The meta tags (particularly the meta description) are a special part of the code on your site which provides a hint to search engine bots as to what each page is all about. It does not affect the way your page displays – it’s just there to help the search engines begin to categorise and analyse your site effectively. The meta tags must tie in logically with the titles and page content.

Site architecture is the layout of the site, from the home pages right through to the deepest inner pages. You can think of it like a family tree diagram, with the home page at the roots. Indeed, if you built your site from scratch recently you probably drew up a plan which represents the site architecture. If there are problems with the site architecture – especially if it is too complicated or if it goes too deep, we will fix this. Fixing site architecture often leads to a better user experience too, which can have a positive effect on conversions.

The robots.txt is a very simple text file that you can add to guide search engines away from parts of your site that you do not want to be indexed for strategic reasons. We can help ensure that this file is well designed and effective.

The XML site map is the search engines’ ‘quick guide’ to the layout and organisation of your website. Again, it does not affect the way your site looks, but it does help guide the way that a search engine begins to crawl your site.

‘Ease-of-use’ is an aspect of user experience. When we look at optimising the ease of use, we look at how easy it is for the user to find the information or products they need on your site. We also look at how your site meets current search engine standards for clear and easy layout.

Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics provide rich insight into the activity on and around your website, from the search terms that people are entering to find your site, to how much time they’re spending on each page. It’s important to have these set up accurately so you can make the most of the information they can provide. We’ll ensure your analytics are configured correctly for reporting purposes as well.