The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article:
June 2009, Volume 8, Issue 6

Key SEO Elements of a Successful Homepage

By Victoria Ialynytchev, Search Marketing Analyst, iProspect

The homepage of your website is the gateway to your content. It should address "who you are" and "what you do," but it should also help you build brand authority, attract visitors, and increase page visits. In order to accomplish these goals, search engine optimization (SEO) must be a key element of the homepage.

Understanding the value
A well optimized homepage has considerable benefits. To start, it will help the search engines associate it with users' queries. After all, your potential customers might not be familiar with your brand, so in order to assist them in finding your site, you need to optimize your homepage for the language they might use. In addition, it can lead to higher rankings in the search results, and thereby drive more traffic. Lastly, it can help users realize that they have found what they are looking for because their query terms prominently appear on the page.

Making it happen
To help make your homepage a success, incorporate the below SEO elements:

Design: A website needs to be high quality, functional, and professional-looking, and yourhomepage design should be consistent and harmonious with the rest of the site. Use the white space wisely - in many cases, less is more. In addition, clear informational structure is essential; be sure to highlight important sections of the site.

Theme: Reduce page clutter created by excessive design elements, and do not overcrowd it with internal links. Keep the themeof the page consistent by optimizing it for the most relevant keyword as you want your visitor to remain focused on one thing at a time. This way, it will be easier to direct your visitor to where you want them to go on your site.

Navigation: Make sure the site's navigation is efficient, clear, has mutually exclusive categories, and is located in the same place throughout the site. Navigation that is easy to understand will keep visitors engaged and help them quickly find what they are looking for. Be sure to include "breadcrumb trails" to ease navigation throughout the site.

Page Length: Find the right length for the page - long enough to cover the essentials, yet short enough to exclude distracting details. Repeat the keyword phrase once per 40 words of content in the first couple paragraphs.

Images: All images should correlate with a page's content and contain the assigned keyword phrase in its ALT attribute. However, don't place too much emphasis on a big image on the homepage as it will take up valuable space and push navigation elements below the fold. Instead, keep the important information and calls-to-action above the fold, and make sure interactive elements are easily recognizable.

While there are many factors that contribute to a successful homepage, SEO plays a key role. Smart marketers will ensure that their homepage is well optimized to reap all the benefits it can provide.

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The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article: June 2009, Volume 8, Issue 6

Key SEO Elements of a Successful Homepage

The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article:
June 2009, Volume 8, Issue 6