[Infographic] Assembling the Puzzle of an SEO Website

Building a website with search engine optimization in mind can seem like a struggle. There are many disjointed parts that need to work together to create a cohesive experience. In addition to making a website user-friendly, you need to design it with SEO best practices in mind.

Here are some things to consider to assemble the puzzle of SEO:

1. Domain History

Getting a domain name is the first step in building a new website. However, you need to be careful if the domain name previously belonged to another website. If the former site had negative SEO, the domain history could impact your results in the future.

2. Avoid Duplicate

This is another issue that can seriously harm SEO efforts. Not only does duplicate content create a poor experience for visitors, but it also can be detected by search engines, which will penalize the site.

Site owners need to be vigilant to remove duplicate content.

3. Outbound Links

While it may not seem ideal to send users to another website, this can positively influence SEO because you are providing additional value for readers. Offering extra reading on the subject increases people's understanding of the topic.

It's important to use outbound links at the right time.

4. Update Content Regularly

Ensuring everything is up to date positively influences SEO results. Search engines crawl for new content. Even if you don't update your full site all the time, a news page or a blog provides search engine crawlers with new material to index.

5. Internal Links

Links can boost SEO results. Providers users with links to other related pages on the website where they can learn more.

6. Image Optimization

Graphic elements can have an impact on SEO as well. Even though search engines can't crawl images, ALT tags give Googlebots more information about the photo. Captions are a great place to include keywords, and descriptions positively impact search engine results. In addition to tags, image size makes a difference, according to Search Engine Watch.

Google prioritizes page loading speed, and larger images can slow it down. However, shrinking images down as much as possible will not positively influence search. Any graphics need to add to user experience, but it's important to keep page loading speeds in mind. Stock images will not help you rank either. Use unique photos whenever possible.

7. Keywords and Phrases

Keywords are one of the critical building blocks of SEO. Keyword usage has changed because Google constantly updates its algorithm. In the past, marketers loaded websites with keywords on one page.

However, it's important to keep in mind that you're writing content for real people, not to attract search engine's attention. Google will drop sites further down in the rankings for stuffing pages with repetitive keywords.

In addition, longtail search phrases are becoming more significant.

8. Building Relationships

Creating partnerships with other reputable websites can be mutually beneficial for SEO results. Referral links still make a difference for SEO, but the quality of the sites matters.

9. Mobile Friendliness

Mobile SEO is one of the biggest transitions marketers need to be aware of in 2015. Any new website must be designed with a quality mobile experience in mind to achieve a good ranking.

Many companies used to maintain a separate mobile site, but this can negatively impact page load speeds with a redirect. Not only do you need to provide for mobile users, but the wide range of devices means many people are utilizing different screen sizes.

Responsive design keeps the experience consistent for all visitors.

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