Last Updated on May 22, 2023

Search Engine Optimisation means your content needs to be precise, targeted, and convincing. Just like your golf swing!

Summertime and the living is easy. Right? Yeah, no, me too. Work has definitely crept into my vacation time. Did I say crept? It was always there! Freelancers, you know what I mean. The day before leaving on a two-week stay in the Bavarian countryside I received two new projects. As I sat admiring a pristine lake and enjoying deer sausages with tiny mushrooms and a cold beer, a client called about their website. You know what I mean.

Our work haunts us. Not because we don’t like it, but because we’re like Danny Ocean – always checking the angles. Always looking for the next score. Why? Because we love what we do! We’re passionate. That’s why we’re so good at our job. You know it!

In a month the Fall semester begins, and teaching starts anew. Probably I will do one more SEO class and then start with a new topic. That’s the plan. I know SEO is important though. We can probably touch on some important aspects of that while we do a round of mini-golf together. Think of it as a reminder.

Sound like a plan? Let’s do it!

Hole One – the Windmill (nope. I always hit the blades)

Have you worked out a strategy to get more attention and links on the internet for your website?

Hole Two – the Ziggy Zaggy thing (easy peasy)

Is your website already indexed by Google (site:query)?

Have you submitted your website sitemap.xml to Google Search Console?

Hole Three – the Ramp (harder than it looks)

Do you have a search engine friendly information architecture and URL structure?

Are important subpages and home page well linked within your website?

Hole Four – the Net (impossible to hit. 7 strokes)

Is meta information such as the -tag and meta description optimally chosen for uniqueness, length, and keywords?

Do you use the HTML attributes under schema.org to semantically mark up your web content for search engines?

Hole Five – the Tunnel (when it fills with leaves you’re not going to make par)

Are you using text links for your navigation?

Are you using the appropriate keywords on your website frequently enough and in important HTML tags such as headings?

Hole Six – the Beaver (or other plastic woodland creature sitting there)

Do images on your website have a meaningful file name and description, and are they tagged with appropriate alt attributes?

Hole Seven – the Watertrap (you need to add some extra swing here)

Do you provide quality (unique) content and service offerings on your website?

Hole Eight – the Volcano Cone (HOW does the ball keep jumping out??)

Is your website optimized for use on mobile devices? (Just in case you forgot)

Hole Nine – the Swinging Thing (you don’t have this one?)

Are all links on your website functional? (Another kind of no brainer, but it doesn’t hurt to check)

Just nine holes today, but hey, we’re on vacation right? Search Engine Optimisation means your content needs to be precise, targeted, and convincing. Just like your golf swing! Have a great vacation!

Got a question? Have an SEO problem or tip? Drop me a line!

Further Reading

https://warrenlainenaida.net/tag/seo

With thanks to unsplash and Waldemar Brandt for the photo https://unsplash.com/@waldemarbrandt67w