Launching a new website can be an exciting time for any business. However, it is essential to consider the SEO elements involved in order to ensure your site is indexed and gaining organic traffic as soon as possible. This blog post will discuss SEO for new website by outlining some key steps you should take such as optimizing page titles and descriptions with keywords, checking image sizes are fast loading, allowing bots/crawling on your site, claiming your Google Search Console account and submitting a sitemap plus more. With these tips in hand you’ll have all of the tools necessary to get started on mastering SEO for new website today.
Why is SEO for new marketing/sales websites on my mind? I was recently speaking with a local Leelanau County, MI friend and talented artist, Elijah Nykamp about their brand nykamping, which is bringing new life to pre-loved textiles through unique, sustainable, one size fits most overcoats. Their burgeoning online brand had me thinking about the most important elements of an online brand launch and the SEO factors that can impact brand reach in the short- and long-term. You can find Elijah’s work at online at nykamping.com.
What Are Search Engines Looking For?
Created w/ Dall-E-2 using prompt, “Google search console bot crawling page and putting it at the top of the list folk art earth art”
Search engines are looking for websites that provide relevant and useful content to their users. They want to ensure that when someone searches for something, they get the best possible results in terms of quality and relevance. To do this, search engines look at four main elements:
1) Quality Content – Search engines will prioritize sites with well-written, informative content that is both engaging and helpful to readers. This includes using keywords strategically throughout your site’s text so it can be easily found by search engine crawlers.
2) Relevant Links – Linking from other high-quality websites is a great way to show search engines you have valuable information on your website. The more reputable links pointing back to your site, the higher it will rank in SERPs (search engine results pages).
3) Mobile Optimization – With more people accessing the internet through mobile devices than ever before, having a website optimized for mobile use is essential if you want it to appear higher in SERPs. Responsive design should be used so pages adjust automatically based on device size and orientation, abd page loading speed should also be taken into consideration when optimizing for mobile devices.
4) User Experience (UX) – UX plays an important role in how successful a website is because visitors who find what they’re looking for quickly tend to stay longer on a website, which signals its relevancy and usefulness, which increases its ranking potential within SERPs. A good user experience means providing easy navigation options along with clear calls-to-action so visitors know exactly where they need go next or what action needs taking without any confusion or frustration during their visit
Choose a Great Domain Name
Choosing the right domain name for your business is essential to its success. A good domain name should be easy to spell, memorable and represent your brand in a positive way. It’s also important that it’s not too long or confusing so people can easily find you online.
When selecting a domain name, consider spelling first. If your company name can be easily misspelled then it could be easily missed by potential customers who are looking for you online or through word of mouth. Keep it short and simple so that people won’t have any trouble finding you.
Branding potential is another key factor when choosing a domain name as this will help build credibility and links to branded domains, which will give more value to your content and make it easier for people to trust what they see on your website.
Finally, keywords aren’t as important when selecting a domain anymore due to Google’s Exact Match Domain (EMD) update which prevents poor quality keyword-keyword-keyword sites from ranking well simply because they had their main keywords in their domains names – however, having some relevant words included can still help improve SEO rankings if done correctly, so don’t rule out including some of these if appropriate.
Set Up Analytics and Diagnostic Tools
Setting up analytics and diagnostic tools is an important step in understanding how your website is performing. Google Analytics is a great starting point for tracking visitors to your site, as well as their behavior within it. It’s free and easy to set up, so there’s no excuse not to get started right away.
You can also use other tools such as SEMrush or Ahrefs for more detailed information about search engine visibility and keyword performance data that Google Analytics lacks. These are paid services but they offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of your SEO efforts. At SMQ Consulting, we provide all clients with support for their Analytics tool implementation (installation, testing, updates, etc.) as well as premium site analysis data from tools like SEMrush, GTmetrix, Search Console, BrightLocal and more.
Once you have at least basic analytics tools set up, you should start monitoring key metrics like page views, bounce rate, time on page, conversions etc., which will give you an idea of how people are engaging with your content. You can then use this data to make informed decisions about what changes need to be made in order to improve user experience and increase conversions.
It’s also important to keep track of any errors or issues that may arise on the site from time-to-time by using a tool like Screaming Frog, SEMrush, or DeepCrawl which will scan the entire website looking for broken links, duplicate content etc., helping you identify potential problems before they become bigger issues down the line.
Finally, don’t forget about social media analytics too – platforms like Facebook Insights provide invaluable insight into how users interact with posts from your business pages allowing you to tailor future campaigns accordingly.
Map Out Optimal Site Architecture
When it comes to digital strategy, mapping out an optimal site architecture is essential. A well-structured website should be easy for users to navigate and understand, while also providing a good experience for search engine crawlers.
Created with Dall-E-2 using prompt, “Google Bot scans a sitemap for direction dynamic lighting”
The first step in creating an effective site architecture is understanding the purpose of your website. Are you looking to provide information about a product or service? Or are you aiming to generate leads or sales? Once you have identified the goal of your website, you can begin structuring its content accordingly.
Next, consider how visitors will interact with your content. What pages do they need access to in order to complete their desired action? Make sure these pages are easily accessible from the homepage or other main navigation areas on the site. Additionally, think about what type of content each page should contain and how it should be organized within that page—for example, using headings and subheadings as well as bulleted lists when appropriate.
Finally, pay attention to internal linking between pages on your website—this helps both users and search engines understand how different pieces of content relate to one another. When possible, link related topics together so that readers can explore further if they wish; this not only improves user experience but also increases time spent onsite which can help boost SEO rankings over time.
By following these steps when creating a new website or revamping an existing one, you’ll ensure that all visitors have a positive experience navigating through your digital space—and potentially increase conversions along the way.
Craft Your Content
Writing content for your marketing website is an important step in improving your site’s visibility and ranking. Content should be written with both users and search engines in mind, as this will help you attract more visitors to your site. Here are some tips on how to craft quality content that will benefit both readers and search engine crawlers:
Keywords:
Focus on adding relevant keywords throughout the text that accurately describe what each page is about. Use varied forms of keywords rather than simply stuffing them into the text; this helps ensure that your pages don’t get flagged by search engines for keyword stuffing. Gone are the days or simply dropping the same keyword into your text over and over again. Instead, communicate like a human, for human understanding. Use a variety of terms and phrases relating to topics of importance to your brand.
Topics:
Every page needs to focus on a unique topic, so make sure you don’t optimize more than one page for the same product or intent. This not only causes confusion but also means two pages are competing for the same keywords, which can hurt rankings instead of helping them.
If you do have several pages that provide information about similar products or topics, link those pages back to a main “pillar page”, which will act as the primary landing page for people searching for that topic — they can then navigate from there to the more specific sub-pages. As a simple example, a website might sell jackets and bags, and many types of each. Rather than working to rank every single jacket product page for the term “handmade jackets”, create a primary page for all things jacket related, which then link to the sub-pages (i.e. floral jackets, winter jackets, handmade jackets, etc.). The primary jacket page will likely rank the highest for general search terms, while your subpages (also called “content clusters” by many SEOs) may tend to rank for longer-tail keywords like “floral jacket handmade in Michigan”.
Quality:
Your content must be unique and purposeful; people come to your site because they need information or a solution to their problem, so make sure you provide it. Google has specific criteria when it comes to high-quality content – familiarize yourself with these standards before writing any new pieces of content. Or, at least make sure that each piece of content you create would be considered helpful, informative, and unique by the humans (and web-crawlers) reading it.
Formatting:
Make sure all page headings have appropriate tags (H1-H6) and use bolding/italics sparingly where necessary for emphasis. Also include internal links within articles where applicable – this helps readers find other related topics quickly while also increasing time spent onsite (which is beneficial from an SEO perspective).
Optimize Page Titles and Descriptions
Page titles and descriptions are essential components of any website. They provide search engines with the information they need to understand what a page is about, which helps them determine how it should be ranked in their results. When optimizing your pages for SEO, it’s important to make sure that each title and description accurately reflects the content on the page. This will help ensure that your pages are properly indexed by search engines and appear higher in their rankings.
When creating page titles, you should include relevant keywords or phrases related to the topic of the page. For example, if you have a blog post about “digital advertising tips” then you would want to include those words in your title so that people searching for this topic can easily find it. You should also aim to keep titles short but descriptive; try not to exceed 60 characters as anything longer may get cut off when displayed in search engine results pages (SERPs) — if you go longer than that, just know that some of the content is likely to be cutoff in search.
Descriptions are just as important as titles when optimizing for SEO since they give potential visitors an idea of what they can expect from a particular page before clicking through from SERPs. Descriptions should be concise yet informative – aim for around 160 characters or less – and include relevant keywords or phrases related to the content on the page whenever possible. Additionally, avoid using generic terms like “click here” or “learn more” as these don’t provide much context regarding what users will find after clicking through from SERPs.
By optimizing page titles and descriptions, you can ensure that your website is visible to the right audience and search engines. With a well-crafted local SEO strategy, you can further boost visibility for your new website.
Be Strategic With Internal Link Structure
Internal link structure is a critical component of any digital strategy. It helps to ensure that your site’s content is organized in a way that makes it easy for search engines and users alike to find the information they need. By strategically linking pages within your website, you can help direct visitors to key areas and increase the value of each page on your site.
Created w/ Dall-E-2 using prompt, “group of people and robots walking toward and into a computer screen, as if being sucked into website folk art”
When creating an internal link structure, it’s important to keep in mind that not every page should be linked from every other page. Doing so will create chaos and dilute the value of each page as well as make it difficult for search engine crawlers to understand how your site is structured. Instead, focus on linking only those pages which are most relevant or important for visitors or search engines to access quickly.
It’s also important to consider how you are linking between pages when creating an internal link structure. Using anchor text (the clickable words) can help give more context about what the destination page contains and provide additional SEO benefits by helping Google better understand what keywords are associated with each page on your website. Additionally, using descriptive URLs rather than generic ones such as “page2” can also help improve user experience by providing more clarity about where clicking a particular link will take them before they actually click it.
Finally, when structuring links internally, think about how best to pass authority from one part of the website onto another without overwhelming either section with too many links pointing away from them at once – this could have a negative impact on both sections if done incorrectly. Consider prioritizing certain types of content over others depending upon their importance relative to other parts of the website; this will ensure that all parts get some benefit but none become overwhelmed with too much traffic coming through too quickly.
Optimize Page Urls
Page URLs are an important factor when it comes to SEO. Having short, concise, and keyword-rich URLs can help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
If you’re using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress or Drupal, you should be able to change the URL structure of your pages. Make sure to set up 301 redirects from any old URLs so that visitors will still be directed to the correct page.
In addition, make sure all internal links on your site point to the correct URL. Broken links can negatively affect user experience as well as SEO rankings, so double check all links before publishing new content or making changes to existing ones.
Finally, if possible avoid using parameters such as “?” or “&” in your URLs since they may confuse search engines and cause them not index certain pages correctly. If you must use them then try adding canonical tags which tell search engines which version of a URL should be indexed instead of others with similar parameters attached at the end.
Design a Mobile-Friendly Website
Designing a mobile-friendly website is essential for any business looking to stay competitive in today’s digital landscape. Mobile usage has skyrocketed over the past few years, and Google now gives priority to sites that are optimized for smaller screens.
Created w/ Dall-E-2 & NightCafe, using prompt, “person holds a cell phone while at a concert. the cell phone shows a website for a fashion brand. folk art”
Start by making sure all of your content is readable without having to zoom in. Use large buttons and easy-to-navigate menus, and avoid using flash or other plugins that aren’t supported by most mobile devices. Test your site on various devices to ensure it works well and looks good across different platforms.
You should also consider using responsive design techniques such as media queries, which allow you to create a single website that automatically adjusts its layout based on the size of the device being used. This ensures a consistent experience regardless of whether someone visits your site from their laptop or smartphone.
Optimizing images can also help improve page load times on mobile devices since they tend to have slower connection speeds than desktop computers do. Compress images before uploading them so they take up less space while still maintaining quality, and use lazy loading if possible so only visible images are loaded at first with additional ones loading as needed when users scroll down the page.
Finally, make sure you’re tracking how people interact with your website on different devices through web analytics tools like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics so you can identify areas where improvements could be made or features that need more attention from users who visit via their phones or tablets instead of desktopslaptops
Switch Your Website to SSL
Are you still using HTTP for your website? If so, it’s time to switch over to SSL. Google has been giving increasing priority to websites that use SSL certificates, and there are many benefits of making the switch.
An SSL certificate will protect your website from malware and hackers, as well as allowing you to use Google Analytics on your site. To make the transition, you’ll need to purchase an SSL certificate from a trusted provider and install it on your web server. You should also update all of your website’s links with the new protocol.
The process can be daunting if you don’t have experience in setting up an SSL certificate; however, most hosting providers offer easy-to-follow instructions or even provide assistance with setup if needed. Once everything is set up correctly, visitors will see a padlock icon in their browser when they visit your site – this indicates that the connection between them and the server is secure.
In addition to providing security for users visiting your site, switching over to HTTPS may also improve SEO rankings since Google gives preference in search results for sites using encryption protocols like TLSSSL certificates. This means more organic traffic coming through search engines which could lead to increased sales or conversions depending on what type of business you run online.
Switching over from HTTP might require some extra effort but it’s worth it in terms of improved user experience and better SEO rankings – both of which can help grow any business online.
Include Local Terms for Local Search Rankings
Created w/ Dall-E-2 using prompt, “Google search console bot crawling page and putting it at the top of the list folk art earth art”
When it comes to digital advertising and web optimizations, local terms (i.e. location names, landmarks, etc) are an important factor in optimizing organic traffic. By including location-specific words such as city names, zip codes, or other geographic identifiers in page titles, descriptions, headings and content of your website or blog post can help boost visibility for local searches.
For example, if you own a small business that provides services within a certain area of the country – let’s say Chicago – you should include “Chicago” in all relevant places on your website. This could be anything from the title tag to meta description to body copy. Doing so will make sure that when someone searches for something related to your business within the vicinity of Chicago they will see your site among the top results.
Including local terms in your SEO strategy can help to ensure that you are targeting the right audience, and optimizing for success.
Check Image Sizes
Image size is an important factor when it comes to website performance and SEO. Having images that are too large can slow down your page loading times, which can lead to a poor user experience and lower search engine rankings. It’s essential to ensure all images on your site are sized correctly for optimal performance.
When uploading images, make sure they are the correct size before you upload them onto your website. If you have an image that is larger than necessary, use photo editing software or online tools such as TinyPNG or JPEGmini to reduce its file size without sacrificing quality. You should also consider using responsive images so they automatically resize depending on the device being used by visitors – this will help keep load times low across all devices.
Finally, remember that some browsers don’t support certain types of image files (eg., GIFs). To ensure maximum compatibility across different browsers, save any animated graphics as both GIF and PNG formats; this way if one type isn’t supported by a particular browser then the other will still display correctly.
Optimizing image sizes for your website can improve user experience and help boost search engine rankings. To further optimize your new website, claiming a Google Search Console account is the next step to take.
Claim Your Google Search Console Account
Claiming your Google Search Console account is an essential part of optimizing your website for search engine visibility. It allows you to monitor how Google crawls and indexes your site, as well as submit sitemaps and URLs for indexing. This can help ensure that all of the pages on your website are being indexed properly by search engines, so they can be found more easily by potential customers or clients.
Psst… Here is a post where we dive a bit deeper into setting up and using Google Search Console to improve your website.
To claim your Google Search Console account, first sign in with a Gmail address or other email address associated with the domain name you wish to manage. Once logged in, click “Add Property” and enter the URL for which you want to set up an account. You will then need to verify ownership of this property using one of several methods such as HTML tag verification or uploading an HTML file provided by Google. After successful verification, you will have access to detailed reports about how users interact with your website when searching through Google’s results pages (SERPs).
Once claimed, it is recommended to monitor Search Console performance data such as impressions, clicks and CTRs (click-through rates) from organic searches over time; any errors that occurred during crawling; manual actions taken against content on the site; internal links pointing towards specific pages; mobile usability issues; structured data markup validation status; AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) validation status and security concerns related to malware detection or hacking attempts. All of these details can help pinpoint areas where optimization efforts should be focused in order to maximize SERP rankings gradually.
Google Search Console also provides tools that enable webmasters/marketers/advertisers to make changes directly from their accounts without having access to the source code files of their websites. This includes submitting new sitemaps for indexing, removing URLs from search results if they contain low quality content or spammy links pointing towards them, and using Fetch & Render to preview how a page looks when crawled by bots before pushing out live updates onto production servers.
Once you’ve claimed your Google Search Console Account, it’s time to focus on allowing bots/crawlers access to your website so that they can index and rank your content properly.
Allow Bots/Crawling
Search engine bots, also known as web crawlers or spiders, are automated programs that crawl the internet in search of content. They are used by search engines like Google and Bing to index websites and determine their rankings in search results. Allowing these bots to crawl your website is essential for SEO success. Without it, your website won’t be indexed properly and you won’t get any organic traffic from search engines.
Created w/ Dall-E-2 using prompt, “Computer monitor with colorful fashion website being crawled by 10 search engine bots folk art”
There are two ways to allow bots/crawling on your website: robots.txt file or an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO for WordPress sites. The robots.txt file is a text document located in the root directory of your site that tells web crawlers which pages they can access and which ones they should ignore when crawling your site. It’s important to make sure that all of the important pages on your site are included in this file so that they can be indexed correctly by search engines.
An SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO can be of great help in making sure that web crawlers properly crawl all the necessary pages on your website without you having to manually create a robots.txt file each time new content is added or existing content is updated. This plugin also enables redirects, optimizes titles and meta descriptions for better SERP visibility, generates XML sitemaps, checks broken links etc., thus providing an easy way to manage optimizing your website for better organic search performance.
It’s important not only to allow bots/crawling but also configure them correctly so that they don’t waste resources crawling unnecessary files such as images or scripts, which would slow down the process of indexing relevant information about the page itself. Additionally, if there is sensitive data stored within certain directories, then those need to be blocked off from being accessed by external sources including web crawlers. You can do this with specific directives inside the robots.txt file, specifying what type of access should be granted or denied based upon user-agent strings associated with different types of browsers, devices, applications etc.
Create an Off-Page SEO Strategy
Developing an off-page SEO strategy is essential for any business that wants to increase its visibility in search engine results. While on-page SEO focuses on optimizing the content and structure of your website, off-page SEO focuses on building relationships with other websites and creating backlinks to your site. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Create branded social profiles:
Linking your new website to social media accounts helps forge a connection between owned media and the online world. As you gain followers, you can build relationships with potential customers. Social media also allows happy customers to share posts about your business with their friends, which increases traffic but does not directly impact SEO rankings.
Claim third-party profiles:
Claiming profiles on sites like TripAdvisor or Yelp is beneficial for businesses looking for local search traffic as it increases trust in the legitimacy of your brand while helping boost rankings in search engine results. There are a variety of tools and services designed to help businesses managed their directory listings and citations. BrightLocal is one great option, as are SEMrush Listing Management, YEXT and WhiteSpark.
Research competitors’ link profile:
Checking out what the competition is up to can help inform decisions when you’re not sure where to start. Review competitor link profiles and determine if those associations are benefiting their website – this may highlight some useful linking opportunities worth pursuing.
Set Up a My Business Profile
Google My Business is an essential part of any online presence. It helps customers find and visit your website, as well as improving your ranking in SERPs. To list your website on Google My Business, you’ll need to provide the following information:
1. Your business name and address
2. A description of what you do
3. Any relevant contact details (phone number, email address etc.)
4. Photos or videos that showcase your business
5. Links to social media accounts such as Facebook or Twitter
6. Your website URL
Once all this information has been provided, you can submit it for review by Google My Business team who will then verify its accuracy before approving it for listing on their platform. After approval, customers searching for businesses like yours will be able to see a map with directions along with other important details about your company such as opening hours and reviews from previous customers – all helping them make an informed decision about whether they should choose you over another provider in the area.
Reach Out to Friends and Influencers to Build Links
Created w/ Dall-E-2 using prompt, “Computer monitor with colorful fashion website being crawled by 10 search engine bots folk art”
Building links is an essential part of SEO, but it can be a daunting task. It’s often easier to start by leveraging your personal network – friends, influencers and colleagues – and asking them to help promote your website.
Reach out to bloggers whose content is relevant for your website and ask if they would be interested in writing about you. If you have newsworthy content on your site, contact local papers or other media outlets and inquire if they are interested in reporting on it. If you don’t have newsworthy content on your site, create it! Then let people know about it.
If you need help with outreach emails, QuickSprout has some useful templates that may come in handy when developing link building campaigns. Keep in mind that link building takes time; even just one or two links from friends can put your website on Google’s radar and improve its visibility for certain keywords.
Guest blogging is another great way to build high-value links back to your site. You can write for other websites while boosting traffic back to yours at the same time.
Should You Outsource SEO or Keep it In-House?
Outsourcing SEO can be a great option for businesses that don’t have the time or resources to learn and manage it in-house. Outsourced SEO agencies are experts in their field, so they can provide valuable insight into your website’s performance and help you create an effective strategy. Additionally, outsourcing allows you to tap into a larger pool of talent than what may be available internally.
However, there are some drawbacks to consider when deciding whether or not to outsource SEO. First, working with an agency requires trust — you need to feel confident that they understand your goals and will deliver results on time and within budget. Second, while outsourced agencies may offer more expertise than internal teams do, they also come with higher costs. Finally, because outside firms don’t have as much knowledge about your business as internal staff does, it can take longer for them to become familiar with your industry and develop strategies tailored specifically for you.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to outsource SEO comes down to what works best for your business needs. If you have the resources available internally but lack the necessary skillset or experience needed for successful optimization efforts, then outsourcing might be worth considering. On the other hand if cost is a major factor then keeping things in-house could be a better choice, depending on how much training is required upfront.
For businesses torn between handling SEO in-house or hiring an agency, consider working with an SEO consultant, who can help direct your high-level SEO efforts while teaching you to handle the day-to-day SEO activities yourself, in-house. SEO consultants typically charge lower fees than agencies, and may offer more flexible packages as well.
FAQs in Relation to SEO for New Website
How do I SEO my new website?
Creating an effective SEO strategy for your website requires careful planning and implementation. Start by researching relevant keywords related to your business, then create content that is optimized with those terms. Additionally, ensure you have a well-structured site hierarchy and internal linking structure in place. Lastly, build quality backlinks from reputable sources to boost your rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). With these steps in place, you can maximize the visibility of your website and drive more organic traffic.
Does a new website Affect SEO?
Yes, a new website can affect SEO. Search engine algorithms are constantly changing and evolving, so it is important to keep up with the latest trends in order to ensure your website remains visible and relevant. A new website design or structure can have an impact on how search engines crawl and index your content, which could lead to improved rankings if done correctly. Additionally, updating content regularly can help boost organic traffic as well as improve user experience. It is important to note that SEO takes time and effort but when done properly it can be very beneficial for any business.
How do I SEO myself for my website?
To effectively SEO yourself, you need to create content that is both relevant and engaging. This includes optimizing your website for search engine algorithms by using keywords, creating high-quality backlinks, and regularly updating your content. Additionally, use social media platforms to promote your website and build relationships with other industry professionals. Lastly, track the performance of your website through web analytics tools such as Google Analytics to ensure you are targeting the right audience and achieving desired results. With these strategies in place, you can maximize visibility on search engines while also improving user experience.
What is first step towards SEO for a fresh website?
The first step towards SEO for a fresh website is to create an effective keyword strategy. This involves researching and analyzing relevant keywords that are related to the website’s content, products, services, or industry. Additionally, it is important to ensure these keywords are used in the website’s content and meta tags so they can be indexed by search engines. Finally, creating backlinks from other websites with high domain authority will help increase visibility of the new website in search engine results pages (SERPs). With a comprehensive keyword strategy and backlinks, the website will be well on its way to achieving SEO success.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are manu key elements to consider when launching a new website. By optimizing page titles and descriptions with keywords and phrases, checking image sizes for fast loading, allowing bots/crawling access to your site, claiming your Google Search Console account, submitting a sitemap in Search Console and submitting pages for indexing as well as including local terms into the mix; you will be able to ensure that your SEO efforts for this new website are successful. With these tips in mind, you should have no problem creating an effective SEO strategy for your new website.
Are you looking for a digital strategy consultant to help maximize your online presence? Look no further! At smqconsult.com, we specialize in providing expert advice on digital advertising and web analytics. We are committed to helping businesses of all sizes reach their full potential through our comprehensive solutions tailored specifically for each unique business. Let us help take your marketing efforts to the next level today!