In today’s digitally connected world, web development is a complex and challenging task. This is because websites are becoming complicated, feature-rich, and flashy. Everyone who wants a website developed wants it to be highly efficient. They want their websites to appear in top searches and rank high on the search engine result pages (SERP).
However, this task is not as simple as it sounds. It requires expertise and know-how of how the search engines and the associated algorithms work. Expert web developers incorporate basic and best-known SEO strategies during the development stage. This makes the developed website highly organized, and SEO-optimized, and ranks higher in search results.
Keep reading this article to learn how to use SEO basics in your web development projects.
6 Must-Use SEO Basics in Your Web Development Projects
SEO is the backbone of digital marketing today. Without effective SEO strategies and implementation, no website can rank properly. This is why it is essential to use SEO basics and vital elements during the development phase. Including and utilizing elements like semantic HTML, fast loading speed, redirects, and more.
With that being said, let’s delve deeper to explore some must-use SEO basics in your web development projects.
1. Semantic HTML
Semantic HTML is a crucial SEO element in web development. This coding structure uses HTML tags to define text, objects, and elements in a way that is meaningful to search engines, improving their understanding of website content. By adding semantic HTML tags, developers align web content with search intent, making it more accessible for search engines. Implementing semantic HTML can be challenging for non-experts, so you can contact the best agency for web development solutions in Dubai to incorporate the best SEO elements into your project.
2. Metadata & Site Structure
One more SEO element to include in your web development project is metadata and site structure. The metadata and site structure is very crucial to ensure higher SEO rankings and online visibility. The first thing that a search engine crawls is the metadata and it is also the first thing that is visible to the users on the search result pages.
The next thing is the structure of the site. The structure includes page and content hierarchy. This includes everything from H1 to H6. The H1 (title) should go on top of the page and there should be only one (H1) title heading. When both the metadata and site structure align, search engines rank it higher as they find relevancy and authenticity in the website.
3. Response Codes
The most important SEO basic element to include in your web development project is response codes. Response codes are also known as HTTP status codes in the language of SEO and web development. For general users, response codes represent the status of the website. These include redirection codes, non-availability codes, client/server error codes, and more. When these codes appear on websites, technical developers or concerned individuals should pay special attention.
This is especially true in the case of 404, 500, 301, and 302. The 3xx codes portray redirection messages, 4xx represent client error, and 5xx codes are usually server errors. If you want search engines to avoid crawling and indexing issues on your website, then you must address them swiftly. Your web project focus and target should be the HTTP 200 status code for successful page rendering.
4. Redirects
An additional SEO basic element to include in your web development project is redirects. Imagine creating a website to upgrade or replace the new one. You would have to divert users from the older website to the newer one. If there aren’t redirects, your older website will show a 404 error and Google will rank your site lower.
However, you shouldn’t let this happen to your project. You can engage web development and SEO experts to implement the correct redirect strategy and codes. This includes adding 301 and 302 redirects to divert users to the correct destination pages. Not only will this improve user experience but also your website’s SEO ranks.
5. DOM-Accessible Content
Making content accessible via the Document Object Model (DOM) is vital for SEO. The DOM represents the structure and content of a web page, allowing search engines to read JavaScript-based content. For SEO, ensure that essential content is accessible to search engines by leveraging the DOM effectively. JavaScript frameworks should be optimized for crawlability so that search engines can properly index the page content.
6. Mobile-Friendly Design
Another SEO basic element to include in your development project is mobile-friendly design. Google and other renowned search engines prefer and rank websites with mobile-friendly designs higher. To make websites mobile-friendly, you must incorporate great visual (UI) and UX elements into your development phase. In addition to this, your website or web project must adapt to numerous device’s screens.
Moreover, you should refine and give clarity to clickable elements. You should also enable seamless site navigation and eliminate intrusive pop-ups. When you are in the phase of project development, request the development agency to make your website mobile-friendly. This will automatically improve the UI/UX experience of users and enhance SEO rankings. Incorporating SEO from the Start
Incorporate SEO Basics in Your Project for The Best Results
It’s not that you can’t add SEO elements or strategies to your website after its creation. However, it is generally preferable to incorporate them during the web development phase. This way your website or web app is ready for higher SEO ranks in the SERP results. For this, you can get in touch with the best web development solutions company to get the best results for your project.
Read more: Why Should You Target Long-Tail Keywords in SEO?