Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
The order that websites appear in search results isn’t random. It’s important to understand how the content on your website can be enhanced in these results through Search Engine Optimisation.
What is SEO?
SEO is the process of enhancing your website to increase its visibility and position in search engine results pages (SERPs).
When you search for something online, search engines (eg Google, Bing, Yahoo) scour the internet to provide users with the most relevant results. SEO helps websites climb up these results, making it more likely for users to discover and click on your content.
Why is SEO important?
SEO helps make your website or online content discoverable by people interested in what you offer.
For example, when searching for ‘dentistry degree uk’ we’d hope that Newcastle University’s dentistry course page comes up in these results.
However, we know that there are lots of other universities and websites who are also competing for this query. Therefore, it’s our job to optimise our content to help us rank higher and become more visible in SERPs.
Users won’t usually stray from page 1 of the search results (and will typically only view or click the top 1-3 results). So if our site appears higher, we would likely see an increase in viewers and clicks to our website and content.
However, this will only happen if search engines deem our content to be the most relevant in relation to the search query the user has typed in.
Users and search results
When a user is presented with several pages of search results, they will have their own strategy for choosing which link to click.
Selecting by reputation
Some may decide to click on a link from an institution or group that they know and trust, and which has a strong reputation in the field.
Selecting by perspective
Some may choose to pick pages that will help them make a more informed choice. They might avoid those that look like they may show bias (or feel like advertising).
Selecting by tone
Some may look for descriptions that match the tone they’re looking for. This often depends on the type of query they have. Is a formal tone better for their query, or a light, chatty one?
Selecting by relevance
Does the title and description of the page suggest the content is for them, and will it answer their specific query?
Selecting by ranking
Some users simply pick the first, second or third result they see on the results page. These users trust that they’ve been presented with the content that best answers their query.
Whatever the user’s approach, the higher up the results your content is, the better chance there is that they will click on your link.
The pillars of SEO
Keywords
Keywords are the foundation of SEO. These are the words or phrases people type into search engines. By understanding what keywords your audience uses, you can optimise your content to match those queries.
Content quality
As the old SEO saying goes, content is king. High-quality, relevant, and engaging content not only attracts visitors but also keeps them coming back. It can be in the form of webpage copy, blog posts, videos, or images.
On-page SEO
This involves optimising individual pages on your website. Including meta titles and meta descriptions (the text you see on search engine results pages), page headings, and URL structures.
Search engines use these elements to understand the content of your pages.
Off-page SEO
Any activities done outside your website to improve its visibility. This often includes backlink building, social media promotion, and encouraging branded searches. All of which contribute to your website’s authority and credibility.
Technical SEO
Focuses on the ‘behind the scenes’ of your website. It ensures that search engines can crawl and index your site effectively. This includes optimising site speed, mobile-friendliness, and fixing broken links.
For content editors at Newcastle University, the top three pillars listed above should be our primary focuses each time we’re creating new content or editing existing content on the website.
SEO best practices
Research keywords
Use free tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify relevant keywords for what you’re writing about. You can also use Google search to type in a query or phrase you’d like people to use to find your website/content.
See what the top three websites that come up are. These sites are the ones that Google thinks are most relevant to that query, and also your competition. Then question if your content is also relevant to that query.
What sort of language are the high-ranking pages using? Are the highest-ranking websites also including other relevant words in their copy?
Create high-quality content
Your content should be informative, engaging, and unique. It should address the needs and interests of your audience.
Remember you’re writing copy for a human, not just a search engine. Make sure you don’t replicate anyone’s content (even from your own website) as Google will see this duplicate content and may penalise you for it.
Use descriptive links
Accurately describe the links you’re pointing people to in no more than five words. This improves both SEO and accessibility. Avoid using text like ‘click here’. Instead, be more descriptive and use link text such as 'View our undergraduate courses’.
Optimise on-page elements
Write compelling meta titles and meta descriptions (if creating pages/content in T4 Version 8). On-page copy should include header tags (h1, h2, h3) to structure your content in sequential order.
SEO can be a powerful tool to navigate the online world successfully. By understanding the basics of keywords, content quality, on-page and off-page optimisation, and technical SEO, you can put your content in the best position to compete in search results and attract more users to visit and engage with it on our website.
For advice and the most up-to-date SEO recommendations, check out the links below, or contact our Content team at content@ncl.ac.uk.