SEO is a complicated place for business owners who are trying to maximise their online presence here on our little island. How do I do it? How much does it cost? Is it a one off thing or do I need to continually do it? I will provide a detailed, actionable guide to help you make the correct SEO moves to start seeing improvements for your websites Google ranking.
We must remind ourselves that SEO is an ever changing game, with Google constantly changing their algorithm or if you have done some previous research before stumbling here, you may have come across “Google’s Core Update”. Google moves the goalposts every now and again to make sure that nobody gets an easy run! So, lets see what SEO tips we can offer to help your business make online improvements.
Top 5 SEO Tips
- Optimise for Local SEO
- Make your Website Mobile Responsive
- Create High Quality Content
- Optimise on Page SEO
- Leverage Social Media
1. Optimise for Local SEO in Ireland
Local SEO is a game-changer for businesses targeting customers in your local town. By optimising your website for local search, you can attract customers searching for services in your area. Let’s say you are a plumber who serves Balbriggan and the surrounding area, local SEO would be trying to rank for “plumber”, “plumbing” or other relevant search terms for your specific town – Balbriggan in my example.
Focus on Local Keywords
Use location-specific keywords such as “Plumber Balbriggan” or “Plumbing Services in Balbrigan” into your content on your website. This will help search engines associate your business with these areas, increasing your visibility to people in your town when they search for your service.
Claim and Optimise Your Google My Business Listing
Ensure your Google My Business profile is complete and up-to-date. Your Google My Business profile is the listing that comes up on Google Maps when you search for certain services for example, or when you search for certain services or your business directly and it pops up on the search page. Include accurate contact information, operating hours, and high-quality images of your business – at least 4 images would be preferable. Don’t underestimate the impact of reviews either, this is a trust signal to Google that your business is a good bet to show their searchers when looking for your service. Other factors which will impact your location are things like your location (how close to town you are).
Build Local Citations
List your business in local directories and online platforms like Goldenpages. Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information across all platforms (Website, Google Business Profile, Directories) is also a big help and trust signal for Google.
Need help with local SEO? Check out our SEO services in Dublin to boost your local presence.
2. Enhance Mobile Optimisation
With 61.95% of browsing done on mobile in 2024, a mobile-friendly website is non-negotiable for businesses or website owners alike.
Responsive Design is Key
Ensure your website adjusts seamlessly across various screen sizes. A responsive design is a website which functions flawlessly on desktops, tablets and mobiles. Page builders like WordPress and Spotify will help you to build responsive websites.
Improve Page Loading Speed
Optimise images, leverage browser caching, and minimise code to enhance your site’s loading speed. Faster websites rank higher on search engines and provide a better user experience. You can check your site’s performance scores using Google’s Page Speed Web Dev Tool.
Simplify Navigation
A straightforward menu and clear calls-to-action make it easier for mobile users to find what they need. Try make your website as user friendly as possible so they can have a great experience!
Looking to revamp your website? Explore our web design services in Dublin for a responsive and engaging site.
3. Create High-Quality, Relevant Content
Content remains king for SEO. Providing valuable information not only attracts visitors but also establishes your authority in the industry. By writing high quality, relevant content, you will help Google or other search engine users to find the answer they are looking for and thus rank you if done well!
Understand Your Audience
Research what your customers are searching for (keyword research) and write content to meet those needs. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest or other options to discover popular search terms.
Incorporate Media Elements
Use images, videos, and infographics to make your content more engaging. Multimedia content can increase the time users spend on your site, positively impacting your SEO. Good quality info graphics and videos allow you a chance to receive backlinks from other sites – a crucial part of SEO!
Update Content Regularly
Keep your website fresh by regularly adding new blog posts or updating existing content. Regular updates signal to search engines that your site is active and relevant. Don’t allow your once great blog posts to go stale!
4. Optimise On-Page SEO
Make sure that your website has high quality on-page SEO including Schema Markup, Meta Descriptions, Title Tags, Heading Tags & ALT Tags – to name a few.
Schema Markup
Schema Markup is essentially the instruction manual for Google Bots crawling your web page – whether that is a page, blog post, product page or something else. It helps the bots understand the content and what is important. This is crucial for SEO. A lot of WordPress SEO plugins like RankMath, Yoast and All-in-One SEO Plugin help you to add schema markup without having to write the code yourself.
Meta Descriptions
While Meta Descriptions aren’t a ranking factor according to Google, Click Through Rate (CTR) is and having a well written Meta Description could be the difference between you or your competitors getting that click from their search. Make sure it’s you!
Title Tags
Title Tags are the title that you see on a search result above the Meta Description. Make sure that your Title Tag is the same as your Heading 1 tag and that it is relevant to your pages content. Manipulating your tags may cause more harm than good as users clicking onto your page and clicking out again straight away will increase your bounce rate and thus harming your rankings.
Heading Tags
Heading Tags are tags for your headings on pages or blog posts. Heading tags must be formatted (page builders like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or others will help you with this). You must only have one H1 Tag. You can have a few H2, H3, H4, H5 or H6 tags but one H1 tag is crucial. This should be the same as your title tag and should be page relevant.
ALT Tags
ALT Tags are the tags you have for your images. If you have images on your website (which you should!), make sure you use relevant ALT tags.
5. Combine Social Media with SEO
While social media signals are not direct ranking factors, they influence your SEO efforts indirectly.
Boost Content Sharing
Encourage your audience to share your content on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Increased visibility can lead to more backlinks and traffic.
Engage with Your Audience
Active engagement builds a loyal community and enhances your brand’s reputation. Email newsletters are a good way of driving traffic to your new blog posts.
Optimise Social Media Profiles
Ensure your profiles are complete and consistent with your website. Include links back to your site (in your bio’s for example) to drive traffic back to your site.
Bonus Tip
Ensure you have enough words on your website pages! Ideally you should be aiming for a minimum of 750 words per webpage – obviously depending on the page. While ensuring that you have enough content is important, make sure that you are still maintaining the quality of your content. More words doesn’t mean better content.
Contact Us
Need help with SEO or maybe you need some help running a Facebook or Instagram ad to target your target audience and maximise ROI? Or if you need Web Design help or any of our other services – get in touch and we will be happy to discuss your unique goals with you.
