In today’s digital age, an SEO-friendly website is a non-negotiable for Dunedin businesses. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps your website appear higher in search results, which can significantly boost visibility, traffic, and ultimately, sales. Here are some key steps to building an SEO-friendly website:

1. Optimize Your Website’s Structure:

A well-structured website is loved by both users and search engines. Make sure your site has a logical hierarchy, with clear navigation and properly labeled categories and subcategories.

2. Mobile Optimization:

More than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. Google has switched to mobile-first indexing, which means it primarily uses the mobile version of content for indexing and ranking. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you could be losing out on a significant amount of traffic.

3. Use SEO-Friendly URLs:

URLs should be simple, relevant, compelling, and readable for both humans and search engines. For instance, www.yourwebsite.com/services/seo-dunedin is a good example of an SEO-friendly URL.

4. Optimize Page Loading Speed:

Slow-loading pages can lead to high bounce rates. You can use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to check your site’s speed and get suggestions for improvement.

5. Incorporate Keyword-Rich Content:

Create high-quality, relevant content that incorporates keywords your target audience is likely to search for. However, avoid keyword stuffing as this can lead to penalties from Google.

6. Use Meta Tags:

Meta tags are snippets of text that describe a page’s content. They don’t appear on the page itself but in the page’s code. Well-crafted meta tags can help improve your site’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).

7. Enable Secure HTTP (HTTPS):

Google has confirmed that it prefers sites that are secure. HTTPS, which stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure, adds an encryption layer of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) over your HTTP making your users’ and your own data extra secure from hacking attempts.

8. Local SEO:

As a Dunedin business, you should also focus on local SEO. This includes optimizing your Google My Business listing and encouraging customers to leave reviews.

Remember, SEO is not a one-time task but an ongoing process. Keep monitoring your site’s performance and make necessary adjustments. And if you need help, consider hiring a local SEO specialist like Exit Built, who understands the Dunedin market and can provide personalized SEO solutions.