A Quick List of 8 Best Practices for the SEO Novice

Before joining Dinkum Interactive, I spent 8 years running a web design company.  While I always referred clients with a serious interest in SEO, Social Media/social monitoring, or PPC to Dinkum’s more than capable hands, it was inevitable that every client needed some level of online marketing support to get them started down the right path (instead of the wrong one!).  So, if you’re building a website and looking for the “simple” and “basic” things you should be doing to ensure a basic level of online visibility, here is my list of 8 common sense “best practices” for the SEO novice:

1. Use modern coding standards. Ask your web developer not to use tables and that your website separates content from code (HTML/CSS).  Search engines care more about your content than about the markup that controls colors, font sizes, and other such things.
2. Make sure you use friendly, descriptive URL’s and that each page has unique page titles and meta data. While you are probably not going to be using the optimal keywords, phrases, and structure – at the very least if you make your page titles are relevant to each page, and populate those pages with a meta description that summarizes the content, you’ve eliminated a number of negative elements.
3. If you’re using a CMS, use WordPress. Out of the box, it is incredibly SEO friendly.  With a few plugins (such as the All in One SEO Pack, Google Sitemaps Generator, and Redirection) you are in good shape.
4. Use “Alt” tags. Take the time to give “alt” tags to your images, and descriptions to your links.  It only takes a few minutes up front but it’ll save you a lot of work down the road.
5. Generate an XML sitemap.  You can do this for free using www.xml-sitemaps.com.  If you can, use an automatic script such as the Google Sitemap Generator to automatically generate and submit your website’s sitemap to the three major search engines.
6. Use Webmaster Tools. By using Google Webmaster Tools, Bing’s Webmaster Tools, and Google Analytics, it will help ensure your site is being crawled effectively, and stay informed about how many links are indexed, if malware is present on your site, and where visitors are coming from.
7. Avoid Flash. Don’t code your website in flash and if you have an HTML site, do not put a flash intro into your site.
8. Use fresh and relevant content. Write good, unique copy that clearly describes your company and your services and make sure your homepage has 250-350 words of it.  Add new content regularly – and by that I mean make sure you put up a new case study, client profile, add an FAQ page, or highlight an employee every so often.  Search engines like to see that your site is growing at a regular pace – not too fast, not too slow – since it is a sign that your website is valid, updated, and legitimate.

In summary, this list will not ensure that your website is #1 on Google for any particular term.  However, it will help to make sure that your site is thoroughly indexed and available to search engines; that you’ve created a strong foundation for more focused and intentional SEO efforts in the future; and that you’ve fostered a website management strategy that includes the perspectives of the search engines, as opposed to simply a visual user.

Jacob Smith is a Senior Project Manager and Web Strategist with Dinkum Interactive and has led over 150 high-level consulting and website development projects over the last 10 years. He is active in both the internet and cultural communities, and serves on the board of Philly Car Share, the largest car sharing organization in the United States. Originally from Southern California, Jacob and his wife, Meghan, now live in Center City Philadelphia with their young sons Rory and Duncan.

Kelly Dunning is a Sales Consultant for Dinkum Interactive. With 10 years experience in sales and marketing, she keeps Dinkum’s new accounts, and Rick, in tip-top shape.