SEO for local businesses pt. 4

SEO for local businesses in Hawaii

An in-depth series — Part 4 — SEO Basics

SEO basics for local businesses in Hawaii: content analysis. In this fourth in our series on SEO, we will go over details of basic SEO content analysis. This series discusses comprehensive on-site analysis. Another series will address on-page SEO analysis.

What is SEO?

For more details on what Search Engine Optimization (SEO) involves, see part 1 in this series.

A comprehensive website audit will address the following aspects of your website: 

  1. Basic Health Check
  2. Pages Analysis
  3. Meta Analysis 
  4. Content Analysis (covered in this article)
  5. Links Analysis
  6. Images Analysis
  7. Mobile & Desktop Optimization
  8. Usability & Technologies

Since we already covered Basic Health Check in the first part of this series, this article covers details on Content Analysis. Other articles in this series will address the remaining aspects listed above.

What is "Content Analysis?"

Content analysis refers to the structure of the content (text, images, audio, video) on your website. When analyzing your website for content analysis a SEO audit will look for: 

  • Header elements
  • duplicate content

Avoid publishing duplicate content. It is better to insert links to content on another page of your site. Unique content that address a specific topic and includes header elements is ideal; and this is what content analysis looks for. Using keywords in your headings will help search engines identify the main topic of your content; remember: search engines have a job. They "give the people what they looking for!" Using keywords in your headings helps search engines deliver your content to "searchers."

Your content should not be less than 400 words. Simultaneously, try to avoid extremely long content. However, it is suggested to put a tables of contents when publishing lengthy content.

SEO Basics: Content Analysis

  1. Duplicate Content: Avoid publishing duplicate content. It is acceptable to have the content as a closing statement on articles; rather than repeating yourself in an article, cross-link to another page on your site. This is beneficial for your ranking as well. 
  2. Word Count:  Strive to publish content with at least 400 words. Simultaneously, use a table of contents (linking to sections) if publishing a lengthy piece. 

  3. H1 element:  Header elements range from <h1></h1> to <h6></h6> and help search engines deliver relevant content to "searchers."

    1. Missing: Every page should have an <h1> header element. 
    2. Empty:  The <h1> element should not be blank or empty.
    3. Too long: The content of the <h1> element should not be more than 70 characters.
    4. Duplicate: The content of the <h1> should be unique on every page.
  4. H2 element: Using lower level header elements help keep your content organized and easier to read (especially since only 2 out of 10 people read your entire article).
    1. Missing: Every page should have at least one <h2> element. 
    2. Empty: Don't forget to add content to your <h2> element. I've done this but the website audit found the empty tag and I fixed it.
    3. Too long: Just like the <h1> element, the content of the <h2> should not be too long. 

Local businesses in Hawaii can benefit from following the directives of SEO experts; for further reading, see this authoritative starter guide. If you are interested in executing your own SEO plan, I recommend using SE Ranking. Their plan includes 35+ SEO tools to help you optimize your site; it also includes an in-depth guide on implementing an online marketing plan. Otherwise, I recommend running our FREE on-page SEO audit. This is a free SEO audit for a single page. We understand you have your choice in Hawaii SEO companies, that's why we are committed to providing neutral advice; consultation that is truly in your best interest. For an objective approach in SEO web design in Hawaii, contact Vital Tech Results.