WordPress offers a wide range of templates that are both intuitive and beautiful to look at. While that’s all well and good, the most important aspect of any website is making it so that it’s easy to find. So how does one do that? By simply optimizing your content with keywords that make it easy for search engines to read and pull your site to the top of the search pile. Today, we’re going to provide you with some simple things you can do on your own that will make it easier to SEO WordPress sites and put your businesses well on its way towards being found!
Take the time to plan your site out beforehand.
One of the best and worst aspects of WordPress themes is that the ease of use can sometimes cause users to hotshot their layout. People hastily drag and drop menus, add graphics, etc. without giving real consideration to how it will all fit together – not only in the short term, but over time as well.
Take the time to carefully plan out your site. Consider what kinds of keywords you’ll use in Menus and headers. Think of what the site will look down the road when there’s been tons of content added. What will it look like? Will your content be accessible? How will users be able to drill deep into your site to mine for quality content?
Long story, short – SEO and layout go hand in hand. Carefully consider that when in the planning stages of your new site and you’ll already be ahead of the game!
SEO your pages.
After you’ve laid your site out, it’ll be time to add content. Once the content is included, it’ll be time to plug in your keywords. This can be easily managed by plugins like Yoast, All-In-One SEO Pack and others. Make sure you also include your keywords in the meta title, integrate them into your content and write a killer meta description that brings it all together. The next step is being patient. SEO doesn’t always happen overnight, but engaging in these activities will put you on the right path.
Avoid content duplication.
Not only is stealing content from other people’s sites wrong, but it’ll also hurt you in search engines. Google has instituted a Duplicate Content Penalty that can knock (more like bury) your site far down the search engine rankings. Create your own content or if need be – hire a pro to write it for you. SEO WordPress copywriters are out there in abundance, so get someone who knows not only how to write killer content that will attract business, but also use the words that will help your site get discovered!
Get social.
Contrary to popular opinion, content is not king these days. Good content is. Throwing stuff up for the sake of it won’t help you, but creating informative, interesting and engaging content certainly will. Use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and more to share out your content and gain readers. The more traffic you get, the more shares you get, the more comments you get; well, the better search engine ranking you’ll have. And it won’t be JUST because of key words. It will be because of 1.) you, 2.) your expertise and 3.) your value!
Keep those Permalinks simple.
Forget the SEO element for just a second and think of all the awful URL’s you’ve had to type out into a navigation bar in your lifetime. It makes sites frustrating to use, more difficult to get to and in many ways, can be a hindrance to doing business. Truth is, we all hate clunky URL’s but guess who hates them just as much? Search Engines! The trick is to keep your links short and easy to read not only for the user – but for search engines as well. To shorten your URL’s or ‘permalinks, go to your WordPress settings and make sure they include titles of your content. Keep them simple and as short as possible so they’re easy to remember and easier for search engines to pick up on.
Are you interested in SEO WordPress for your businesses’ website? Give our team at Stern a call at (888) 865-3840 or fill out our online contact form for a free consultation today!