What is it

Before starting to explain how page optimization is carried out, it is important to clarify what SEO is. IF THE means ssearch ANDengine Optimization, which in Portuguese can be translated as, optimization of sites and pages for search engines.

It is defined as a process of improvements implemented in a Web site with the aim of reaching the target audience in a free, relevant and natural way through a good positioning in search results (SERP – ssearch ANDengine Rresults Page) – by good positioning we mean the site appearing on the first page of results and preferably in the top places.

Benefits

Increase traffic – The first positions in search engines help to increase the number of impressions (number of times the website appears when a search is carried out) and the number of clicks, consequently resulting in a greater number of visits.

Increase visibility – The more times you appear on the first pages, the more likely people are to get to know your company.

Cost benefit – SEO is one of the most effective online marketing strategies at the moment, resulting in a high Return on Investment (ROI – Return Of Iinvestment).

Increases website usability – By working on SEO we are also helping the navigability of the site, allowing users to have a better experience.

Increased sales – SEO is synonymous with sales, however, don’t be fooled by anyone who promises you worlds and funds. Better positioning of a website may take some time to show results.

What to optimize

Having explained the advantages, I will now list the topics that I consider essential when optimizing a page.

1. Friendly URL
2. Page Title
3. Meta tags
4. Diversified Content
5. Image Optimization
6. Keywords in Content
7. Outbound Links – External Links
8. Internal Links
9. Rich Snippets – Data Markup
10. Load time
11. Social Buttons
12. Devices

Having listed the topics, I will now explain them.

Friendly URL

The URL must be short and rich in keywords. They must avoid the url being long and without any relation to the content.

Incorrect: andrecraveiro.com/15966956

Incorrect: andrecraveiro.com/url-when-e-grande-de-mais-becomes-ugly-e-of-high-difficulty-of-reading-and-you-lose-credit-in-the-eyes-of-motors-of- search

Correct: andrecraveiro.com/seo-on-page

Second Matt Cutts in one of his interviews, the ideal url is between 3 and 5 words.

Keyword-rich urls help both search engines and users. (Do a search and notice that the url will appear in bold if it contains the terms you searched for.)

Page Title

OTitle Tag It is one of the factors that still has weight when it comes to on-page SEO. It's because? For obvious reasons. Indicates the theme/subject of the content.

It must contain keywords and must be well positioned. That is, put it at the beginning whenever possible – it brings more weight to the title. And remember that the title must be between 50 and 60 characters.

Meta tags

Regarding this topic, I won't go into too much detail as I've already made a post on Meta tags and that you can consult it. Don't forget them, otherwise search engines will forget about you.

Diversified Content

Pages that contain only text become boring. Try to create appealing content including images, videos, infographics, diagrams, social media posts.

Content diversity helps reduce bounce rate and increases time spent on the site – preponderant and revealing UX signs that Google takes into account when analyzing a website (currently only applies to mobile).

Regarding videos – if you use them – I suggest you choose YouTube videos, Google will appreciate it (if they are optimizing your page for Google's search engine).

Image Optimization

An important point regarding images is that they must be optimized as this is a very 'heavy' element, making the load page too long. The longer the waiting time, the higher the dropout rate – and that is not what is intended.

Another point regarding images is that they must contain the 'alt text‘ – small discretion about the image that helps search engines understand the content.

Keywords in Content

SEO has become so dependent on content that it's impossible to try to conceive of one without the other, and as such: Content is king. Point.

Creating relevant and quality content for each niche may not be easy, however if you carry out good research combined with good knowledge in the area everything becomes simpler and more effective.

There are several techniques to use to create good content. Here goes:

• Keywords Research It is an important factor when creating content.

• The use of synonyms is also important. LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) helps not to overload the content, making reading simpler and more natural.

• Another technique, no less important, is the use of Long Tail Keywords. The more specific the keywords, the less competition there will be. They help us segment content.

• Also avoid writing content with less than 300 words – this is not a rule, it is just good practice. Thin content It is an element that Google started to take into account when updating the algorithm 'Panda'. The basic idea, according to a study carried out by SERPIQ.com, is that long content tends to have better positioning in search engines. The ideal is between 1000 and 2000 words – and varies depending on the competition for keywords.

Discover the case of Keep It Local Tours. It is one of the examples of the good use of content marketing.

Outbound Links – External Links

This is a technique White Hat which helps the page to be understood by search engines as containing important content and related to the niche – as we are citing credible sources. This also helps search engines index your page better. And it helps page ranking.

Not creating links to external websites is one of the biggest mistakes made on websites, blogs and any type of web content.

Don't be afraid to create external links, because if your content is relevant, interesting and of quality, users will definitely return.

Internal Links

Internal links are a good way to reduce the Bounce Rate (rejection rate per single page).

Internal links play a fundamental role in terms of PageRank.

Rich Snippets – Data Markup

Rich Snippets It is a very simple way of structuring information on the website. They aim to help provide more detailed data to search engines about your company, products, articles, recipes, etc.

These data also make it possible to highlight information in SERP helping the user to decide at the time of clicking between one website or another.

I leave you an example of how structured data can appear.

For this, you can use the tool – Data Marker – which Google makes available to webmasters, the Search Console. Or you can also use the Schema.org as a microdata marker.

Benefits:

• Grab attention – whether from crawlers either from users;
• Increase CTR – by increasing visibility, the greater the chances of clicks on your website;
• Increase quality in the SERP – by highlighting information we can meet what is being sought.

Load time

One of the main Google philosophies (I recommend reading it) is to make the web faster and it was in this sense that in recent years they began to take into account the load time as a ranking signal.

There are several tools that can help you understand the speed of your website – and then suggestions for corrections.

In general, it is recommended that a website does not take more than 4 seconds to load.

Tip: Before you start adjusting the load time, make sure you use a good host, otherwise it's time to invest.

Social Buttons

Social buttons are everywhere, however there are still many pages without any connection to a social network. It's true thatdo not play an important role regarding the ranking of a website – but they are a sign of trust and as an inbound marketing strategy it is essential because the more they spread the content, the more chances you have of making your website known and the more people know about your website the more chances you have of getting links. It's the word-of-mouth technique but in the online world.

Devices

Keep in mind the fact that consumer research habits are changing drastically. More and more research is done using mobile devices (tablets and cell phones).

Allows your website to be easy to read regardless of the type of screen. Create a mobile version of your website or at least use technology responsive.