Elements of Websites to Optimize
Website optimization could include:
- Improving the load speed of the website. The longer the site takes to load the higher the bounce rate.
- Ensuring Alt tags are used for Media. Alt tags are discoverable by web crawlers and using the right tag will help the site in appearing in search engine results.
- Minimizing the code or shortening the code to improve page load speed.
- The visual style, text, and placement of a call to action (CTA) button or link.
- The organization of the website’s navigation.
- Checking Responsiveness and ensuring site is responsive on all devices.
- Writing Unique Title tags for better search engine results.
- Look for opportunity to provide better User experience. For Instance using light color instead of bright color. Using alt tags in case if the break and not show it will show the alt tag which will describe what the image is about.
- Ensuring Site is AODA and WCAG Compliant.
Difference Between Search Engine Optimization and Website Optimization
Website optimization is also sometimes used to describe the practice of improving the discoverability of a website for search engines, with the ultimate goal of improving search result rankings for key search terms.
The key ranking factors to consider when doing search engine optimization (SEO) include: changing page titles, decreasing page load speeds, minimizing poor user experience, using the right keywords, and producing well-written content.
- Changing page titles – search engines like Google use your
<title>tag to understand what your page is about and serve that content to its users. Make sure your<title>tag is less than 160 characters, unique to the page, and click worthy. - Decreasing page load speeds – website optimization can also be connected to improving the site speed and site performance. This is implicitly relevant to the goal of website optimization as the completion of a desired action on a website. Poor website performance, such as latency or slow page speeds, can prohibit visitors from taking action due to an inability to navigate the website.
- Minimizing poor user experience – Google’s latest algorithm updates reveal that user engagement metrics like dwell time–how long someone stays on your website from the Google search engine results page–are being used for rankings. If users are staying longer on your site compared to your competitors, you will see higher rankings.
- Using the right keywords – the core of SEO still depends on the usage of relevant keywords.
- Producing well-written content – at the end of the day, search engines are serving users the best content they can find. If Google directs one of its users to your content and it’s full of grammar and spelling mistakes, then that reflects poorly on Google. Make sure the content you’re crafting is unique, full of value and well-written.
Website optimization can also be connected to improving the speed and reliability of a website’s performance. This is implicitly relevant to the goal of website optimization as the completion of a desired action on a website. Poor website performance, such as latency or errors, can prohibit visitors from taking action due to an inability to navigate the website.