1) Write Meta title (SEO title) and Meta description: Aim to catch people's attention to get more clicks from search results.Example:
Title: "Discover Exciting Programs at York University"
Description: "Explore diverse programs at York University and start shaping your future today."
2) Make the Most of Yoast SEO: Use the Yoast SEO section to optimize your content
Example: Follow its recommendations to optimize Meta title, Meta descriptions and Focus keyphrase for SEO.
3) Link Wisely Inside and Outside Your Site: Share useful links within your site and to trusted sources or other York University websites to boost credibility.
Example: Link to relevant articles within your sub-website to provide additional information to readers. Include outbound links to reputable sources to support your content.
4) Make Your Pictures Load Quickly and Use Descriptive Picture Names: Optimize images on your website so they load fast and look great, helping to keep visitors engaged. It is recommended you follow the image sizes outlined in the module library
Example: Compress images using tools like TinyPNG or Canva to reduce file size without compromising quality. Use descriptive filenames and alt text for images (e.g. "york-university-campus.jpg" with alt text "York University Markham campus").
5) Organize Your Website So It's Easy to Navigate: Structure your website logically so visitors can find what they need quickly and search engines can understand it better. Refer to our Sitemap Strategy for more information and guidance.
Example: Use clear categories and subcategories to organize content on your sub-website. Include a user-friendly navigation menu with dropdowns for easy access to different sections.
6) Create Groups of Related Content: Organize your content into clusters around specific topics to show your expertise and make it easier for visitors to explore. This includes tagging your pages and posts for increased searchability. See the tagging and taxonomy page for more details.
Example: Create a "Student Resources" section on your sub-website with articles, guides, and FAQs related to student life, academic support and campus facilities.
7) Answer Common Questions Right on Your Pages: Consider to add FAQs to your content to address common queries and show up more often in search results.
Example: Include an FAQ section on your admission page with questions like "How do I apply to York University?" and "What are the admission requirements?"
8) Clean Up or Update Old, Outdated Pages: Remove or refresh outdated pages to keep your website fresh and relevant.
Example: Delete old event pages or news articles that are no longer relevant. Update course descriptions with current information and requirements.
9) Find and Improve Your Old Content: Update older content with new information and keywords to make it more useful and visible to search engines. If you notice one of your webpage dropping in search rankings because it hasn't been updated lately, just adding new content can boost its ranking again.
Example: Review and update blog posts with new statistics, research findings, or case studies. Optimize old articles with relevant keywords and internal links.
10) Optimize Page Titles and Headings: Ensure that each page has a unique and descriptive title tag and use appropriate headings (H1, H2, etc.) to structure content logically for both users and search engines.
Example: Title Tag: "York University - Programs and Degrees" Heading (H1): "Undergraduate Programs" Subheading (H2): "Bachelor of Science in Computer Science"
Make sure that heading are structured properly and that main keywords are added (where applicable) to increase search likelihood.
11) Fix Broken Links: Regularly check your website for broken links and fix them promptly.
Example: Identify broken links on your website and update them with the correct URLs or delete it if it's no longer valid.