SEO Best Practices for Big Brands

SEO for large websites with a multitude of pages, products and solutions is challenging. It’s difficult to properly target and manage thousands of keywords and queries.

Here are some best practices to implement to make sure you are not missing opportunities.

1. Content not keywords.

Consider behavior-based searches by taking a content-based approach to SEO rather than simply targeting keywords.

As Google & Bing get better at understanding semantic search and context, it’s crucial to understand the intent of your visitors and where they are in the process of visiting your site. Leverage conversational search and topics instead of keywords.

2. Use relevant page titles.

This is an important step that is often overlooked especially with large websites. One page title formula that works well is:

Product, Main Topic, Brand.
Aim to keep this at or under 70 characters. Google will often rewrite long or irrelevant titles.

3. Keep page descriptions unique and to the point.

If appropriate add a call to action like a phone number or mention a free trial. Reiterate the main point of the page. Page descriptions should be around 150 characters in length. If you’re focusing on mobile visitors your descriptions will need to be even more brief. Similar to page titles, if you write a good description, Google will be less likely to rewrite it. Keep in mind that compelling page titles and descriptions will most likely improve click-thru rates too. Use SEOMofo’s snippet optimizer to see what your page title and description actually look like.

4. Leverage heading tags.

Heading 1 tags may not be as influential as they once were, they’re still important. Headings tell Google and Bing what your page is about. They also may improve UX. There’s room for improvement here.

5. Group pages and content by business unit or product and guide visitors through to the next step.

This approach circles back to thinking in terms of topics not keywords. Stay away from microsites which tend to create extra work and diminish domain authority and link equity.

6. Make use of rich snippet data.

Use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to monitor microdata. Rich snippets give the searcher more information about your site and can increase click-thru rates. Google supports rich snippets for these content types including: People, reviews, recipes, products, businesses and video content. When there is a lot of content, it’s critical that big brands use proper 301 redirects.

7. Use Sitemaps.

Make sure that Sitemaps are kept up to date. Sitemaps are especially important if a website has a large amount of pages that are not linked to or are difficult to find.

8. Have a plan.

Determining your brand’s methodology for adding & optimizing content to your website before doing any writing will save time, create efficiencies and ensure your content is SEO-friendly and appealing to your primary audience.

9. See the big picture.

While working on a large site, it’s important to take a step back and look at trends. Focusing too much on the details will keep you from having impact.