If you were to speak to any SEO specialist to ask them whether your current SEO is effective or not, they would almost certainly go through a process of checking a series of optimisations that should be made as part of an SEO campaign. The ones they are likely to focus on most are the on-site optimisations for the simple reason that, as these occur on a website you presumably control, then they are easiest to put right if necessary.
How each SEO specialist would carry out the checks may differ, with some using a checklist, others may have software and tools, and some may simply ask you a series of questions. Many business owners find the latter option the easiest as it is a case of simply answering “Yes” or “No” to the questions being asked. As such here are 7 core SEO questions to which you should be able to answer “Yes” if your website is properly optimised.
Do All The Internal Links Within Your Website Work?
Whilst external backlinks get talked about the most in SEO, that should not diminish the power and importance of internal links within your website. However, for that power to be realised, all your internal links must be working. Any that do not is a black mark when Google crawls your website, so regularly check that all your internal links are working.
Is Your Website Optimised For Mobile Devices?
With mobile devices now accounting for almost 60% of all searches, Google now focuses its attention on whether the websites it ranks, are mobile-friendly. If your website is not, you can expect to see its ranking falling. Your existing website can be made mobile-friendly so seek advice from your SEO agency.
Does Your Website Use HTTPS Protocol?
Given the focus on online security, Google now uses HTTPS as a ranking signal. This means if your website still has HTTP (without the ‘S’) and has not yet been rendered for HTTPS, your rankings will suffer. Your hosting company will have a process to switch your domain to HTTPS using an SSL certificate.
Do Your Website’s Pages Load Quickly?
No one likes websites that take an age to open, nor does Google. Slow loading pages hit your rankings so anything you can do to improve load speeds should be implemented. Compressing large image files, switching to cloud hosting, or minimising CSS and JavaScript files all help.
Are All The Necessary Metadata And Tags Present And Accurate?
The metadata and tags which are created for your website are essential for when Google crawls your website. These let Google know what your website is trying to rank for. If any metadata is missing or inaccurate it can negatively impact your rankings, so it must be doubled checked.
Is All The Content On Your Website Unique And High Quality?
The content on your website has several purposes. It helps Google further understand the keywords you wish to rank for, enhances user experience, and it can help convert prospects to customers. To achieve all these your content must therefore be high quality and unique.
Are Your Website’s Structure And Navigation User-Friendly?
Just as the structure of an office block must follow construction principles, your website’s structure must follow core principles relating to SEO and user experience. This includes the use of categories, the internal linking being optimised, and the navigation of your website being easy to use and to follow.