Communication
8 mins read
WRITTEN BY
Mate Tagaj
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a term that might sound scary at first. However, it’s actually a very simple idea that could contribute to a high ranking of your website on Google. You only need to follow a couple of easy SEO tips.
A high-ranking website on search engines like Google allows you to connect with a wider audience, raise more awareness of your mission, and ultimately magnify your impact.
Now, here’s the good news: effective SEO doesn’t have to be complex.
In this guide, we’re going to take you through 7 easy-to-implement SEO tips specifically designed for nonprofits who have never done any SEO-related tasks before.
1. Create Relevant, Engaging Content Consistently
Before you start worrying about schema markup, international SEO or orphan pages, you need to take a look at the content you are creating online.
At the heart of any successful nonprofit SEO strategy lies high-quality content. Algorithms are constantly changing, AI is disrupting everything, but there is one thing that will always hold true. Google loves websites that offer valuable, informative, and engaging content relevant to what users want online.
If you’re able to demonstrate that your content does just this, Google will reward you by putting your website at the very top of search listings.
Here are some key SEO tips on how you can create content that ticks all of these boxes:
Firstly, start by understanding who you want to reach. Are you targeting policymakers, journalists, member organisations, or potential donors?
Secondly, focus on creating content that addresses common needs and questions that your audience is searching for on Google.
Thirdly, use a free keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner or a reasonably priced and user friendly keyword research tools like the KWFinder of Mangools to find relevant keywords in your area with high search volume and low competition (these are the easiest keywords to rank for).
Next, start strategically incorporating the keywords you identified throughout your content. Just ensure that you optimise one page for one core keyword at a time. Avoid using lots of keywords at once (this is known as keyword stuffing), as it can negatively impact your rankings.
Last but not least, optimise your content for readability by breaking down big topics into digestible chunks using clear and concise language. Make use of subheadings & bullet points, and aim for short sentences and paragraphs for easier scannability.
2. Install & Actively Use an SEO Plugin
No matter the Content Management System (CMS) or technology your website is using, you must be able to update core SEO elements in the backend of your website where you are uploading your articles.
For example, on custom-built websites, developers usually build specific components that allow you to change the title tags and meta descriptions.
Whereas on a popular CMS like WordPress, there are several SEO plugins available, such as AIOSEO, Yoast SEO or RankMathSEO. These plugins allow you to optimise your content with built-in checklists offering concrete suggestions and even provide SEO analytics and technical SEO audit features.
Installing one on your site and consistently using it for each new page or post will make a massive difference.
3. Update Your Meta Tags, Description and Subheadings
If you want to make a quick change to your website that will make a big difference, you need to look into the meta tags, descriptions and subheadings on your pages.
These are crucial on-page SEO elements that influence how your website appears in search results. The best thing is that you can quickly go in and change them yourself in your CMS. Ideally, you should already have an SEO component implemented on your website by your developer, which will allow you to do this (see above).
Title Tag
Each page of your website should have a unique and descriptive title tag of around 50-60 characters. Include your target keyword naturally within the title while keeping it informative and attention-grabbing.
Meta description
Meta descriptions are short summaries (around 160 characters) displayed beneath your website title in search results. They should include your target keyword and entice users to click on your search results.
OG (Open Graph) Tags
Open Graph meta tags (also called og: tags) are small code snippets that control how the links of your posts and pages are displayed when shared on different social media channels. Usually, you should be able to modify these similarly to the core title tag and meta description, but specifically for Facebook and Twitter in the backend of your site.
ALT Tags
Also called alt text or alt descriptions, alt tag is the written copy that appears in place of an image on a page if the image fails to load or if someone uses a screen reader to access your content. Filling these in with descriptive text will not only make your site more accessible but optimising them with your core keyword can also improve web ranking.
Subheadings
Using keyword-optimised subheadings is one of the most underrated Search Engine Optimisation techniques to improve the readability of your content and give it an SEO boost. Not only will it make your content easier to skim through if you summarise certain sections with a short, descriptive subtitle, but it will even improve web ranking if you insert your core keyword into some of the subheadings.
4. Start Building Backlinks From Authoritative Sites
Backlinks are another really important part of your SEO strategy. In short, they are essentially links from other websites pointing back to yours. Google sees these links as a vote of confidence that your website is high-quality and credible.
Getting new backlinks to your website isn’t that difficult, either. Here are some of the ways you can get some:
Collaborate with partners: Reach out to other relevant stakeholders in your field and explore guest blogging opportunities or other ways of including your link on their website. This allows you to share your expertise on their platform while acquiring a valuable backlink.
PR outreach: Highlight your work and impact through press releases. Securing mentions and links from media outlets can significantly boost your backlink profile.
Social media engagement: While social media links don’t directly impact high ranking on Google, an active social media presence can attract more visitors to your website, potentially leading to more backlinks.
5. Optimise Your Website for Mobile and Fast Load Speed
60% of total web traffic comes from people on their phones, so it’s important that your website is as mobile-friendly as possible.
Besides being more user-friendly, mobile versions of websites are prioritised to rank high on Google. You should ensure your website is responsive and adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes.
Since Google prioritises user experience (UX) in its ranking factors, you should also optimise your website for fast loading times, clear navigation, and easy access to crucial information. As a result, this will contribute to a rewarding UX on your site.
Therefore, you probably want your pages to load as quickly as possible, but ideally under 2.5s each. However, if you are unsure how your pages perform regarding load speed, use GTMetrix or Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool to test them.
It should be noted that you do not need to aim for a perfect score. The general rule of thumb should always be to aim for a minimum of 70+ or C+ on any SEO-related score, but never for the highest. If you realise that some of your pages are significantly underperforming, make sure you reach out to your developer to fix the issues.
+2 Use Internal Linking and Schema Markup
Internal linking is where you link to different pages on your website within your content. This helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your website. Using internal links logically is an important ranking factor in their algorithms.
When writing content, link to relevant internal pages that provide further information or expand on specific topics. This keeps users engaged on your website and signals importance to search engines.
Another thing you can do is to add structured data or schema markup to your pages. These are modern versions of meta tags, including additional code snippets on your site that power Google’s rich results, not to mention that it also helps your discoverability by Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, Preplexity and more.
Appearing in rich results can contribute to a higher click-through rate (CTR) and, therefore, more traffic and higher ranking on Google. In fact, most SEO plugins allow you to add structured data markup to your pages in a user-friendly way. Investigate if this feature is available on your backend, and contact your developer if you don’t have it yet.
Kickstart Your SEO Strategy
Implementing these easy Search Engine Optimisation techniques consistently will gradually improve your website’s ranking and organic traffic over time. But, remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.
Regularly monitor your website’s analytics to track your progress and identify areas for further optimisation.
SEO Action Plan
Here’s a quick checklist of the top 10 SEO action points to get you started:
Identify 5-10 relevant keywords with high search volume and low competition for your organisation.
Review your existing website content and identify opportunities to optimise it with target keywords and improve readability.
Install an SEO plugin on your website (if applicable) or ask your developer to implement a related component in your backend
Create a content calendar and start publishing fresh content consistently
Write keyword-optimised meta tags and descriptions for your most important old and every new website posts and pages.
Test your website’s responsiveness and load speed and address any identified issues
Identify potential partners for guest blogging or collaboration opportunities.
Create an internal linking strategy for a better user experience, which can ultimately help you rank high on Google.
Add structured data markup on the key posts and pages where it makes sense
Use the free Google Search Console and (optionally) a paid SEO tool like Ahrefs or SEMRush to track new backlinks and the ranking of your pages and keywords.
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