As we move into 2023, the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for websites cannot be overstated. SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) with the help of meta tags, making it easier for users to find your website. If you’re just starting out with SEO, it can be overwhelming. We can divide SEO practices into 2 parts one is On–Page, Off-Page SEO and Technical SEO.
Here are some best tips for beginners on website SEO best practices in 2023:
SEO HTML Meta Tags are snippets of code that provide information about a web page to search engines and other platforms that display the page, such as social media networks. They don’t affect the visible content of the page but provide important information that helps search engines understand the page’s content and context. Make sure your website page has meta tags:
Title Tag: The title tag is one of the most important HTML meta tags for SEO. It appears in the browser’s title bar and in search engine results as the page’s title. It should include the primary keyword and be descriptive and compelling, encouraging users to click through to the page.
<meta name="title" content="Meta description goes here">Meta Title character length should be 50-60 characters.
Meta Description Tag: The meta description tag provides a brief summary of the page’s content and appears below the title tag in search engine results. It should be concise, informative, and include the primary keyword. A well-written meta description can encourage users to click through to the page.
<meta name="description" content="Meta Description goes here">Meta Description character length should be 150-160 characters.
Header Tags: Header tags, such as H1, H2, H3, etc., are used to structure the page’s content and provide context to search engines. The H1 tag should include the primary keyword and be used to indicate the main heading of the page.
Canonical Tag: The canonical tag is used to indicate the preferred version of a page when multiple versions of the same content exist, such as when using parameters or tracking codes in URLs. It helps avoid duplicate content issues and ensures that search engines index the correct version of the page.
<link rel="canonical" href="canonical url"/>Robots Meta Tag: The robots meta tag provides instructions to search engines on how to handle the page. It can be used to prevent search engines from indexing the page or following its links, among other things.
For indexing:
<meta name="robots" content="index" />To prevent indexing:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex" />Homework before making your website live:
Conduct Keyword Research: Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find keywords relevant to your website and target audience. Once you have a list of keywords, incorporate them into your website’s content, titles, and meta descriptions. You can use online keyword research FREE and PAID tools.
Optimize Your Website’s Structure: Your website’s structure should be organized and easy to navigate. Use a logical hierarchy of pages, with clear headings and subheadings. Make sure your website’s URL structure is also clear and easy to understand.
Write Quality Content: Quality content is essential for SEO. Make sure your website’s content is informative, engaging, and provides value to your readers. Use your target keywords naturally in your content, but don’t overdo it. Aim for a keyword density of around 1-2%.
Optimize Your Images: Images are an important part of any website, but they can also slow down your website’s load time if they’re not optimized properly. Compress your images to reduce file size and use alt tags to describe your images to search engines.
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Image description">You can CDN (Content Delivery Network). Cloudinary is one of the best and FREE & PAID CDN providers. It is my personal favourite.
Build High-Quality Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They’re an important ranking factor for search engines. Focus on building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your niche. You can do this by guest blogging, creating valuable content, or reaching out to other websites in your niche.
Use Social Media: Social media is a great way to promote your website and attract visitors. Share your content on social media and engage with your followers. The more shares and likes your content gets, the more likely it is to rank higher in search engine results.
Make sure the Open Graph property and Twitter card property are available on your website pages.
<!-- Open Graph / Facebook -->
<meta property="og:type" content="website">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://website.com/">
<meta property="og:title" content="Meta description goes here">
<meta property="og:description" content="Meta Description goes here">
<meta property="og:image" content="image for social media with recommended 1022px width and 628px height">
<!-- Twitter -->
<meta property="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
<meta property="twitter:url" content="https://website.com/">
<meta property="twitter:title" content="Meta description goes here">
<meta property="twitter:description" content="Meta Description goes here">
<meta property="twitter:image" content="image for social media with recommended 1022px width and 628px height">
Monitor Your Analytics: Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor your website’s traffic, user behaviour, and other important metrics. This will help you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to improve your website’s SEO.
You can integrate and synchronize Google Analytics with Google Tag Manager.
Here is a complete example of structured Html:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<!--[if lt IE 7]> <html class="no-js lt-ie9 lt-ie8 lt-ie7"> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 7]> <html class="no-js lt-ie9 lt-ie8"> <![endif]-->
<!--[if IE 8]> <html class="no-js lt-ie9"> <![endif]-->
<!--[if gt IE 8]> <html class="no-js"> <!--<![endif]-->
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
<title>Page Title</title>
<meta name="title" content="Meta description goes here">
<meta name="description" content="Meta Description goes here">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<link rel="canonical" href="canocical url"/>
<meta name="robots" content="index" />
<!-- Open Graph / Facebook -->
<meta property="og:type" content="website">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://website.com/">
<meta property="og:title" content="Meta description goes here">
<meta property="og:description" content="Meta Description goes here">
<meta property="og:image" content="image URL for social media with recommended 1022px width and 628px height">
<!-- Twitter -->
<meta property="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
<meta property="twitter:url" content="https://website.com/">
<meta property="twitter:title" content="Meta description goes here">
<meta property="twitter:description" content="Meta Description goes here">
<meta property="twitter:image" content="image URL for social media with recommended 1022px width and 628px height">
</head>
<body>
<h1>Header 1</h1>
<h2>Header 2</h2>
<h3>Header 3</h3>
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Image Description">
<!--[if lt IE 7]>
<p class="browsehappy">You are using an <strong>outdated</strong> browser. Please <a href="#">upgrade your browser</a> to improve your experience.</p>
<![endif]-->
</body>
</html>Or you can simply hire an SEO services provider to do your website SEO and Social media.
Conclusion
SEO can be complex, but by following these best tips for beginners on website SEO best practices in 2023, you can lay a strong foundation for your website’s SEO success. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, so continue to learn and adapt to stay ahead of the curve.
