One of my favorite parts about writing copy for clients is helping them organize their website structure and watch their businesses come to life through words. At this point in my career, I've worked with tons of clients so I know that your chances of ranking higher in search engines is better if your site structure is well-organized and intentional. One of the most common questions I tend to receive is about web structure particularly how to rank high for SEO. Here are four tips that explain how to create a website structure that keep SEO in mind.
#1 Decide on a Clear Menu of Pages and Subpages
The first step that always helps me visualize what a client’s website should look like relates to pages and subpages. When helping a client decide on these, I like to err on the side of less is more. If you start to think that there’s too much copy on your site, you’re probably right. In order to give the best experience for your site’s visitors, I recommend having no more than 6 main pages. Having too many options for visitors can be overwhelming. Start small and with three vital pages: your homepage, about page and contact page.
Think about your visitor’s experience, what should it feel like. If you’re stuck, think about your own experiences, what websites do you gravitate towards? I know I personally tend to exit websites when I feel like content is buried or it’s difficult to find what I need whether it’s the contact information or pricing. When this happens, bounce rates increase which can reduce your website’s rankings. This means search engines will drop your site because they’re seeing that visitors are not finding what they’re looking for. Make your viewers lives easier by streamlining your website through clear pages which can in turn make your site more visible.
#2 Understand the Impact of Headers and Keywords
I find SEO fascinating. I love learning about the factors that go into it because it feels like it’s constantly changing. Today we’re going to focus on two very important header tags called H1 and H2. Header tags are important because they tell the search engines what your website is about. Search engines recognize keywords in your header tags and rank them as more important than the rest of your copy. The ranking starts with H1 and works it’s way down to H2, H3, etc. Because search engines have a hard time coming up with hierarchy, the tags work with keywords to support the overall purpose of your page. For example, if you’re a fee-only financial advisor who works with professional athletes and celebrities in Los Angeles you’ll want to associate your company with keywords that your audience would be typing into Google. These should be associated with your business and could range from keywords such as “privacy,” “fee-only,” or “Hollywood” (or the specific part of LA you service). You can even think about making sure your primary keywords are in your homepage title, H1 tags, and are scattered within your web pages.
#3 Fresh Content is Key
Content, content, content. Once you feel confident about the content that lives on your homepage, about page and contact page, another main page to start developing could be your blog. Writing content and sharing it on your website is one of the best ways to improve your SEO. It’s also the perfect way to continue enhancing your company’s voice, share new offerings, update your client’s on special deals and build a rapport with your community. Crafting blog content will influence your website more than any other factors. Fresh content is key to a strong website structure.
#4 Be Patient
Last but not least, while deciding on pages and subpages seems simple, building up your SEO takes time. Results won’t be immediate so be patient. I’ve heard that it can sometimes take up to six months to start seeing results. As mentioned above, be intentional about the keywords that you associate your brand with and continue to fill your site with fresh content, it’s well worth the wait!
While the information available about this topic is limitless, these are four tips to get you started. If you’d like our help writing your website copy or need a second set of eyes, contact me!