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