The rules of SEO keep changing. But like most new technologies, there are fundamentals that remain the same. Look at it this way: How many software updates have you had since you purchased your PC? And yet you’re still operating on Window 1O. The same idea applies to SEO.

Of course, it’s not easy to keep up with all the changes. How do you know which ones to disregard? To start, our free SEO guide is the ultimate tool to keep track of what’s current in the world of SEO, complete with definitions, checklists, examples, and tips.

One thing hasn’t changed: A thoughtful SEO strategy is critical to gaining website traffic and visibility. Below we’ve listed the top SEO tips on tagging you need to know right now.

Meta Tags

Search engines are getting more sophisticated at reading data, so you’ve got to bring on your meta A-game. Meta tags are snippets of text that describe a web page’s content. By letting a user and a search engine know the context of your web page, you’re communicating its relevance.

To optimize your meta descriptions, be sure to:

• Write a unique description for each page
• Stick to a max of 300 characters (including spaces)
• Include only the most relevant keywords, but don’t abuse. Google no longer falls for keyword stuffing.
• Write for the user; appeal to them through inviting language, CTAs, and offers.

Heading Tags

Heading tags are HTML tags used to separate and structure content. Not only does this make a page easier to read for users, but it also helps search engines find and evaluate it.

Typically, H1-H6 tags rank from the highest importance to the least. H1 is the main heading, and therefore the most detectable by search engines. The tags, all the way from H2-H6, are there to support you page content. But it’s the first three tags that hold the most value. Here’s how to use them to your advantage:

• Use a H1 tag to capture the theme of your page
• Use H2 tags as subheadings
• Use H3 tags to relate to your subheadings

Internal Tags

Internal tags are easy peasy to implement and understand. You’ll notice these look like categories at the bottom of a blog page—that’s because they are. Internal tags serve two functions: 1) They classify articles within a website for users to easily find topics of interest to them. 2) They communicate to search engines what the page is about.

When it comes to implementing internal tags, you can…

• include as many internal tags as you want
• create new tags that are unrelated to the existing tags
• include tags that specify a location, so you can be found in searches that contain the location’s name

There’s more where that came from, but you don’t have to go at it alone. Awkward Media helps small to medium-sized businesses increase their web traffic and grow their online visibility. To get your website ranking high using the latest SEO strategies, get in touch or drop us a line at 647 849 1082.