We’ve already talked about how important the audit is for the website, especially for the eCommerce sites that depend on their rankings for the relevant search terms. It diagnoses the problems of both technical and content nature and provides explanations and suggestions for resolving issues and improving performance. However, what happens after the audit is completed? Here is a simple guide on what to do next.
Table of Contents
1. The audit is done
The SEO/Content expert has just completed the audit. There is a lot of information inside that uncovers potential issues with the website, its performance, content and keyword density. The tech SEO audit contains details including broken URLs, analysis of the site structure, site speed, responsiveness, crawling and indexation, etc. The content SEO audit gives details about keyword research, mapping the keywords with the highest potential to single pages, meta data, internal linking and lots of content improvement recommendations. The website’s owner receives all of this data organized along with recommendations and explanations that the in-house team of developers can instantly use to get rid of the problems with the website.
On the other hand, if your company is small or medium, it probably doesn’t have an in-house team of developers who take care of the website regularly. Most of the times, the owner of the eCommerce website is the one that runs the site, and with their limited knowledge of how to apply the recommended changes, nothing with real impact can be executed.
For that purpose, step two is the immediate application of the recommendations related to the technical section of the website.
2. Implement the tech recommendations
Now you know what the problems with the site are – too many broken links, unnecessary redirects, slow website, not indexed pages, and so on. All of this might be the reason why your site doesn’t have leads that convert or why the bounce rates are out the roof. With a list of problems and recommendations, you can fix the issues immediately, or if you don’t know how to handle these, hire an SEO expert. It is vital to start with the tech changes so that the website is in perfect condition before it is fed with the content improvements.
The benefits of the results are numerous. The website will load fast and be responsive across different devices while offering a steady connection and an enjoyable on-site experience. The subdomains will be analyzed, all the URL issues will be emphasized. Moreover, the internal linking improved, the structure of the site evaluated and the images will be checked for their alt tags while the videos’ URLs will be assessed. You will know which are the strengths of the site and use them for designing an extensive SEO strategy and digital marketing plan.
Next, content improvement.
3. Implement the content recommendations
Your website cannot do well on the search engine page results if the content is not relevant. That is why the content audit is the tool that gives directions on how to organize the content that will soar the website high. Keyword research, keyword mapping and content analysis of the competitors as well as rewriting the meta data (titles and descriptions) will make the website accessibility, attractiveness and search value which will increase the CTR and bring lots of organic visits.
In addition, improving the page length with relevant keywords will help the potential clients get to your website easier when you provide information about the exact things they are looking for. The rich, quality content will signal Google that your site is relevant, and it will be ranked high. On the other hand, if there is dull, repetitive and duplicate content, this will make Google penalize your site, which is a reason more to take care of the content as soon as possible.
For that purpose, it is better to consult or hire a content copywriter who will know how to implement the recommendations and suggestions. They will know precisely how to deal with the lack of descriptions, keyword-poor texts, and blog posts, contextual links, CTA buttons and their placement, social media presence, and so on.
4. Plan Ahead
Implementing the recommendation from the audits doesn’t make it over. The work is just beginning. Now, that your website is in top-notch condition, it is time to plan the long-term SEO strategy that will give results regularly in the months to come. This involves targeting the buying keywords in blog posts in informative and engaging texts that will build your reading audience and make them believers of your products or services. Also, maintaining a strong social media presence with a consistent message and style that represents the brand and appearing on authoritative blogs with references back to your site.
Investing in an on-going SEO strategy pays off. The positive results will come pouring after the improvements take place. It shouldn’t be expected a sudden and instant output because the speed of ranking high as well as the overall improvements depend on the industry and the niche of the business and whether the targeting is done locally or globally. In the meantime, your brand will start getting attention, audience and establish itself as a reliable and trustworthy company.
5. Respect the Process
Google updates its algorithms frequently; therefore, being on top of all the new information is hard to even for the most passionate SEO experts. However, keeping up with the trends and implementing the changes in the strategy is crucial. As a result of any delays, there will be ups and downs – but, as long as the strategy is regularly updated, success will be inevitable. Respecting the process is essential for all of it to fall into place and bring guaranteed results. Doubting and canceling activities, on the other hand, will give instant failures.
