity, regardless of the industry or business size, as to why businesses need SEO to take their brand to the next level.

1. Organic Search Is Most Often the Primary Source of Website Traffic

Organic search is a huge part of most business’s website performance, as well as a critical component of the buyer funnel and ultimately getting users to complete a conversion or engagement.

As marketers know, Google owns a significantly larger portion of the search market than competitors like Yahoo, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and the many, many others.

That’s not to say that all search engines don’t contribute to a brand’s visibility — they do — it’s just that Google owns about 75 percent of the overall search market. It’s the clear-cut leader and thus its guidelines are important to follow.

But the remaining 25 percent of the market owned by other engines is obviously valuable to brands, too.

Google, being the most visited website in the world (as well as specifically in the United States), also happens to be the most popular email provider in the world (with more than 1 billion users). Not to mention YouTube is the second biggest search engine.

We know that a clear majority of the world that has access to the internet is visiting Google at least once a day to get information.

Being highly visible as a trusted resource by Google and other search engines is always going to work in a brand’s favor. Quality SEO and a high-quality website takes brands there.

2. SEO Builds Trust & Credibility

The goal of any experienced SEO is to establish a strong foundation for a beautiful website with a clean, effective user experience that is easily discoverable in search with thanks to the trust and credibility of the brand and its digital properties.

…

So, are you thinking of starting a web design agency? It’s a glorious idea. Covid-19 has shown businesses how successful or disruptive a good online presence can be for businesses. During this pandemic, we have all seen that the demand for web design has increased and will continue to increase.

Today, it’s much more common to start your own business. After learning all the necessary skills about web design such as coding, designing, photoshop, SEO, IT, and more, everything is easier now and only a few steps are left for starting a web design agency.

When you know the steps and have a plan, you can launch your agency successfully. It takes time to rise and succeed in a web design business, so you should manage your expectations and set yourself up for achievement. 

Here are some necessary steps you need to check out to get started to turn your skills successfully into a career, complete the startup process and launch your agency.

BLOG | Web Design

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