Simple website updates to improve SEO
Dust Off Your Website: Simple Updates for Increasing Engaged Visitors
Let's be honest, websites can get a bit outdated overtime. Outdated content and confusing navigation can make visitors leave quicker than you want, resulting an a red flag for Google when it comes to decide how helpful your website is and where to rank you in its index.
Keeping your website engaging and effective is more straightforward than you imagine, with a few simple tweaks, you can remove those website cobwebs and start to attract more visitors…
Keeping an Eye on Performance
To stay on top of things, I recommend you log in to your Squarespace dashboard monthly and visit the analytics page. This page provides valuable information like your website's bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who leave after just one page) and other key metrics.
‘What’s a Bounce rate’ I hear you ask!
A high bounce rate means potential customers aren't finding what they need or the content isn't grabbing their attention so they leave real quick.
Lowering the Bounce Rate
If yours is high (over 60%) it means people are leaving straight away. Fresh, engaging content keeps visitors particularly those who are revisiting -on the site, they will explore more pages and ultimately make that enquiry, sale or book an appointment.
A good bounce rate (generally below 50%) signifies a website that's capturing visitor interest. Lower is always better! Here's where my helpful tips and expertise come in – I’d like to help you ensure a smooth experience for everyone who visits your site, so here are my tips!
Upgrading your Website
You don’t need a massive overhaul- just a bit of TLC. You ideally need to aim to spend a few hours each month:
Refreshing Your Content: Update your information, services, prices, and any new images to keep things current and relevant.
Enhancing User Experience: Make it easier for your customers to find what they need. Update the path people take to your services with clear headings and prominent calls to action (CTAs) guiding visitors to where you want them to be.
Optimise for Mobile: Ensure the website looks fantastic and functions flawlessly on all devices, especially phones. In today's mobile-first world, this is like making sure the website is accessible to everyone, no matter what device they use. Even the simplest of changes can make mobile view go squiffy - you need to always check mobile view before you log out.
The Rewards of Success
A lower bounce rate translates to more engaged visitors, which can lead to increased sales, sign-ups, or whatever success metric you desire. Think of it as a smooth landing leading to happy visitors who are more likely to return to your website!
Make Maintenance Manageable
Keeping content fresh can feel like a constant process, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Depending on the website, a monthly or quarterly content refresh could be sufficient.
Here are some easy updates that can make a big difference:
Swap out old photos for fresh visuals.
Add new blog posts to provide valuable content and showcase expertise.
Update project descriptions to highlight your latest achievements.
The best part? Squarespace makes these updates a breeze. Their user-friendly interface allows you to seamlessly swap photos, add blog posts, and edit content without any coding knowledge.
Google’s looking for good mobile performance!
Just like most people browse the web from their smartphones, a mobile-friendly website is crucial if you want to climb up the rankings.
Here's the added benefit: Google prioritises mobile-friendly websites in search results, leading to increased website traffic and potential customers.
By keeping your website updated, engaging, and mobile-friendly, you'll attract more visitors and ultimately achieve those business goals. So, what are you waiting for?!
Ready to Take the Hassle Out of Website Maintenance? Explore my Marketing Support packages designed to keep your business thriving:
https://www.jaggerdesign.co.uk/marketing-support
Would you like to know more about refreshing your Keyword Strategy?
Here’s my Big Tip…
Your website should be connected to the Google Search Engine Console. Log in to get more insights into your traffic and website visitors. Look to the left and where you see ‘Performance’ click on Search results, then Export to the spreadsheet of your choice to your desktop and open it - here you will be able to sort all the keywords that have led your visitors to your site - Sort your positions to a-z and look for any that have you at position 4-20 this is called “low hanging fruit” and they are the ones that are doing well but could easily be improved.
Pick the ones that are most relevant to your site and then concentrate on updating your keywords, or you can add new pages, write new blogs with these terms featuring. If you are having trouble knowing which ones to pick look for the ones with a high click-through rate (CTR) and high number of impressions and are the most relevant of course!
How to Improve Traffic to your Website using Google Search Console and 'Low-hanging Fruit'
Further reading:
A simple seasonal check up: Creative Boost. If you know your site needs attention but do not want to hand the whole thing over to a designer and start again.