This basic SEO backend checklist looks at a basic webpage (from the backend) and touches on the basic points that you need to fulfil for a search engine optimised webpage. One should note that webpages also need to be optimised from the frontend of your CMS for best results (read our basic frontend checklist here). This somewhat complex and time consuming task can be outsourced to the expert integrated web team here at the Webheads web agency.

Keyword Density
Firstly decide which word / term you are targeting. This has to align with the content of your webpage so that Google knows what search results to connect with it. So if your webpage content talks about an ice cream parlour based in Kensington, the term you may want to target could be ‘ice cream parlour Kensington’. With this decided, ensure that the text content that you have uploaded / written into the backed contains this term at least three to four times, but no more than five. While this step moreseo applies to frontend SEO, you have the chance to edit the copy and add or take away key words and terms as needed through the backend.

URL
Ensure that your page is given a custom URL that makes sense and is not too long. A URL that contains a long file path and numbers and characters can look like it has been automatically generated and therefore possibly unsafe. For example, which URL would you be more likely to click / tap on: ‘www.ice-cream-london.com/%22/pages=?1.6/kensigton_location_yes/launchhp2./’ or ‘www.ice-cream-london.com/ice-cream-parlour-kensington’? Not only does the latter URL example look safer and more appealing, but it also contains the term that you are targeting and therefore positively contributes to your SEO efforts.

Meta Title
The meta title is the title that displays on the SERP to let viewers know what your webpage and website contains. Again make sure that the word / term you are targeting is included in the meta title of this webpage. Use a SERP preview tool to ensure that the meta title is not too long for both desktop and mobile devices. To fit this criteria of the basic SEO backend checklist, you may have to adapt the title of your webpage slightly. Once it remains on topic, relevant to the page content and contains the word(s) / term being targeted; this is fine and adds to your overall SEO score for this page.

Meta Description
Like with the meta title above, the meta description section also needs to contain your chosen keyword or term that you are targeting. The meta description is what appears on the SERP just under the meta title. Therefore it must provide a very brief summary of the associated webpage. It also makes sense to use a SERP preview tool here so that this does not exceed the maximum display length for both desktop and mobile devices and thus have a negative impact on your SEO.

Image Properties
Your webpage should at least have one image adorning it. Make sure that the alt text for this image contains the keyword / term that you are targeting. Ideally the name of this image file can also contain the word(s) or term that you are targeting. This adds a sense of cohesion to your SEO efforts and leaves Google with no doubt as to what your content contains and is about. Do not neglect images when completing your basic SEO backend checklist.

Tags
Finally, do not forget to tag your webpage as appropriate with the words and terms associated it with it. This also helps Google to understand and categorise your content with a view to directing correct, quality traffic to it. So for your webpage dedicated to the ice cream parlour in Kensington, page tags may include ‘kensington ice cream’, ‘kensington ice cream parlour’, ‘ice cream parlour in kensington’, ‘west London ice cream parlour’ and more.

As you can see from above, to action correct SEO elements can be a time-consuming and tiring task; especially when you consider that this has to be done for each and every page of your website (and considering that this blog only showcases the more basic seo backend checklist). Remove this pain from your business and focus on what you really love doing instead. The Webheads team can help by implementing world-class SEO techniques and workings to turbocharge your web presence.