How to use this list
These tips are small, cheap and low risk. None of them is a trick, and none guarantees a better position in search results. They simply make pages clearer for visitors and for the software that reads them. Work through them a few at a time, starting with your most important pages, and write down what you change.
Titles
- Give every page its own title. Identical titles across pages make them harder to tell apart. Titles that describe the page accurately, as covered in the article on title tags, are the usual aim.
- Put the main subject near the start. Long titles may be cut off in results, so lead with what matters.
- Write for people. A title that reads like a list of phrases tends to look unappealing. One clear, honest line is better.
- Include your name where it helps. A short brand or business name at the end is common, but it should not crowd out the description.
Descriptions
- Write a short summary for each important page. Meta descriptions do not directly decide ranking as far as is publicly known, but they often appear under the title and can influence whether someone clicks. The page on meta descriptions explains their role.
- Make each one unique and accurate. Copying the same text everywhere gives readers nothing to distinguish pages.
- Do not over-promise. If the description claims something the page does not deliver, visitors leave quickly.
Search engines sometimes show different text than you wrote, which is normal. Do not worry if that happens.
Headings and text
- Use one clear main heading per page, then subheadings in order. This helps readers scan, and screen reader users rely on it. See the guide to heading structure.
- Lead with the answer. Visitors who find what they came for quickly are more likely to stay satisfied.
- Read it aloud. Awkward or repetitive wording, such as a phrase stuffed in over and over, is usually obvious when spoken. Repetition of keywords is a long-recognized problem.
- Keep paragraphs short and avoid jargon where a plain word will do.
Images
- Describe images with alt text. Alternative text helps people who use screen readers and appears when an image fails to load. Describe what the image shows in a short, natural phrase. Skip it for purely decorative images, where an empty value is the convention. The article on alt text goes through examples.
- Use meaningful file names. A name that describes the image is better than a string of numbers.
- Shrink oversized images. Large files slow pages down. The guide on image optimization explains sizing and formats.
Links
- Link related pages to each other. Internal linking helps visitors find more, and helps search engines discover pages. Place links where they would be useful in the text.
- Use descriptive link wording. “Our guide to choosing a bike helmet” says more than “click here”. Descriptive anchor text is also better for people using screen readers.
- Fix broken links. Run through your main pages and check that links go somewhere. Repairing broken links is a classic small job that improves the experience.
- Link out when it helps readers. Citing a useful source is fine and is part of being a trustworthy page.
Housekeeping
- Keep contact details visible and current. Visitors, and your own business, benefit.
- Check pages on your phone. Text should be readable and buttons easy to tap.
- Make sure your site uses a secure connection. Browsers warn visitors when it does not.
- Update old pages. If a page contains facts that have changed, fix them or remove the page. Outdated information can mislead people.
- Remove or improve pages that add nothing. Thin or duplicate pages rarely help anyone.
- Submit a sitemap if your platform makes it easy. A sitemap lists pages you want found. It does not guarantee anything, but it can help with discovery.
What to skip
- Hidden text or stuffing phrases into footers. This is the kind of thing search engines discourage.
- Buying links or joining link exchanges. Risky and generally not recommended.
- Constantly rewriting titles. Changes need time to be seen. Change, record, wait.
- Chasing every tool warning. Some flags are minor.
A short order of attack
If you only have an hour, do this: check the titles on your five most important pages, write or improve their descriptions, add alt text to the images on them, and add one or two helpful internal links. If you have another hour, fix broken links and test the pages on a phone.
Record what you changed and when, and look again after a few weeks. These are modest improvements, and their effects are often small and gradual, but they are cheap to make and unlikely to hurt.