Not everyone is tech-savvy when it comes to creating or maintaining websites. But, it must not limit the efforts towards SEO, or your website performance might suffer. We have compiled a list of simple technical SEO tips that are easy to implement and even the layman can follow these steps for enhanced results.
#1 Fix Broken Links
Broken links are terrible for any website’s quality and performance. It adversely affects the SEO rankings and can decrease the conversion rate. But, let's first understand what are broken links?
In simplest words, broken links are web pages that couldn't be accessed. It could be due to various reasons. But most likely, they are the result of a typo, the web page has been moved or deleted or the web page is made private.
How to identify broken links in a website? You can find broken links on your website by using Google Search Console. Once you have found the broken links you can fix them manually.
#2 Improve readability
Content is nothing but information. As a part of on-page SEO, you must always focus on developing content that provides information to the reader in the simplest way. No one likes to read complex sentences.
Keep your efforts directed towards keeping the sentences short, adding appropriate images, avoiding grammatical mistakes, and adding relevant subheadings.
#3 Is your website mobile friendly?
According to Statistica, more than 50% of the total worldwide website traffic comes from mobile devices. And it is expected to grow with the increasing usage of smart devices. Isn't it enough reason for you to fix your website to become mobile-friendly?
Check your website on a mobile device and see if the images are aligned correctly, the text matches the layout or not, and the design looks good or not. Alternatively, you can also take the help of Google Console’s feature mobile-friendly test.
#4 Duplicate content doesn't add value to your website
Your website might not be penalized for having duplicate content but at the same time, it would not add any value to it. Any website can have duplicate content from the same web domain or multiple domains.
You can use Copyscape or Screaming Frog for detecting if your website has any duplicate content, canonical URLs, or meta tags. You will have to think smartly to resolve the issue. Identical meta tags and canonical URLs need to be updated page by page. On the other hand, you will have to merge duplicate pages or edit duplicate content.
#5 Add Alt Text to the images
This is a simple yet effective on-page SEO technique. Adding images to your content not only makes it attractive but also helps in conveying the message. Google can crawl your images and therefore it is necessary to add alt text to your images on the website.
Adding a keyword to the description or alt text will have good chances that the images show up in the top search results. Depending on the CMS you use, you might have to code a bit to edit the alt text.
#6 Secure your website right away
Open your website and check if your website is secure or not. A secure website will have a lock sign in the URL bar and the web address will start with HTTPS. Google suggests that website owners irrespective of the content on the website have HTTPS certification so that the user’s connection to your website is protected.
It also penalizes websites that aren't secure. It is also necessary for the security of the website against malware. All you have to do is contact your domain service provider and they will guide you to a better secure website.
#7 Right keywords will take you to the top
Any search engine works on algorithms based on keywords and phrases. You can use online tools to generate a report of keywords and phrases that will be good for your website. Once these keywords are determined, you can develop content using these phrases and keywords.
For example, if you are a Skin specialist medical professional you will need to work on the keywords that are related to skin diseases, your qualification, etc.
#8 Good Metadata will reward with a better ranking
Clearer titles and meta descriptions are the first things that a search engine will look up before pushing your web page. Additionally, it makes sure that the reader has a clear understanding of the content inside.
Adding keywords to the titles and descriptions will ensure your webpage secures a better traffic rank. Most CMS editors have an option to add descriptions and metadata. However, you can also use a plugin to do the job.
#9 Speed is everything
In the world of blaze flash internet, no one likes to wait for a web page. Nor do the search engines appreciate low-speed pages. Your website load speed must be under 3-5 seconds or chances are that it would be penalized. You can use PageSpeed Insights free tool by Google to check how is your website performing. You can start with optimizing the images to speed up your website load speed. Apart from image optimization you can reduce HTTP requests, avoid useless page redirects, and use CDN to increase page speed.
#10 Write content for the readers
Finally and most importantly, your content development team should develop content for readers. It must be well planned, strategically placed, and must be written according to the keywords and phrases. The key to getting on the top is to engage people, answer their queries and provide the right information to the users.
While other aspects of technical SEO are important, developing content for the readers is the foremost task that most developers miss out on.
These were some of the SEO tips and tricks for non-tech users. These are simple methods and if you are also trying to take your website to the top then following these steps will definitely help you achieve a larger number of visitors.
