How to Optimize Your Website for 2024 and Beyond

In today's digital age, having an online presence is crucial for businesses to grow and thrive. At the heart of your online presence lies your website, which serves as the centerpiece of your brand's digital identity. However, simply having a website isn't enough. In order for it to be effective, it needs to be properly optimized for search engines. This is where SEO comes into play, a crucial element that can make or break your online success.  In this blog post, our Albuquerque website design and SEO experts will go over the importance of your website structure, SEO, recent algorithm changes, and how to optimize your website for 2024 and beyond.

Proper Website Structure

A single page site with a bunch of anchors is no longer going to cut it in terms of SEO. Search engines are looking for well-structured websites with clear hierarchies and organized content. This not only makes it easier for search engine crawlers to understand your website, but it also provides a better user experience for visitors. A multi page site is a must and you will need separate pages for every major service and service area or location.

Make sure that your pages have a logical structure, with clear headers and subheaders that use relevant local keywords. Use internal linking between pages to create a strong connection between your content and help search engines navigate through your site.

Home Page

The home page is arguably the most important page of your website. This is the page where most of your website visitors will land first, so it needs to make a good impression and provide clear navigation to other pages. Your home page should give an overview of your business and all of your major services, as well as showcase any special offers or promotions you may have. Your written content on the home page should be no less than 1,000 words and it should be based upon your local keywords revolving around your services. Rule of thumb is 150-250 per keyword you are targeting. Use strong, attention-grabbing headlines and high-quality images to draw in visitors and keep them engaged. And don't forget to include a clear call-to-action (CTA’s) using forms and click-to-call buttons, encouraging visitors to take the next step in contacting your business.

Service Pages

Each of your major services should have its own dedicated page with detailed information about that service. This is where you can really focus on using local keywords and optimizing for search engines. Your service area pages should have no less than 500 words of content and content should be built around your local service keywords. Capitalize on as many of the keywords as possible. Make sure to include relevant details such as pricing, package options, and any unique selling points that differentiate you from competitors. You can also use this space to display customer reviews or testimonials, which can greatly influence potential customers. Don’t forget your CTA’s (Call-to-Action) in regards to scheduling a service, contacting you for more information, or signing up for a free consultation.

Service Area / Location Pages

If your business has multiple service areas or business locations, it's important to create separate service area pages for each one. This allows you to specifically target local keywords and content for each of your major services in that location, making it easier for potential customers to find you in their specific area.

When creating service area pages, be sure to include relevant keywords for the specific location in the page title, URL, and throughout the content. Make sure to also include your business's NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information at the top or bottom of the page if different from your main location. It's important to not just copy and paste content from one service area page to another. Each page should have unique and relevant content that speaks directly to that specific location. This will not only improve your SEO but also provide a better user experience for potential customers.

About Us Page

Your About Us page is crucial for building trust with potential customers. This page should highlight your company’s history, mission, and values. It's also a great place to showcase your team and their expertise. Use this page to establish credibility and show why you are the best choice for local businesses in need of your services. Make sure to incorporate relevant keywords throughout the content as well. This will not only help with SEO but also make your page more easily discoverable by potential customers.

Contact Us Page

Your Contact Us page is where potential customers can reach out to you for inquiries or services. Make sure to include all necessary contact information such as your phone number, email address, and physical address. You can also consider including a contact form for those who prefer to communicate through emails. This page should be easily accessible and have a clear call-to-action for users to reach out to you. 

Testimonials Page

Testimonials are essential for showcasing social proof and building trust with potential customers. Ask satisfied clients if they would be willing to provide a testimonial that you can feature on your website. Be sure to include their name, job position, and company (if applicable) along with their testimonial. You can also consider including photos or videos of your clients for a more personal touch. Testimonials can be featured on their own page or can be added to your footer or placed on your relevant service and service area pages.

Optimize your Website for SEO

The Importance of SEO: Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of making your website more visible and attractive to search engines such as Google. A website that is not supported by SEO is rarely found online, making it difficult for potential customers to find you. According to recent statistics, there are over 1.7 billion websites online, with only about 200 million actively operating, of which only 5.7% of website pages are even visible to search engines like Google. Furthermore, about 3.5 billion Google searches are conducted every day, meaning that not all websites are getting the attention they deserve. This is why proper website optimization and SEO are a must.

However, when it comes to SEO, there are two phases to consider. That is your onsite SEO and Offsite SEO.  Onsite SEO refers to the optimization of your website's content, structure, and design. This includes keyword research and placement, meta descriptions, alt tags for images, internal linking, and more. Offsite SEO focuses on building links from other websites back to yours, also known as backlinks. The type, quality and quantity of these backlinks play a significant role in determining your website's authority, visibility and ranking. Without your Onsite SEO properly optimized, all your offsite efforts will be less effective, taking longer and costing a lot more money.

So why is Onsite SEO so crucial? First and foremost, it helps search engines understand what your website is about. By optimizing your content with relevant keywords and providing clear meta descriptions, you are making it easier for search engines to index and rank your pages. This increases the chances of your website being displayed in relevant search results, driving more targeted traffic to your site.

Secondly, Onsite SEO also improves user experience. A well-optimized website means easy navigation, organized content, and fast loading times. This creates a positive user experience, which is essential for keeping visitors on your site and potentially converting them into customers or clients.

Recent Algorithm Changes: Google's algorithms are constantly evolving, with the latest changes focusing heavily on written content. In fact, Google now evaluates content based on relevance and originality, which is why it's crucial to optimize your written content for local keyword strategies. This means including 150-250 words per keyword, proper keyword repetition for indexing, and speaking directly to your ideal customers or clients. Duplicated content and content written by AI should be avoided, as they can lead to penalties and prevent your website from being indexed or worse the ‘Google Sandbox’.

Optimizing Images: In addition to written content, images also need to be optimized for SEO purposes. This includes not only optimizing for size and website speed but also naming them with relevant brand and local keywords and including proper meta tags. By doing so, your website will appear more relevant and attractive to search engines, increasing your chances of ranking higher on search engine result pages (SERPs).

Proper Page Optimization: Each page of your website needs to flow and be easy to navigate for website visitors, while also being optimized for SEO purposes. This includes using proper titles and meta descriptions, which are essential elements that can influence click-through rates from search results. By ensuring that your pages are properly optimized, you can boost your chances of ranking higher on SERPs and drive traffic to your website.

In conclusion, your website is one of your most valuable assets in your business growth and should not be taken lightly. Choosing the right website designer or developer is key. Not all web designers are SEO experts. If you want to grow your business online it will be critical to choose an SEO expert for your web design. Optimizing your website for 2024 and beyond will require a comprehensive website design and SEO strategy that takes into account all of the key elements that we have discussed in this blog post. By prioritizing SEO, you can ensure that your website is not only found but also ranked higher on search engine rankings. Whether you're a contractor or business owner, implementing these strategies will help you stay ahead of the curve and keep your online presence strong and relevant for years to come.

Need help implementing these strategies? Our expert SEO and web design Chico Ca strategists are only a phone call away.  Contact us today to learn how we can help take your website to the next level and drive more traffic, leads, and conversions. With our proven track record of success, we are confident that we can help you achieve your online goals. Let's work together to create a powerful and effective website that will stand the test of time and bring you long-term success.