What does Setting Up Your Site for Google Really Mean?

When it comes to getting found through Google, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is key. It will help drive traffic to your site, and in turn, increase leads.

SEO has a big role in digital marketing. So if you’re ready to grow your web traffic and create a positive print on the internet, then understanding the basics of SEO matter.

So today I thought I’d put together some of the key points to set up your site for Google.

First, What is Search Engine Optimisation?

SEO is about making changes to your website to ensure that Google indexes. Over time, through making these changes and updates to your website content it will slowly build on Google. This will increase your ranking on search engines and help clients find your website more easily.

1. Title tags and meta descriptions

While all websites will auto-populate this data, it is essential to check that the Title and Metadata on each page are relevant. For example, having each page’s title as your company name doesn’t help the searcher know what the page is about. So ensure it is descriptive and clear for the visitor. This is the first information they see when searching on Google. So have a call to action in the meta description too. These small changes will help improve click-through rates. The more engaging and relevant they are to your audience the higher chance of landing visitors will be.

2. Google Search Console

Google Search Console needs to be set up. You will need to sign up, and it will then provide you with resources and tools. These analytics will help you figure out what people are searching and the results from those searches. It will send you alerts if your website has any issues like speed problems etc. Google Search Console will help you figure out what keywords your audience is finding your site with.

3. Device optimisation

Mobile is growing, and people are moving away from laptops and are searching on mobile.

Ensure that your content is optimised to mobile devices is so important. Google has added a ranking system that will look at the mobile version of a page first to review its relevance for the user. Therefore mobile optimisation is so crucial for your website.

Jump on your phone and search for your site and take a look at how it formats and performs.

4. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a vital tool for website analysis. This will help you analyse your visitor's activity, looking at website traffic, session time and bounce rate. This is an essential piece of data to help impact the website’s performance.

5. HTTPS security

Have you ever noticed how to the left of the URL some websites have a lock sign and others say “unsecured”? This is HTTPS which is an encrypted connection and Google has been recommending this for quite some time. For any sites going live, always ensure that you have the HTTPS set up. This can be done through your domain.