Search engine optimization (SEO) is practically a foreign language. If you do not know the first thing about SEO, we compiled a list of a few basic SEO hacks to get you started. Even if you know a few things, you may need some inexpensive tips to help you jumpstart your SEO campaign.
How do you get on top and stay there? Here are a few tricks to get you where you want to go.
Format With Care
Forget the days of Myspace and Xanga where you would stretch a single image across a screen. For a professional website, you need to remember formatting. Large images that require scrolling are unappealing. They also slow down the load time of your website. Visitors do not want to wait for large images to load.
In fact, many visitors use mobile devices. Mobile searches increased in the last year alone. You need to think about images for their sake, as well. Large images affect mobile-friendliness. In fact, mobile-friendly sites are all but necessary to boost your Google rankings.
Users appreciate a mobile-friendly site as does Google. Keep the image appropriate and the pop-ups at a minimum.
Forget the 404 Error Page
Back in the early days of the Internet, websites would create cutesy 404 Error pages. Either an error page would pop up or a cute message would appear. These images were good for a laugh, but they are not practical anymore.
In reality, 404 messages draw customers away from your site. Most sites get rid of old content to make room for new, relevant material. This, however, causes frustration for users looking for the old content. To reduce the bounce rate off your site, consider other options.
Instead of a 404 error page, you could revert users back to your main page. This keeps users on the site. Even better, you could divert a user’s query to a results page on your site. On this page, you can list suggestions for other articles or topics related to the original query. It keeps the user engaged and reduces bounce back rates. As a result, your site further impresses Google.
Direct Traffic from Your Home Page
Think of your homepage as a map. If a map is too confusing, people will give up and go another way. The same applies to your main page. The main page should contain the most valuable links to visitors. Nothing is worse than having to use a search function to find something that should be on the main pa
ge.
If there is a popular link, include it on the main page. The ease of a website is crucial. Otherwise, users will hit the back arrow and head right back to the SERPs page in search of a more user-friendly site.
If you want users and Google to recognize your site as an authority, you need to make the site user-friendly for anyone. When constructing the site, act in the interest of the most computer illiterate person.
Social Networking Generates Traffic and Gathers Intel
In the modern age, no one needs to explain the value of social networking sites. In fact, small businesses actually make a profit off of them. For your website, you should first provide links to all your social media on the main page. Next, make it easy for users to pin clickable images with Pinterest. Pinterest is a valuable and low-cost marketing tool.
Further, social media sites and forums are the simplest way to gather intel. 
If your target audience is people who enjoy recipes, you need to know what they search for the most. Smart use of keywords in articles help boost your success past the competition. Searching through popular forums and pages will give you clues about little-known keywords.
Look to see what users are talking about. At times, keywords are not intuitive. These investigations provide inexpensive and reliable information about your core audience.
Don’t Neglect Rich Snippets
Rich snippets appear under the listing on the SERPs page. It is like a product description about your site. The more interesting the description, the more likely it is that users will click on the link.
Think about it. If a person sees no description, the site will not impress them. If they see something described as a “non-stop thrill ride guaranteed to impress”, curiosity will take them to the site. Do not disregard rich snippets. They impact click rates and traffic to your site.
Take Advantage of References
Linking is important. Linking effects traffic to your site, but it also improves your ranking. If another site mentions you, make sure to take advantage of the attention. If the other site links you, then your site should receive extra traffic.
If you are not linked, repost the image, article, or video to your social media or website. A positive review from a reputable site or periodical could be a great advantage over competition. Unfortunately, some sites fail to take advantage of the opportunity for free marketing.
You do not need to reinvent the wheel. Movies use favorable quotes from critics to boost their sales. Quoting an article in your own content is a simple way to boost the success of your website. This generates original content on your site and uses the influence of the material to gain trust.
Seek the Professionals
Basic SEO hacks from Phoenix SEO are a great way to get started on the path to SEO success. For further in-depth analysis, consider the professionals. At Internet Marketing Team, we have the knowledge and expertise to analyze your linking and SEO campaigns. With these hacks and others in mind, we effect a positive change in your SEO success.