Search engine optimization (SEO) is about more than just building links to your website and hoping Google will rank you highly. There are a lot of elements that go into strong SEO practices that you can build right into your own website, in a process referred to as “on-site SEO.”

You’re probably at least somewhat familiar with the idea of keywords—the words or phrases people are most likely to search for to find your law firm or specific services you offer. On-site SEO requires some knowledge of keywords as well as various other basic SEO practices you will want to implement.

Here’s a quick look at some on-page SEO tips you can use for your firm’s website.

• Use heading tags: Heading tags should be a staple of your website. The page or post title should use the H1 tag, and be the only item on the page that uses that tag. This will help search engines understand this is an important heading on the page.
• Use a title tag: The title tag controls the page title in the browser and the title that is shown in the search results. Adjusting the title tag helps you entice click-throughs from people looking through the search results. Use your primary keyword at the start of the title tag. You have up to 60 characters to use.
• Meta description: The meta description shows up in the search results and gives you 160 characters to provide an introduction to the page in question. Use your primary keyword in the meta description to boost your rankings.
• Image alt text: Every image on your website should have alt text. Search engines don’t see images, but they can use the alt text to get a sense of what the image is. The alt text should have your primary keyword included. The alt text also improves accessibility for blind users.
• Internal links: You should regularly link your website internally to direct users to other useful, relevant content. Internal linking improves engagement and also helps search engines find other pages on your site and index them in their search results.
• Mobile responsiveness: Google and other search engines give more weight to websites that read well on mobile devices. In today’s digital environment it’s critical to have a website designed with a mobile perspective. A large portion of your audience will be on mobile devices.
• Website speed: Do what you can to ensure high speeds on your website. It should load in less than two seconds, otherwise people will start to navigate away. Adjust some of the images and compress them if needed, and aim for simple yet effective in your web design and features.

Focus on optimizing each of these aspects of your website and you’ll get better results in your SEO! Contact us at Conroy Creative Counsel for more tips.