SEO Basics for Nonprofits and Small Businesses: A Simple Guide.
In today's digital landscape, having a strong online presence is crucial for nonprofits and small businesses. However, navigating the complexities of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be daunting without the right guidance. This guide serves as a straightforward starting point, designed to help you enhance your website's accessibility and search engine performance.
By implementing the fundamental SEO practices outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your website not only complies with accessibility standards but also reaches a broader audience through improved search engine visibility. Whether you are new to SEO or looking to refine your existing strategies, these basics will set you on the path to creating a more effective and inclusive online presence.
Why Adding Alt Text to Images is Essential for Accessibility
Did you know that adding ALT text to your website images is crucial for accessibility? ALT text is the descriptive text used to explain the elements within an image. This not only helps your website comply with accessibility standards but also ensures that everyone, including those with disabilities, can access the same information online.
Think about how often we use Google to search for information. People with vision impairments rely on screen reader technology to interpret the content on a webpage. For instance, if a user with a screen reader lands on my homepage, they would hear: “laptop computer on wooden desk with a pencil cup holder, glass ball jar mug, and a pair of glasses.”
Your ALT text doesn’t need to be fancy, but it must be descriptive. To learn more about ALT text, check out this HubSpot article: Image Alt Text: What It Is, How to Write It, and Why It Matters to SEO.
Mastering Titles and Meta Descriptions
Every page on your website should have a unique title and meta description. These elements are crucial because they help search engines understand the content on each page.
Google’s goal is to provide users with relevant, quality results. Therefore, the more descriptive your titles and meta descriptions are, the better your chances of ranking higher. Include keywords and ensure your titles and meta descriptions are of a specific length to avoid your page being penalized or not indexed properly due to insufficient information.
Best practices include:
Titles should not exceed 70 characters.
Titles should be unique for each page.
Meta descriptions should be no longer than 150 characters.
How to Optimize and Structure Content with H1, H2, and H3 Headers
Optimizing your content goes beyond titles and meta descriptions. Using H1, H2, and H3 header tags effectively can greatly enhance your page’s structure. Header tags make it easier for search engines to parse and understand your content. The H1 header tag is typically used for the main title, while H2 and H3 tags are used for subheadings, helping to organize the content logically. For a practical example, look at this page: the title is the H1 tag, and the subheadings are H2, H3, and H4 tags. To dive deeper into optimizing your content with header tags, check out this article from Ahrefs: What are header tags?
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