Those of you who keep a close eye on Google’s constant updates will already know that the search giant recently rolled out new algorithm changes that specifically focus on identifying what lies above the fold on your website, ie on the upper section of the page. We’ve put together a list of factors you need to bear in mind when optimising your site in accordance with this latest development to ensure you’re aware of the new requirements and are not inadvertently damaging your site’s SEO efforts.
Keep above the fold ads to a minimum. Though placing advertisements in prominent positions makes good marketing sense, placing too many block ads high up on the page instead of text makes it difficult for your potential customers to find the information they’re looking for. Google’s algorithm understands this and may penalise your site for its over-salesy approach.
Place this content in a prominent position. Do away with row upon row of ads and images and place as much text as possible above the fold. You may not want to add in a large piece of copy but be sure to introduce your readers to the concept of your business and what you can offer them in terms of products or services.
Write quality content. Putting together some interesting text for your page ticks so many boxes in Google’s eyes. Not only will your text to HTML ratio improve and your site will be re-indexed favourably, you’ll also effectively grab the attention of the human reader and encourage a warmer reception to your site and your business.
De-clutter your design. Make good use of white space and review your page’s design to reflect a cleaner, simpler look where possible.
Concentrate on improving the user experience. Matt Cutts, the renowned author of Google’s Webmaster Central blog, is famous for reiterating that site owners need to focus on delivering a great experience for the user if they are to consistently rank highly. In many cases, good SEO comes down to common sense – taking into consideration the needs and demands of your target audience and ew-designing your page to reflect these should ensure you achieve better rankings.
If you need to make any design adjustments after reading this tutorial, bear in mind that it may take Google’s search engine spiders several weeks to crawl through your updated page and assess your ranking positions to reflect your changes.
Tags: Content, design, web copywriting
