Getting your website to dominate the first page of Google can be quite a difficult feat. Everything from your web archive age to the number of indexed pages all factor into Google’s algorithm. Robust search engine optimization takes deep analysis, time, and energy to ensure that all of your pages are correctly tagged, indexed, optimized, and linked.
For our less internet savvy followers, we have outlined the top 5 most important fixes that you need to change on your website.
1. WWW Redirect
Make sure that you redirect your site with or without “www.” Doing so avoids the usage of duplicate content which Google will penalize you for.
2. URL Rewrite
Make sure that your URLs are clean and clear so that users and search engines can read them easily. Avoid vague elements that can make the URLs difficult to read. Most importantly, do not use underscores in your URLs.
3. HTTP to HTTPS
This one is a bit trickier and can take more time. As of January 2017, Google made it official that a “secure communication” was the official algorithm. Therefore, websites on HTTP instead of HTTPS have been gradually losing their top positions since early last year. Use this Google guide to get more information on how to become HTTPS.
4. XML Sitemap
It is imperative that you create an XML sitemap of your website to help search engines “crawl” your website. Once you submit a Sitemap to the search engines, you should continually address how to improve it and stay up to date with their requirements on images, videos, news and mobile content.
5. Flash
You may be asking yourself: “does flash still exist?” Unfortunately, the answer is yes, and you need to avoid it as much as possible. The more Flash content on your site, the lower your rank will be.
We hope that these quick tips help you or your SEO analyst fix your website to ensure that Google and all of the search engines are showing your site as healthy and ranking you near the top!
If you need help with your SEO strategy and incorporating it into your overall marketing plan, contact the experts at Reach Beyond Marketing: 203.315.5055.