Make your Website Usable and Reliable for Better Rankings

Proven SEO techniques can improve the overall experience of a user by making a website usable, reliable and smooth.  However, you need knowledge to achieve this.

It is important to focus on:

• Time spent on a website
• Bounce rate
• Broken links
• Pages views
• Inbound and outbound links, etc.

Here are a few ways to gain website’s rankings:

Use Search Console Helper (Search Console Helper connects directly to Google API and retrieves data straight from Search Console account.)

 Most people ignore the power of Search Console Helper; however,  it is helpful and useful for optimisers. Its interface is easy-to-use and provides data in a visual format.

It has advanced filtering options and the ability to keep historical data, which help people to analyse their website more deeply.

Tips:

• Optimise low performing web pages.
• Periodically review overall traffic patterns.

Relevant content

 It is a known fact that search engines as well as users like to read fresh content. Original content not only attracts users, but also convert them into customers.

Tips:

• Write informative and relevant content.
• Write insightful content to increase dwell time.
• Write useful content to increase rankings.

Optimise image size (Both Google and Bing consider page-load speed into account in their website ranking algorithm.)

 Research shows that good quality images and videos can increase conversion rate. However images and videos increase load time, and a slow loading website fails to attract customers. Therefore, optimise images and videos to improve the speed of your website.

“Websites using videos can achieve a 4.8% higher conversion rate”.

Tips:

• Reduce total number of plugins.
• Use short and easy code.
• Minimise redirects.
• Use keywords in your image file name.

Outbound links

To make your content authentic and relevant, link it to authority sites.  In fact, linking to renowned and respected authority websites increase the  relevance of your content and send trust signals to Google.

However, too many outbound links can be harmful; so use them judiciously.

Broken links

 Broken links and errors frustrate users and force them to leave website. Therefore, it is important to remove 404 errors.

In fact, search engines also dislike such sites.

Tips:

• Use Screaming Frog SEO Spider tool to identify errors.
• Use Google Webmaster Tool to identify and fix errors.

Layout and formatting

Proper formatting and layout improve user experience and decreases bounce rate of a website.

Tips:

• Use bullets rather than thick paragraphs.
• Use user friendly fonts.
• Use sidebars to convey special messages.

Bonus tips:

• Create mobile optimised sites.
• Simplify site’s architecture and navigation.
• Optimise “contact us” and “about us” page to attract new business opportunities.

The above mentioned SEO techniques will improve rankings as well as overall chance of success.