Did you create a website? Are you going to promote it? Want to do it yourself? First, make sure it’s user-friendly and search engine-compliant.
Is the title tag spelled out for each page?
The browser displays the text of the title tag in the window title. This text will link to your website in Google search results – a kind of business card of the resource. Therefore, it is crucial to spell the title correctly.
Are the meta descriptions of the website pages (tag meta description) clear, attractive, and specified for each page?
This tag often forms the basis of a snippet – a brief description of the comment link in the search results. While viewing the search results, the user looks at the snippet and decides whether to visit your website. It is vital to fill in the meta description correctly.
Is the “alt” attribute written for all pictures?
This tag attribute helps search engines understand what show in the image. Well, to users who, for some reason, did not download pictures from your website. Read more about the selection of images for the website here.
Headings in the text contain keywords and marked with tags H1 … H6?
Proper design of headings helps the visitor to navigate faster on the page, and the search engine will understand the content and structure of such a document.
No pop-ups or other aggressive ads on the website?
Pop-ups and other aggressive advertising scare users. Pages with popunder banners, click under, and body click ads are consistently ranked lower by search engines than pages without them.
Do you have a website map?
An adequately compiled website map helps the user find the information he needs efficiently, and the search engine identifies and indexes your website’s pages quickly.
You can always put this work on us. A well-prepared website for promotion will reduce the cost of external website optimization.
How to properly prepare a website for promotion?
Consider in more detail the critical aspects of preparing a website for promotion. You will see that you can do everything you need with the help of specialists and on your own! Let’s also talk about how to choose a promotion strategy.
How to conduct a technical audit
It is the initial level of training, but it is essential. Let’s describe in steps what actions need to made and what to check:
- The robots.txt file locates in the root directory. It needs to evaluate, and if it is not processed – to correct omissions. This file is responsible for what search engines can index on the website. If the resource is closed from indexing, it will not move: the desired pages should open! Some should not open. It is necessary to close from indexing those where the personal information of users which is not subject to disclosure fixe. For example, these are order pages, personal accounts.
- Download speed is a critical point. If the website takes a long time to load, then the user is uncomfortable with it. This is the reasoning of search algorithms, so the resource will not get into the TOP. It’s best to keep your webpage loading speed above average. And if it is low, the Google service, for example, immediately gives tips on correcting the situation.
- HTTPS protocol. If it already implements, you need to make sure that all the necessary redirects configure for a secure protocol. The website must be available only on HTTPS. Otherwise, a message will appear that the resource is dangerous.
- Sitemap.xml is a website map. It tells search engines how the resource structure organizes, where, and how to sequence the data located. The map makes it easier for robots to index pages. This is a hint of how they are interconnected. Sometimes developers forget about it. But the map must be, and it must add to the Google Search Console to make it available to robots. This simple action can cause rapid indexing.
The validity of the layout is essential during the technical audit of the website
- Layout quality. Search engines track and pay attention to layout errors, so they need to eliminate them before the promotion. There are unique resources to help detect such errors.
- 404 page – it is usually accessed by the user when data is not available or moved. It is essential to check for the presence and design of error 404. Experts recommend not to leave a blank error message and design a page in the overall style of the website. It is necessary to place here a logo, the link to the main or all menu that the visitor could quickly return to other pages. It will help reduce the bounce rate.
- Page addresses should be clear and straightforward for users and the whole structure of the website. Numbers, icons can denote page titles, but all this contradicts the principles of CNC, which spells out in Latin letters. The address should give the visitor a clear understanding of the sections and subsections. Not all CMSs allow you to make such URLs, and not all developers undertake to install an additional plugin or module with which you can create a CNC automatically. If suddenly your website URL does not do in this way, deal with this issue.
- Broken links – be sure to check their presence and get rid of them if detected. Special online services have been developed for this purpose.
- Duplicate metatags. The title and description should not repeat on the website. In some CMSs, pages with blank metadata automatically tag with the main page. In this case, there is duplication, and search engines evaluate it as gross errors. Some programs can help detect such recurrences and correct them.
- Micro-markup – search engines treat it very well. It recommends using it to display addresses, telephone numbers, contacts, and other information using unique attributes.
- When there are images in the content, which is now mandatory, they must be registered Alt tags. First, you can use them to get to Google images for your key query. And this is an additional source of traffic. Second, searchers take into account the neat attitude to Alt. It is better to include keywords in the description, in which case the images will also optimize.
These are not the only possible problems, but they can significantly impact the promotion results, especially when there is a set of shortcomings. If the imperfections eliminate, the website will be easier to move up. You can read more about the impact of the technical side of the resource on promotion here.
Usability audit
In general, usability should address website design and design development to consider all the essential points and eliminate errors in advance. Usability shows how comfortable and convenient the resource is for the user, and we also have a separate article about this.
The main points of usability must check:
- First, you need to determine the target audience and see how appropriate the website’s design, the presentation of information on it, and the functionality of your audience.
- It is necessary to place social evidence on the website: certificates, reviews, reviews. This should be done in places where they will be helpful to users.
- As part of your usability audit, consider how effectively you use triggers, promotions, or reasonable prices. It directly affects the behavior of users on the resource.
- Analyze competitors, find ways to show your advantages. You need to stand out and offer something interesting, better than rivals.
- Think about what is important to the client. For example, when buying, you need to ensure the availability of a basket, payment systems, delivery. If the service offer, it is necessary to tell about how it turns out, how much it costs, what guarantees, what specialists will deal with the problem.
Involve acquaintances or experts in evaluating the website, which will help analyze your website impartially and point out mistakes. You can also check the usability yourself or order a service in a professional web studio. A usability audit must perform during a comprehensive audit of the website.
How to choose a promotion strategy
There are many ways and strategies to promote. How do you choose the best of them? The decision algorithm here is straightforward:
- Analyze the websites of competitors, especially those who are at the top. Evaluate the number of products, services, website structure, availability of sections and try to do better, implement what they do not have. Suppose they do not have sections “Sales”, “News”, “Recommendations”, and you do. This will help to provide the user with more information and then promote this additional content.
- Do better than everywhere, not only with competitors! Look for ideas that no one is using yet, and implement them on your website. By the way, it will be helpful to read about how to bring a website with TOP non-standard ways.
- Use what works for all websites. Typical solutions – video reviews, blog, reviews, discounts. Constantly adding content and updating the resource to promote it is helpful! Add news articles every week, publish informational texts. Firstly, this shows search enines that the website is updated, working with it, and secondly, the content is indexed and helps the website to move.
Use these tips when preparing your website for promotion. A good foundation is the key to a successful start!