Google scans each and every website online regularly to ascertain what content it holds among some other factors. Here we highlight what is important to Google and what is ignored by it when placing your website on the results page.
When Google scans your website, think of it as a scholar. Put simply, Google reads the text of your website. It is completely oblivious to images, audio and video content and just relies on the text to pass its judgement. Knowing this, the following items are of importance to you to ensure that Google is impressed by what it reads and places your website and SEO efforts accordingly on the search results page.
Alternative Text on Image Files
When you insert an image into your website, it is imperative to also input text into the alternative field. This does two important things. 1) it is another opportunity for you to use a keyword to enhance your SEO focus and 2) it allows Google to read this keyword to acknowledge your SEO efforts. Adding this text also shows diligence on your end as you are acknowledging and paying attention to the finer details that go into the running of your website. Google can appreciate this as they note that this is a website worth directing Google users (and therefore traffic) to.
An Over-reliance on Images and Video Content
While tiled layouts and video content are popular design elements that many websites use nowadays; their use carries with them an absence of text for Google to read. Therefore webpages that just convey a selection of tiled images (with built-in navigation links) and/or video content are difficult to search engine optimise and are also difficult for Google to get a grasp of in terms of what the page is trying to say and convey. If you do favour these design elements, be sure to have snippets of text peppered around the page as something is better than nothing in this regard.
Being Reckless with your Keywords and Phrases
Google has an understanding of grammar and will penalise you for forcibly using your keyword out of context simply to improve keyword density. There was a trend in the past whereby people would add their chosen keyword/phrases over and over for a paragraph and change the text to be white in colour (or to match the colour of the webpage background). By doing this, those viewing your website could not see this jargon and in theory, your keyword density would be through the roof. Google picked up on this however and will now penalise offenders by making this have a negative effect on a website SEO.
Fresh and Updated Content
We touched on this element in our blog post ‘From the 90’s to the Modern Day – Why Blogs are so Important’ when we explained why blogs are so important. As part of Google’s ethos, they want to ensure that they direct traffic to websites that are ‘alive.’ This means websites that show signs of regular updates and attentive back end users, think of this like breathing. This makes sense in that it would look bad on Google’s part if they directed users to a website that listed old and outdated prices and location directions etc. Utilise a regular blog and have a strategy in place to review and rewrite some web pages now and then to keep things fresh and the cobwebs at bay.
At Ireland Website Design, we can arm you with the tools and knowledge that you need to maintain your slick and responsive website and to keep it in Google’s good graces. Apply for a free SEO audit of your current website today and get in touch with our expert team to have your dream website created to reach your online business aims and goals.
