Content Best Practices for SEO

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is impacted by the structure and content of a webpage. Search engines and website users will utilize the page content in different ways and contexts. It is important to balance writing for search engines with writing for actual users. Packing a page full of keywords to please a search engine will render the content completely unreadable by a human.

Webpage titles (also called title tag or meta title) are like a headline of the webpage. These inform users what the webpage is about. Titles also signal to search engines what the page topic is and how relevant it may be to search queries.

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when writing page titles:

Include relevant keywords and integrate them naturally. This helps search engines understand the content on the page.
Prioritize the primary keyword at the start of the title.
Avoid cramming in too many keywords. Focus on those that are most important and make sure the title reads naturally.
Keep titles concise, informative and free of unnecessary words. Most search engines display around 50 to 60 characters in search results.
Optimize for mobile. Ensure the title remains clear and readable on small screens.
Include the brand name to leverage the benefits of an established brand like Michigan State University, but prioritize clear titles over cramming in extra terms if the brand is not needed.

Best practices for images, in terms of SEO:

Use relevant images to break up text, provide visual appeal and improve user engagement.
Optimize image file sizes using a tool like ImageOptim, as websites typically do not need to use an image’s highest resolution or original size. Modifying file sizes can help improve page load times, which are a factor in SEO rankings. See the image guidelines for the particular content management system, such as SitecoreAI, for more information.
Include descriptive alt text for images. This is a necessity for accessibility purposes. Alt text fields also provide an opportunity to use keywords for SEO benefits, but do not pack alt text with keywords to the detriment of the user experience.

Additional Resources

Documentation updated: May 2, 2024

Meta descriptions appear in search engine results pages as teasers describing the content on the page. Content authors can think of it as a short advertisement trying to grab the user’s attention to get them to click on a link in the search results. Meta descriptions can also inform search engines on how to display a webpage snippet for the website.

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when writing meta descriptions:

Focus on benefits. Don’t just summarize the content. Note key benefits or takeaways from the webpage.
Include action verbs and persuasive language to encourage clicks (e.g., learn, discover, download, get started).
Keep descriptions concise. Displays are typically limited to 155 to 160 characters.
Include target keywords while maintaining readability.
Write with users in mind. Use clear, natural language.
Avoid a generic description. Write a unique meta description for every page.

Header tags, or heading tags, provide hierarchical structure to the content on a webpage. This makes content easier to scan and helps search engines understand the relative importance of content on the page.

The main headline is an H1 tag. Subheadings breaking the content into sections are H2. Further subheadings within the sections are H3, and so on.

Here are some best practices for writing header tags:

Keep header tags clear, concise and readable.
Include relevant keywords that reflect the content in the section below.
Maintain a logical hierarchy. Use a smooth flow from H1 to H2 to H3 and so on.
Use the established header formatting options in the content management system to add header styling. This applies the header tags to the text and provides signals to search engines and screen readers about the structure of the content.

Keywords are the search terms a user might enter in a search engine like Google or Bing. By identifying keywords relevant to the content and the target audience through keyword research and then integrating these keywords naturally into the content, users can increase the chances a webpage will rank in search results for the user.

Here are some best practices for integrating keywords into content:

Use a targeted strategy for which keywords you’ll emphasize. Focus on primary keywords, integrate them naturally and keep things readable.
Place keywords strategically. Use keywords in the page title (title tag), meta description, H1 tag (main heading) and organically throughout the body copy.
Structure content using H1 to H6 header tags. Include relevant keywords in these headings to signal content hierarchy to search engines.
Focus on the user’s search intent. Tailor content and keywords to answer their needs.
Choose quality over quantity. Create high-quality, informative content that provides value to users. Don’t stuff it full of keywords so that it’s hard to understand. This can negatively impact SEO performance.

Search engines tend to emphasize websites that provide a good user experience and are easy to read.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind while writing content for a webpage:

Use short paragraphs. Long blocks of text should be broken into smaller paragraphs to enhance readability. For an optimal user experience, aim for paragraphs that are three to four sentences in length.
Use bullet points and numbered lists to make content easy to scan. If the list is sequential, use numbers. Use the numbered or bulleted list formatting option in the content management system to ensure that search engines and screen readers properly interpret the content as a list.

Backlinks are links from another website that direct back to the website. These are most beneficial when the backlink comes from a reputable website. These signal to search engines that the content on the website might also be reputable.

Internal links are links to other pages within the same website. These can be used to encourage discoverability of content by users of the website.

Here are some best practices related to link-building strategies:

Use strategic links to other pages within the same website to aid with website navigation and content discoverability.
If the page uses anchor links (to link to another section of the same webpage), be sure the text in the link is relevant to the page. Ideally, try to include a keyword in the link. The anchor link should provide the user with context.
Build relationships with other units on campus and share information about potentially relevant content. Provide backlinks to other unit websites when it is a natural fit for the website. Rather than duplicate content, point to where it exists as a single source of truth. If another MSU site ranks well for a keyword, consider if your unit’s website should be competing for that term or if deferring to their content makes more sense. As Spartans, we are all on the same team!

Best practices for video, in terms of SEO:

Use videos relevant to the content on the webpage.
For videos embedded on a webpage (e.g., from YouTube), fill out all video metadata fields on the host site, too.
Include captions and transcripts, as appropriate. This is a necessity for accessibility purposes, but it also provides more text for search engines to crawl and index.

A high percentage of searches happen on a mobile device. Be sure the website design is responsive and mobile-friendly.

Michigan State University advocates for mobile-first website design. This means website creators start with the mobile experience in mind. For more information, see Mobile-First Design in the "MSU Web Standards."

Content Best Practices for SEO

Writing for SEO

Tips for Content Authors

Designing for SEO

Tips for Website Designers

Additional Resources

SEO Basic Principles

Strategy and Keyword Research

Technical Factors Affecting SEO

MSU Research: What Makes a Good Headline?