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3.6 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

  • Search Engine Optimization is about trying to make a site or page appear high on a list of search results by providing accurate and appropriate information to search engines about the webpage.
  • Search engines crawl a website and index all the content they find, then companies like Google or Bing use complex algorithms to determine order in which a webpage is displayed on a search engine results page (SERP).

What are Search Engines Looking For?

  • Content: the text on the page, the titles, and the descriptions.
  • Performance: How fast is the website and is it functioning properly?
  • Authority: Is site content good enough to link to by other sites, do other websites reference the content?
  • User Experience: How does the site look, is navigation easy, is it safe, do folks come to one page and then leave?
  • Mobile: Is the page viewable on mobile devices?

Want to Learn More?

There are hundreds, if not thousands of resources for writing on the web; some are good and some are not so good. If you want to learn more, search the web for Search Engine Optimization and discover a multitude of ways to improve and enhance web content.

Some great resources are:

What a Web Content Coordinator Can Do

  • Title: Provide unique title tags that accurately describe the content on the webpage.

    • Optimal format: Primary keyword – Secondary keyword | 91ÁÔÆæ

    • Optimal Length: 55 characters, try not to exceed 75

    • The "-" and "|" are okay from an accessibility standpoint. Screen readers will read "-" as dash, and "|" as vertical bar.

    • For more details visit the

  • Description: Provide a unique short, but informative description of the content on the webpage. Think of this as advertising for a webpage on search engine result pages. Keep the description between 150-160 characters, if it is too long the search engines won't include all of it on the results page.
  • Header: The header gets the heading 1 tag and is heavily weighted by search engines. Headings should accurately describe the content on the webpage.
  • Ensure that the content is accurate and unique. Write original content, check sources to make sure the content is accurate. 
  • Review your content at least twice a semester. Websites that retain their audiences require fresh content. Your unit should develop a schedule for updating content, including photographs.