An online dating resource has several distinctive features that one should know for successful optimization. Firstly, it has a complex structure with a lot of information and profile pages. Secondly, such sites target a wide audience. On the one hand, this is good, as it can give a large influx of visitors. But on the other hand, this makes it difficult to identify the true interests of the users. Thirdly, a dating site should have several features that stand out the service against the background of hundreds of similar sites. So, consider 10 best SEO tips for a dating site.
1.Make a modern design for a targeted visitor
The most important thing depends on the appearance of a dating site – the trust of potential visitors to the Internet resource. The design should be simple and, at the same time, meet the latest trends. It means you should update it every 2-3 years.
2.Consider the mobile version of your dating site
At the end of September 2018, Google announced that all the websites should be optimized to the Mobile-First Index. What does this mean? Previously, Google ranked sites on mobile devices on the same order as on the PC version. That is, the priority was given to the desktop version. But nowadays, it is the opposite – a visitor sees on his PC the same order of sites as on mobile phones and other portable devices.
What needs to be done to make a site mobile-friendly:
- Optimize the loading speed on your site (ideally, it should be in the orange or green zone);
- Test the site on different OS and browsers for mobile devices to check the correct display of information;
- Open for indexing all the resources in robots.txt that Google Bot is trying to access while indexing the mobile version of the site.
3.Identify and fix technical errors
Performing a full SEO checking is a complex process that includes dozens of checkpoints. There are no perfect sites without any opportunities for improvement. Hundreds and even thousands of problems can appear on your resource. So what should you check first?
- meta titles
- h1, h2, h3, h4 tag titles;
- robots.txt;
- duplicate pages;
- links that lead to page 404 (broken links);
- page loading speed;
- data separation;
- 404 errors
- rel = canonical on pagination pages;
- the existence of an XML sitemap;
- duplicate content
- internal links in the text;
4.Content optimization – every page of the site should have a goal
Content optimizationfocuses on providing the best answers to any request of a user. It includes some subtopics that you need to disclose to attract more visitors to your dating site.
There are some things you should consider:
- Determine who your targeted audience is and what it really wants.
- Write attractive headlines. 80% of people will read the headlines, but only 20% of them will read the rest of your content!
- Add images and videos. They will help you to keep a person on the site.
5.Consider useful URLs
The page address should be understandable to both the user and the search engine, as well as be connected with the meaning of your site and include some keywords in the title. It makes your page more relevant and user-friendly.
6.Make interlinking
Internal linking implies hyperlinks that are placed inside the text and allow a visitor to move to another relevant page of a website. Therefore, it is a good way of optimization, as interlinking gives importance to other pages of your dating site and increases the general pageviews. Moreover, it becomes easier for search engines to identify and index your resource.
7.External website optimization – use unique links
Links to your dating site from other sources are crucial for SEO, as this is another way for Google to understand that information on your site is useful to the visitors. At the same time, the more respectable services link to a dating site, the more the authority of this site grows.
8.Think about website usability – less advertising and more useful information
If your dating site is overgrown with permanent chaotic advertising, it is difficult for a user to find site navigation. There is a high probability that you will receive fewer visitors to your service than those resources that do not neglect usability. Also, the information on your dating site should be useful. For example, if a guy gets arejection from a girl, he wants not only to see a list of other potential partners but also to learn how to spark the attention of the girl and win her heart.
9.Make sure your site is always accessible
The accessibility of a website should ensure its continuous operation. Therefore, consider the functionality of the pages, fail-safe functioning of the server, the validity of HTML elements, and the accessibility of all parts of the site. Also, exclude broken links that don’t lead anywhere and the images that are not uploaded for any reason.
10.Proper link text
Link text is very important for search engines because it conveys the meaning of a site where it leads. Try to avoid anchors such as “click here,” “here,” etc., as such a text can only damage your site. Another important point to take into account, there should not be more than 55 symbols in the text link.
