Boosting your Showit website’s performance on search engines doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. This comprehensive Showit Website SEO checklist covers the essential steps to optimize your site for visibility, usability, and success. Whether you’re just starting or refining an existing site, these actionable tips will guide you through the process.

You can click here to sign up to receive these steps in more detail and MORE here: FREE Showit Website SEO Checklist.

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1. Technical SEO

Check Site Speed

• Action: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to analyze loading speed. Optimize your site by:
  • Compressing images with tools like TinyPNG, resize them to 3500 px on the long edge. Showit does not currently support WebP as of the time this blog has been written!
  • Using system fonts or Google Fonts to limit custom font usage.
    
• Why: Faster-loading sites improve user experience and reduce bounce rates, which helps with search rankings.

Ensure Mobile Responsiveness

• Action: Test your site on different devices and screen sizes. Showit’s mobile editor allows you to fine-tune your design.
  
  • Match the order of elements in the mobile canvas, ensuring content flows logically. Ensure the element order in your mobile design is prioritized correctly. The content at the top of your canvas should appear at the bottom of your element order list in Showit. This is because Google reads elements in the reverse order they are listed, starting from the bottom. Properly arranging this ensures your most important content is read first by search engines.
    
• Why: Google uses mobile-first indexing, so a mobile-friendly site is crucial for better rankings.

Check Crawlability

• Action: Use Google Search Console to detect crawl errors, such as missing pages (404 errors) or duplicate content. Ensure all pages are indexable.
• Why: If search engines can’t crawl your site, it won’t appear in search results.

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2. On-Page SEO

Optimize Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

• Action:
  • Write descriptive, keyword-rich page titles (under 60 characters).
  • Craft meta descriptions (under 160 characters) that include target keywords and a call-to-action.
  • Example for photographers: “Wedding Photographer in Austin | Timeless Light & Airy” or your business name.
    
• Why: These elements help search engines and users understand your content while increasing click-through rates.

Use Header Tags Properly

• Action: Structure your content using H1 for titles, H2 for major sections, and H3 for sub-sections. Each page should have one descriptive H1 tag. Think of it like an essay! Title is H1, Heading is H2, Subheading is H3, Paragraph is P..etc.
  
• Why: Proper headers improve readability and signal content hierarchy to search engines.

Image Optimization

• Action:
  • Add keyword-rich alt text to all images to describe them for users and search engines.
  • Convert images to WebP format for faster loading.
  • Use descriptive file names like “custom-wedding-photography.jpg.”
• Why: Optimized images enhance accessibility, speed, and SEO.

Internal Linking

• Action: Connect related pages and blog posts with internal links. Use descriptive anchor text.
• Why: Internal links improve site navigation and distribute link equity.

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3. Content SEO

Conduct Keyword Research

• Action: Use tools like SEMrush or Google Keyword Planner to find relevant, long-tail keywords. Focus on one primary keyword per page.
  • Example: Instead of “photography,” use “best wedding photographer in Dallas.”
• Why: Long-tail keywords have lower competition and higher conversion rates.

Optimize Blog Posts

• Action:
  • Include primary keywords in the title, URL, and the first 100 words.
  • Naturally incorporate related keywords throughout the content.
  • Add multimedia (images, videos) and optimize with alt text.
    
• Why: Well-optimized posts rank higher and engage readers.

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4. Local SEO

Set Up Google My Business

• Action: Create and verify your Google My Business profile, ensuring accurate information like business name, address, and phone number (NAP). You do not need to show your address if you work from home.
• Why: Improves your visibility in local search results and Google Maps.

Use Local Keywords

• Action: Add city or regional keywords to your page titles, meta descriptions, and content.
• Why: Location-based keywords help your site rank for local searches.

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5. Off-Page SEO

Build Backlinks

• Action:
  • Collaborate with other bloggers or businesses to exchange guest posts.
  • Submit your site to niche directories.
  • Share blog content on social media.
• Why: Backlinks from authoritative sources improve domain authority and rankings.

Social Media Integration

• Action: Add social sharing buttons to blog posts and link your site to active social profiles.
• Why: Social signals increase visibility and traffic indirectly impacting SEO.

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6. Analytics & Monitoring

Set Up Google Analytics

• Action: Install the Google Analytics tracking code in your Showit site settings to monitor traffic and user behavior.
• Why: Provides valuable insights into what’s working and where to improve.

Use Google Search Console

• Action: Submit your site for indexing, monitor crawl errors, and track keyword performance.
• Why: Helps identify and resolve technical issues affecting your SEO.

Update Content Regularly

• Action: Refresh old blog posts with updated keywords, images, and links. Test site functionality frequently.
• Why: Updated content stays relevant and performs better in search results.

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Final Thoughts

SEO can seem daunting, but starting with the basics can significantly improve your Showit site’s visibility and performance. By focusing on speed, mobile responsiveness, proper tagging, and valuable content, you’ll position your website to rank higher and attract the right audience.

For professional results, consider consulting an SEO expert—but even these foundational steps can make a big difference. Start implementing this checklist today and watch your rankings improve!

Do you want help to improve your website’s SEO? I am happy to review your website and give you personalized action steps. Contact me here for a free consult!