A website's organic visibility hinges on effective search engine optimisation (SEO). Given the fierce competition for the top spots on search result pages, it is crucial to use a system that supports organic SEO. DNN is designed with a multitude of features to help users optimise their websites efficiently. Some features, like the sitemap generator, automatically enhance a site's visibility by adding new pages to the sitemap upon publication. Others require a more hands-on approach and deeper understanding to be effective.
One of the most valuable skills a website owner can acquire is the coordination of SEO efforts throughout a page, ensuring search engines receive a consistent and clear message reinforced through custom meta-data, well-crafted text, and properly labelled images.
For example, if you want your page to appear in search results for the query, “How to optimise a DNN website for SEO,” you need to ensure that search engines find the page relevant. Only then will they consider ranking it in search results. Therefore, optimising a DNN website for SEO involves two main steps: establishing relevance and ensuring the page outranks the competition.
Step One: Establishing Relevance
First, all website content, including blog posts and news articles, must be relevant to the site's main topic. For instance, on a DNN website for a painting and decorating business, an article about paint viscosity is likely to perform well. Avoid trying to ride on unrelated trending topics; a piece on a sports event or a celebrity Twitter feud won't enhance visibility for a painting and decorating site.
Give your page a clear, descriptive title and reinforce this by including it in the main heading and meta-data. Add the page to your site's sitemap – DNN’s automatic sitemap generator handles this seamlessly if configured correctly. Sitemaps help search engines navigate your site and find content, which is essential for evaluating relevance.
Step Two: Outranking the Competition
Use clear headings and sub-headings that complement your targeted keywords or phrases. Headings not only improve readability for users but also signal to search engines that your content is detailed and informative, making it more valuable than competing pages.
Include images and properly label them. Captions aid user understanding, while alt-tags are crucial for search engines to recognise and index the images. An image without an alt-tag is virtually invisible to search engines and adds little to SEO value.
Step Three: Technical SEO Advice
Effective SEO requires attention to several technical details, regardless of the platform. Fortunately, DNN simplifies many of these tasks. Key built-in SEO features include URL redirects to inform search engines of moved content, an automatic XML sitemap generator, easy-to-edit meta-data, and custom header fields for adding Open Graph tags and Canonical URLs.
DNN websites with BBI Brandboost
DNN is an outstanding content management system for organic SEO, providing all the necessary tools for website developers, designers, owners, and admins to boost their online presence. However, having the right tools is only half the battle; knowing how to use them effectively is essential.
At BBI Brandboost we are vastly experienced and highly skilled at working on DNN websites. If you want to improve your DNN website's visibility in search results, or have any other website issues, please contact us.