Do the SEO check for your website
Senior SEO-specialist
SEO and SEA, or search engine optimization, we can’t ignore it these days. Want to reach your target audience by ranking high in Google? The answer is SEO and SEA. Start with the SEO check!
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. This is an umbrella term for all activities in search engine marketing that ensure that your website ranks high in the organic search results of a search engine (usually performed by an SEO specialist ).
SEA is the abbreviation for Search Engine Advertising. This is a collective term for all advertising opportunities in the search engines. In the Netherlands, Google Ads and Bing Ads are the two biggest players in search engine advertising. There are many different ways you can advertise your business or website.
SEO contributes to a higher ranking in the organic search results of a search engine, such as Google. It is a free and sustainable strategy to rank high in Google.
It takes a lot of time and patience, but you will benefit from this for a long time. Why is it so important these days to be at least on the first page of Google with your website?
A lot of traffic comes in through search engines. Your target audience uses mostly Google to arrive at a purchase. If you don’t have a search engine presence, your competitor will run off with your customer.
Want to know where you stand with your website in terms of SEO? Or how to get the most out of your online marketing budget? Then do an SEO check. This will help you figure out what investment is needed to get more leads and revenue from Google. An SEO check sees exactly how things stand now and where the opportunities lie. The check looks at the three pillars that SEO is based on, namely:
- Technique: this refers to your loading speed of each web page, or the size of images.
- Content: this involves relevant, quality text that is all unique.
- Link building: these are links on other websites that point to your website. That creates online authority, something that makes Google very happy.
How does an SEO test work?
Using a powerful online SEO tool, you will conduct an SEO test. This tool quickly analyzes how search engine friendly your website is. You just enter a URL and the test is able to check your website for a number of important variables.
The SEO test looks at how the site is doing with technology, content and link building. The test sees what can be improved and where any opportunities lie. Using this information, you can optimize your website for search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing.
The SEO test takes only a few seconds to complete. The website’s source code is analyzed. After this, the SEO test compares the results with search engine optimization guidelines and best practices. The SEO test assigns a score to your website based on conformance to these standards.
The SEO test not only provides an assessment, but also explains the variables tested. The test additionally provides more information on why these variables matter for search engine optimization.
“A search engine-friendly website”
So based on the SEO test and your score, you can see how search engine friendly your website is. However, the results of an SEO test can be tricky to interpret. This still requires human insight. An SEO specialist, for example.
An SEO specialist can help clarify the score from the SEO test and can also advise on how to proceed next. How you can use these results to make your website even better by optimizing some things.
What questions does an SEO scan ask a Web site?
An SEO scan is a scan to find out how search engine friendly a website is. You see what the status is and where there are any areas for improvement and opportunities.
Using this data, you can optimize your website. An SEO scan looks at a number of things. The scan asks the following questions of a Web site, among others:
– Is the website SEO optimized?
This is about whether all plug-ins are working properly and whether the speed of the site is sufficient. The loading speed should take no more than a few milliseconds. Every website has plug-ins and these often need to be updated every few months.
– Is there enough content on the homepage and category pages?
Sufficient content means the more text, the better. Google serves the searcher. That means Google wants the user/searcher to get answers to all his or her questions. Content should be long (at least 400 words), qualitative and informative. In addition, the keyword must recur 1 – 1.5% in the text(1).
– Is the meta-description filled in properly?
A meta-description is a description that appears below the title and URL in search results. In most cases, the description states the pluses of your website. Through the meta-description, you try to attract the potential customer to your website.
– Does the page title contain the keyword?
The title of your page is very important and should contain the keyword. This keyword should also appear multiple times on your website. Keyword research is the starting point of any SEO strategy.
– Is the ratio of text to html coding sufficiently balanced?
The heavier the coding is, the more text you have to put on your website. The ratio should be at least 15%. Are the H headings right and contain keywords? The H1 always contains the main keyword.
– Is the keyword density sufficient?
The keyword should recur 1-1.5% in each text. This means that for a 400-word text, a keyword should appear about 4-6 times in it.
– Is the website mobile-friendly?
A major impact in the field of SEO is the increase in use of cell phones and tablets. For online stores, 50% of visitors already orient themselves via mobile and this percentage is still rising. So it is important that your website has a good display on a cell phone.
– Do all images have keyword alt text?
Google does not see images because it can only read text. So the search engine determines from the text of the image what kind of image it is. Thus, it is important that each image contain text(2).
– Is the link building profile internally and externally according to Google’s rules?
A website’s link profile must be natural or Google will not value it. You can test this by finding out if your trust flow and citation flow are good. Make sure you have enough links of both high and low quality.
– Is there a robots.txt or sitemap?
You can think of this as a kind of table of contents for a Web site. Based on this table of contents, Google scans your website and thus Google knows where certain parts of your website are located. If your website does not have this, Google will also not include your page among its search results.
– Is there enough new content being posted?
Producing content is an ongoing process. After all, Google considers updates very important. The more different pages with different text, the more likely you are to land at the top of Google.
If you think your texts for each page are already written, you can also start blogging. Write an article every week or month that addresses industry news, for example.
Tools you can use as SEO checkers
Performing an SEO check is the first important step in optimizing your website. You find out where the areas for improvement are and where the opportunities are. Based on this information, you can improve your website in several areas to rise in Google’s rankings.
You don’t do an SEO check manually. You do this using an SEO checker: a tool. There are several tools you can use for this purpose. The following are some tools.
- Varvy SEO tool: this tool compares websites to Google’s preferences. You find out where the errors are and how to fix them. The reward: a higher ranking in Google.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: this tool requires you to download special software. The free version allows you to scan 500 URLs.
- Google’s Mobile Friendly Test: as many as three-quarters of all searches are made from a mobile device. This tool provides insight into the visibility of your website on mobile devices. In addition, you will receive tips on how to improve the user experience.
- PageSpeed Insights: using this tool, you get a score for the speed of your website.
- SEO Site Checkup: this tracks down very specific problems and fixes them right away.
Free tools for a check on SEO
Most tools to perform an SEO check are free. Unless, in the case of SEO specialists, you make frequent use of these tools. Then at some point you have to start paying for it. The following tools to perform a check for SEO are free:
- Varvy SEO tool: this tool compares websites to Google’s preferences. You find out where the errors are and how to fix them. The reward: a higher ranking in Google.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: this tool requires you to download special software. The free version allows you to scan 500 URLs. After you reach 500 URLs, you do have to pay for this.
- Google’s Mobile Friendly Test: as many as three-quarters of all searches are made from a mobile device. This tool provides insight into the visibility of your website on mobile devices. In addition, you will receive tips on how to improve the user experience.
- PageSpeed Insights: using this tool, you get a score for the speed of your website.
- SEO Site Checkup: this tracks down very specific problems and fixes them right away.
What is an SEO website test?
An SEO website test is the same as an SEO checker. After all, you check a website for how it’s doing in terms of SEO. Using a special tool, you’ll track down bugs and security issues that may hinder your site from achieving top rankings in search engines such as Google and Bing.
The tool tests for various components, including: meta information, page quality, page speed, page structure, link structure, server configuration and external factors. The tool also tests for content: does the keyword appear sufficiently in it and are the texts sufficient? The more content, the better is the motto of SEO.
The tool summarizes all the findings in the form of a comprehensive report. You will also receive an individual SEO score. When the score exceeds 80%, you can conclude that the web page is well optimized. Under 80% indicate that there is still plenty of room for improvement. If the score is lower than 30%, it means there are serious SEO errors and website problems to be addressed.
The report contains explanations and improvements that you can start working on right away to get quick and noticeable results. In fact, the report also shows you which problems are the most important, so you know which task to work on first. Optimizing your website leads to higher rankings in Google.
How important is SEO to a website?
SEO stands for: Search Engine Optimization, or search engine optimization. The word says it all. Search engine optimization is optimization of a website done specifically for a search engine. Like Google or Bing. The goal is to end up higher up in search engine results.
SEO is only about the organic results. These are the results you see below the “adv” (ad). You don’t have to pay for this. So they are also called the free search results in Google.
The focus in SEO is on properly optimizing the website and its various pages. The goal is to find answers to the keyword or search question. Google maintains a certain algorithm. This algorithm is tuned for a lot of factors.
What are these factors?
These are: technology (speed), content (relevant to the visitor) and popularity (links pointing to your website). These factors together determine your position in Google. Why is it important for a Web site to rank high in Google?
The more visitors that land on your website, the more conversions and thus more sales and profits. Here’s the thing. Unpaid traffic through Google is called organic visitors. These are listed below the paid search results.
Paid search results are identified by “adv” after the result. The unpaid search results are clicked a lot more often than the paid search results. For this reason, getting organic traffic is very important. If you don’t invest in SEO for your website, the competition will make off with your potential customers. And you don’t want that.
Search engine optimization produces a higher number of relevant visitors from search engines. This automatically means that conversion is boosted. Not only are there more visitors, but also more relevant visitors. A website can attract a lot of traffic, but if those visitors do not convert, it is not efficient. Search engine optimization ensures that potential customers know how to find your website.
What is the roadmap for an SEO website check?
To find out where you stand with your website in terms of SEO perform an SEO website check. Based on this check, you will know what investment is needed to get more leads and more sales from Google. The check comprehensively looks at the three components of SEO, namely: technology, content and authority.
This is the roadmap of an SEO website check:
Technology
– Is your website indexed (properly)? Isn’t there unnecessary indexing?
– Is your website secure (3)
– Is your website suitable for mobile devices?
– Is your website fast? This should be no more than a few milliseconds.
– Is your website properly coded?
– Is your website on a good server?
Content
– Are you using the right keywords?
– Is there a page on the website with optimized content present? Is pillar content / content topics being used?
– Is the page in a logical place in the structure of the website?
Authority
– Do you have sufficient authority over your competition?
– Do you have a healthy link profile? This includes both high and low quality links.
– Is your internal link structure correct?
– Is your anchor text profile shot through with exact anchors (4)?
- https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
- https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/google-images#descriptive-alt-text
- https://developers.google.com/search/docs/monitor-debug/security
- https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/links-crawlable#anchor-text-placement
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an SEO check?
An SEO check, also called an SEO scan, is a check you perform to gain insight into how search engine friendly a website is. Its current state is mapped in detail, as are its opportunities and areas for improvement. All points under the microscope fall under SEO, or Search Engine Optimization. Examples include page speed and structure, content (including keywords) and links that exist on external websites, or technical SEO, content and link building
How does an SEO check work?
You perform an SEO check using an online tool. All you need for this is the URL of your web page. The tool then analyzes all web pages belonging to it. Based on its scan, the tool identifies the key variables: SEO content, technical SEO and link building. The insightful information gives you tools to further optimize your website for search engines like Google. So the SEO check is the starting point of your strategy.
Is my website optimized for SEO?
When a website is optimized for SEO, it means it ranks as high as possible in the search engines. This means your website will land high in the list of organic search results. SEO has to do with the information on your website, its technology and usability as well as the external links that lead to your page. A website is not optimized until all three points are met. To what extent your website is optimized, you can have a search engine marketing agency investigate.
How can I improve my SEO?
If you want to improve your SEO, then at all times start by performing (or having performed) an SEO check. The tool you use for this purpose identifies errors and other obstacles. These areas of improvement must be addressed to achieve better rankings in search engines such as Google. Things you can improve your SEO with include strong and relevant content and titles, optimal website speed, the presence of reviews and meta titles and descriptions. Especially link building and technical SEO require knowledge and experience. A search engine marketing agency can help you with this.
What is the cost of an SEO check?
You can do an SEO check yourself using free tools, but you’ll get the most out of the data by hiring a search engine optimization agency. An SEO check is also called SEO analysis. What this costs depends on several factors, including the niche you operate in, the products and/or services you offer and your goals. Of course, different agencies also charge different prices. The form of payment–per hour or per analysis–can also greatly influence the final cost.
What SEO factors will my website be scanned for during a check?
Because your ultimate position in the organic search results of search engines like Google is influenced by as many as hundreds of factors, your website is also scanned for a wide variety of issues during a check. The list is too long to list here, but all facets can be categorized under SEO content, technical SEO and link building. Key SEO factors include keywords, quality of your content, URL structure, load time, usability and security.
Can I do an SEO check myself?
It’s nice to know where you stand with your website when it comes to SEO. But you may also want to know that you have already maximized your online marketing budget. For that, you can do an SEO check yourself. I’m sure you’ll quickly figure out what investment is needed to get more leads and sales from Google. After all, thanks to an SEO check, you know where you stand NOW but also see where your opportunities lie.
However, there is some more you need to do. Performing a check is often a snap, a matter of entering a link and the test gives results within seconds. But then you still need to be able to interpret all the data. This is often an art and that is where many entrepreneurs get stuck anyway.
The advice I can give you in that is run the SEO check, see how far you get, and if you have questions about it or you really can’t figure it out, approach an SEO specialist. I can then watch with you and give advice on the results and what to do with them.
Is it wise to hire a specialist for an SEO check?
Anyone can do an SEO check themselves, but if you are unsure if you can do it or you don’t have the time, I recommend hiring an SEO specialist and I can help you with that. You may also have already taken the test but find it difficult to interpret the data, I can do this for you. So it’s up to you when you would engage me or not.
However, my advice would be if you want to get the most out of your website, to make sure you understand the results of the SEO check. You’re not just going to take the test, because you want to do something with the data. Getting the most out of it is only possible if you know what all the data means, and that’s where I can help you.
You could also choose to start making the adjustments already, but then if you get stuck or find it getting too complicated, you can still approach me. I am happy to help you make sure your website is even more findable in the search engines.
What aspects weigh most heavily in an SEO check?
An SEO check looks at:
- Technically, it’s about the loading speed of the pages on your site and it looks at the size of your images, for example.
- Content, it looks to see if that you have relevant and good quality text on your site (these must be unique, of course).
- Link building, links on other sites that point to your website. Online authority, that’s what Google loves!
So there are a number of aspects that that is looked at closely. It all has to be balanced if you also want to be easily findable in the search engines such as Google. Therefore, you should actually take all points equally seriously. If you know too little about something or have questions about it, you can always hire an SEO specialist. I also definitely recommend taking advantage of this.
Several points from the SEO check you may be able to adjust yourself, but the technical part or link placement is still something many people don’t fully understand or need help with. I am then at your service to make that happen.
What are the next steps once I have completed an SEO check?
If you’ve done an SEO check then that’s the data that comes out, you have to be able to interpret that and then that’s advice on how that you can better optimize your website. For example, it may reveal that the site is too slow to load, but how to speed it up? Either you have too little text on the site, you use too many or too few keywords, the content is not unique. You didn’t post any links?
These are just a few examples that may emerge from the check. For you, that means work to do. After all, you want to score well on everything the next time you go for the SEO check. Therefore, you have to invest time in it now, and that does require your attention and knowledge.
If you can’t figure it out, do what you can and enlist the help of an SEO specialist for other parts. I’m here to look with you and complete the whole thing.
Are specialized tools needed to perform an SEO check?
An SEO check is performed using a powerful online SEO tool. The tool can then very quickly analyze how search engine friendly your site currently is. All you have to do is enter your URL and then your website can be checked for a number of points in no time. It really only takes a few seconds. There are several tools that can be used.
- Varvy SEO tool, through this tool, websites can be compared to Google’s preferences.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider, if you want to use this tool you do need special software that you can download.
- Google’s Mobile Friendly Test, thanks to this tool you get an idea about the visibility of your website on mobile devices.
- PageSpeed Insights, it will give you a good idea about the speed of your website.
- SEO Site Checkup, this is a tool that allows you to identify and fix specific problems.
So there are several tools available for a good SEO check. Which one you will use depends on what you want to measure. But my advice is to use several as well, then you can aggregate all the results and get the most out of your website (by adjusting all the areas of improvement).