The following should be provided for each web page:
Key words
Each page should be optimised for at least one primary keyword and one secondary keyword, as a minimum.
Metadata
Page title should be included.
Page description – used by search engines to gauge relevance of webpage. Ideally 120–160 characters.
Meta keywords – Metadata keywords should be included.
On-page optimisation
H1 (main) and H2 (sub) heading tags containing keywords where possible.
Use text links within the pages containing keywords where possible, and always be descriptive about where the link goes to.
Duplicate copy – Ensure copy is rewritten and not duplicated within one or more sites.
Meta titles
Be no longer than 60 characters (including spaces). Please note that seven characters are automatically appended into each meta titl, so this needs to be taken into consideration.
Dashes (-) should be used as a delimiter rather than pipes (|) – eg. Our range of funds - Fund Centre.
Be unique to each page; do not duplicate title tags across pages.
Include the primary keywords that page is targeting but without forcing it.
Be descriptive and readable; if it makes sense to a user, it makes sense to a search engine.
Using the keywords tag
Use use the agreed keywords for the specific site you are working on and consider atributes the page has that make it unique.
Use a minimum of 3 keywords per page.
Don't exceed 250 characters.
Use lowercase.
Page file name character length
Page file name should not exceed 75 characters.
PDFs and documents
Ensure documents have a proper title, specified in the document properties tab, before being published.
Final Key points to consider
Check that your copy is free from spelling and grammatical mistakes, and that the content is original.
Check that the keywords you want your page to rank for are included within your page content. Keywords placed in headings, lead paragraphs and relevant links help the page to rank higher. Be careful to get the balance right though. Over using a keyword or ‘keyword stuffing’ can actually penalise your website.
Build links to appropriate pages within your website and any relevant external website sources. Think of link building as a way of creating a better user experience for your website visitors. Links should be useful for the reader and relevant to the subject that you are writing about.
Complete the SEO and metadata fields within the content management system (CMS). Make sure that the page title and page description are unique so that search engines can tell the difference between the pages.
