Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization refers to optimizing a website in order to earn free, high-profile listings on search engine results pages. The listings achieved through SEO are called “organic search results.” While we cannot control much of what appears on the results pages, there are basic best practices that can improve site visibility.
Remember: It’s critical to strike a balance between SEO and usability in order to make a page readable and easily indexed.
Important SEO Elements
Title Tags
Most important element of on-page SEO
Every page must have a unique title tag
Browsers display this title at the top of the tab the page appears in
Your campus name should be included in your title
LBJ School core site title tag standards:
[Descriptive Page Name] | LBJ School of Public Affairs
Metadescriptions
Metadescriptions appear in the search engine results page
Metadescriptions explain the content on the page and should support marketing goals; i.e.,:
Contain primary keywords
Alt text allows you to specify alternative text for an image if it cannot be displayed or for use in text-to-speech browsers for the visually impaired
In addition to providing an accessible experience for the visually disabled, it can have a positive impact on SEO if it contains primary keywords
Header tags make text more scannable but are also a key component of accessibility—many text-to-speech browsers will focus on header tags first, rather than reading a page’s text in its entirety
The most important header tag is the Header 1. Only one H1 is allowed per page.
Think of the H1 as a headline and include keywords
Alt Text on Images
Alt text allows you to specify alternative text for an image if it cannot be displayed or for use in text-to-speech browsers for the visually impaired
In addition to providing an accessible experience for the visually disabled, it can have a positive impact on SEO if it contains primary keywords
Header Tags
Header tags make text more scannable but are also a key component of accessibility—many text-to-speech browsers will focus on header tags first, rather than reading a page’s text in its entirety
The most important header tag is the Header 1. Only one H1 is allowed per page.
Think of the H1 as a headline and include keywords