Search Engine Optimization | Glossary

The right keywords will organically drive people to your website, but what are the right keywords? You can begin the process of finding them by writing down common phrases associated with your products and services. Then, you can search Google for associated phrase​s and expand your list.

While that approach will produce some helpful keywords, you will achieve more powerful results by using a keyword generator. Scripted’s keyword research tool creates an extensive list of potential keywords and phrases while delivering essential analytics on each entry. You save time by using advanced technology to create the most effective words and phrases.

You may use both short-tail and long-tail keywords in your SEO efforts. Short-tail keywords are more general, such as “fitness classes.” Many competitors will be using the same phrase, so your results may be limited. You will have better SEO results if you include long-tail keywords such as “Pilates fitness classes near me.” These more specific terms will better reach your target audience.

You should look at the current results for your keyword. Take each term and look at the search engine results pages to learn what companies are currently ranking, how many people are trying to rank for the keyword, what is currently running in the area above the user scrolls, and what type of pages and articles are ranking. When you find extreme competition for a specific term, consider going with a longer long-tail keyword.

The organization of your website has a direct effect on your SERPS ranking. A well-designed website makes it easier for search engines to discover and index your website’s pages. When Google discovers a poorly designed website it may have problems understanding the significance of each page, which negatively affects your content’s ranking.

Having internal links is essential to your SEO success. Google uses these internal links to find and rank pages. If your website has few of these links, Google and other search engines will place you low in their results. Users seldom click on links found on page two or three.

In the early days of SEO, the quality of the content was not always a priority, leading to poorly written pieces crammed with keywords and little sense. Now the quality of the writing matters when it comes to your search engine ranking. For instance, Google rewards engaging and thoughtful content that gives readers the information they want.

Research shows that over 60% of organic searches come from mobile devices, so you should follow best practices to make the mobile experience as good as the desktop one. Also, Google has embraced mobile-first indexing, using the mobile version of your content as the primary means of indexing and ranking. If your mobile user experience is lacking, your results ranking will suffer.

You can achieve good mobile results with the right design. The preferred method for mobile SEO is responsive design because it uses a single URL for desktop and mobile content, is easier to maintain, and doesn’t redirect mobile users (a time-consuming action).