If you want to ensure each page and post you create gets you closer to the top of the Google search engine results page (SERPs), there are 16 points you need to be sure to cover. To streamline the process and help you remember each area, here is a complete checklist.

1. Include your keyword in the title tag.

The title of your page is the first thing a search engine crawler will comb through when determining if your page fits within the confines of the search. Therefore, it is the most important factor for on-page SEO. If you want to catch a crawler’s attention early on, be sure to include your keyword within the title tag of each page you create.

For best results, try to include the keyword toward the beginning of your title. The quicker the crawler can find the information it is looking for the better your chances are of getting noticed.

2. Create SEO-friendly URLs.

Each time you create a new page or post, you will receive a unique URL that fits that page. Usually, this URL is a generic combination of letters and numbers that don’t mean anything to you, your website visitors or search engines. However, because crawlers will comb through your URL to determine whether or not it fits within the search, you want to optimize the URL chain properly.

Your modified URLs should be short and include your keyword. In most cases, your URL can be the title of the page or a shortened version of it.

3. Create detailed titles.

When creating a title for your page, you may be tempted to keep it brief and direct. While this is great if it can capture the content within the post, you want to make your titles appealing and attention grabbing for both readers and search engine crawlers. This typically means including additional descriptors or modifiers.

By including terms such as “top,” or “best” you are including long-tail keywords within your titles. These long-tail keywords can bring more targeted visitors to your website and improve chances of conversions.

4. Use your H1 tag to repeat your title.

The H1 header is the largest header you will have on your page. Because search engine crawlers will comb through your content based on the importance of your information, your H1 header is one of the first things the crawler will read.

Within your H1 header, you should repeat the title of your article. By including your title a second time within the post, search engine crawlers can pick up your keyword placement and identify that the content is relevant to the search.

5. Include an interesting image or video.

Your SEO strategy isn’t just about keyword placement. On-page SEO also considers how long your visitors stay on your page. To encourage them to read your post, you want to include an interesting video or image that will capture your reader’s attention.

However, be careful when including images. If your images are too large, they may take too long to load. Keep images clear and large enough to fit the space but not so large that you ruin your load time.

6. Have subheadings in H2 headers.

After the search engine crawlers read your title and your H1 headers, they will move on to the next most valuable content. In most circumstances, this will be the H2 headers.

Your subheadings should provide an overview of what the next couple paragraphs will contain. If it makes sense, you should also include your keywords in your H2 headers.

7. Include your keyword in the first 100 words.

The next most important location for your keyword is within the first 100 words. Once the search engine crawler has gone through your title, the H1 header, and your H2 headers, it will begin browsing through the content of the page.

Including your keyword within the introduction of your content gives the crawler reinforcement that your page fits the needs of the search. However, be sure not to include your keyword too frequently or in an unnatural way. Use your keyword comfortably and casually.

8. Use a mobile-friendly web design.

A fully responsive design is another component that doesn’t involve keyword placement but can also influence your SEO. Because the majority of searchers are now using their smartphones or tablets to browse
the web, your website needs to be easy for them to read.

If your mobile visitors are unable to read your home builder website on a smaller screen, they are likely to return to the list of results to go to a different page. Search engines will take this to mean that your content is poor, and push your listing further down. To improve your ranking, use a fully responsive web design.

9. Include outbound links.

Outbound links take your readers to pages other than your own. While it may seem silly to push readers to other resources, outbound links give you something known as “link juice”. The more link juice you have the further up in the SEO rankings your page will be.

Within each post that you upload, you should have three to four outbound links. These outbound links should be pushing to credible resources that back up your claims and research.

10. Use inbound links.

Unlike outbound links, inbound links move readers around your home builder website. With inbound links, you can point your readers in the direction of a similar blog post or services that you can provide.

Inbound links not only encourage visitors to stay on your website but they also provide a path for search engine crawlers to move around. If your content does not have links from page to page, the crawlers will get stuck. To increase your chances of getting noticed by a search engine, include a few inbound links on each page or post.

11. Maintain a quick site.

The Internet has made us used to instant gratification. If something doesn’t appear right when we want it, we move on to something else. The same goes for web pages and sites. If they don’t load immediately, visitors may give up and head to a competitor’s page.

If visitors are continually clicking on your site only to leave a few seconds later, search engines will take this to mean that you do not have a quality page. If they believe that your website isn’t worth recommending, your site will get pushed down the list of results. To maintain a high placement, keep your site load times short.

12. Take advantage of LSI keywords.

LSI keywords are words or phrases that relate to your main keyword without being synonyms. These terms are frequently searched with your primary keyword even if they have a different meaning or different focus.

When creating your content, be sure to use some LSI keywords that match or identify with the main keyword that you are targeting. The use of LSI keywords can improve your SEO by targeting multiple similar keywords with each post

13. Optimize your images.

Images are frequently used in pages and blog posts to break up the text for human readers. But just because a search engine crawler can’t appreciate a powerful blog image doesn’t mean it’s not getting optimized.

Optimizing your images allows search engine crawlers to understand what the image is and what it presents. By using image names and alt text tags, crawlers can identify images and how they relate to an image search. By optimizing your images, you increase your chances of appearing in image searches.

14. Make it easy for social sharing.

Social media drives traffic to your home builder website through leveraging your network, but it also helps you build links back to your page that can improve your SEO. If you want to see more people sharing your content, you need to make it easy for them to do so right on the page or post.

With each post you upload, make it simple for readers to share or connect online. Ensure that you have social sharing buttons located on each page and double check that they work correctly.

15. Provide long-form content.

In the past, companies would upload short blog posts or pages that included the keywords they needed without getting too in depth. These posts served the purpose of targeting the keyword and creating new content without taking much time to produce. However, they provided little value to the reader.

Today, search engine crawlers like longer content. Blog posts that reach a couple of thousand words allow readers to spend time on the site while giving them content they can share. To improve your SEO, share long-form content at least once a week

16. Keep readers’ attention.

Keeping your readers’ attention is easier said than done, but having readers stay on your page is crucial for gaining the attention of search engine crawlers. When visitors read through an entire post and go on to visit more pages on your site, search engines will see that you are providing quality content.

By sharing your content with more people you will get a better search engine placement. When you share great content, visitors will want to read your entire post, and you will attract more attention through SEO.

When creating an entirely optimized page or post, there are a few extra steps you need to take before hitting publish. However, when you follow these 16 steps to covering your bases, every post you upload has a chance of reaching the top of a search engine results page.