Search engine companies are constantly changing their algorithms in order to improve the user experience. This makes SEO a complex part of your website, and if you don’t keep in check, it could hurt your rankings and decrease your business’s exposure to target audiences. It’s no surprise that some business owners find this impossible to keep up with.
Fortunately, with a few simple checks, you can keep your website healthy and performing in peak condition. Taking regular SEO audits will ensure that your time and money isn’t going to waste and that you don’t end up being hit with Google’s penalties. It also helps you reveal new opportunities to improve your SEO strategy.
Loading Speed:
One of the factors that search engines consider when ranking a website is its loading speed. Google would naturally want to show users the highest quality results for their queries, but if those results take forever to load, they’re no more than useless.
Google’s free-to-use PageSpeed Insights tool will give your website a score out of 100 based on its loading times, as well as telling you how you can improve them. This includes compressing images, eliminating specific Javascript, and deleting unnecessary code and files.
Backlink Profile:
Search engines still consider backlinks as one of the strongest offsite ranking factors. Your backlink profile is a list of the websites which link back to your website. Be sure to run through the list and disavow any bad backlinks. If their page authority and domain authority scores fall below 40, they’re probably not worth being linked to.
It’s also worth checking out whether the site itself is relevant to yours. If it’s filled with completely unrelated topics and the page you’re linked on doesn’t even mention your site, be sure to get rid of it in order to boost your SEO ranking.
Broken Links:
Broken links tend to pop up whenever a page on your website has been deleted or moved. Google doesn’t want people clicking around your website and finding dead pages, as this is detrimental to the user experience. You can use an HTTP Header Status Checker to search for any broken links. If any 404 errors pop up, simply redirect those links to a working page.
Keyword Targeting Strategy:
The short-tail and long-tail keywords that are relevant to your website may have changed since your first SEO audit. You can use the Google Trends tool in order to check whether your existing keywords are still as popular as they were before. If they’re declining in performance, it’s time to search for new ones.
While much of these check-ups can be done by yourself, making use of professional SEO services is a wise investment that will ensure your website is performing in peak condition. Fortunately, a nearshore software development company like Kambda offers a comprehensive solution for all your SEO needs, helping you increase your rankings and create a better user experience.
Conclusion:
Because algorithms are constantly changing, you’ll need to make these check-ups at least twice annually. If your website still fails to perform, it may be time to consider a professional SEO service.
