Will my website show up number one on Google? That’s one of the most common questions I receive from clients that are interested in a website.

To get to the absolute top of Google, you’ll need a full-blown SEO Campaign (Search Engine Optimization) as part of your website design services. This would include press release services, advanced keyword research, pay per click advertising, advanced social media management and more. Packages like this could involve a great deal of care, time and strict management from a company that specializes in SEO.

What I promise to do as a graphic designer is make sure that my clients are set up for success by adhering to the SEO basics. From detailed title tags and unique meta descriptions to compelling content and accurate alt text, the basics must be covered. With these in place, the client is in a great position to get noticed by the major search engines and set up to take the next step if they wish to continue with an advanced SEO Campaign.

Let’s cover exactly what these basics are when it comes to effective search engine optimization.

Title Tags

Title tags, or title elements, are basically a title to each individual webpage on your site. They are what the viewer sees on the top of the browser when they’re on each page and what will show up when you appear on Google search listings in the bright blue headline.

70 characters is the maximum length for a title tag because that’s the limit to display in the search results. A good practice is to write your title tags like this:

Primary Keyword – Secondary Keyword | Company Name

or

Company Name | Primary Keyword – Secondary Keyword

Important keywords should be placed to the front of the tag to help the viewer know exactly what to expect when they read it.

Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions complement your title tags, providing your audience with concise explanations of what that particular page is all about. They are often referred to as snippets because that what search engines like Google use to display under your title tag in search results. Together with your title tags, anybody should have an excellent idea of what each page in your website is all about.

While these aren’t that helpful in improving your rankings, they are critical for engaging users to click your listing on the search engine. This is where compelling and engaging copy comes in handy when writing your meta descriptions.

Meta descriptions should be between 150-160 characters in length and unique to each page of your website.

Content & On-Page Factors

These are the last piece of the puzzle when it comes to search engine optimization. Great content is king. It always has and always will be. After all, why would Google want to put your listing ahead of others if the content your website wasn’t worthy. In order to have good content, it must supply a demand and must be linkable. As long as people are looking for what you’re producing and they’re able to get to it freely, then you’ll be in good shape.

Other things that help your page eat up rankings are Alt text and the actual URL of that page. Alt text are words that are applied to images. Since search engines can’t “read” images, we as designers can add relavant keywords to our images that define them.

Our URL is another way that our website can gain recognition. Studies have shown that people are more likely to click a link that is named correctly over one that isn’t named correctly. For example, if you’re looking for a website about graphic design, which link would you rather click?

kurtisdesign.com/website-design-berlin-ct

or

kurtisdesign.com/94834574-5325

If you’re like most people, you’ll like to know what you’re clicking before you click it. In addition to being logical, adding keywords to your url is only helping your overall rank.

The “Perfectly” Optimized Page

SEOmoz, an online company specializing in Search Engine Optimization, has created this graphic to let people know what a page should look like in order for it to be set up for success.

If you follow the basics mentioned above when it comes to your title tags, meta descriptions and content, you’ll be setting yourself up for success with search engine rankings.