Happy New Year.  Its time to make those all important plans for the next 12 months(if they are not already done), before you do check out the below list of 25 questions you should ask yourself before deciding on your SEO strategy.

It’s time to be honest about your SEO. You may not want to hire an SEO professional but it is time you took stock of your own search engine optimisation and what direction you are heading in. Like any audit, you need to decide your websites strengths and weaknesses, what you already have and what you need to do. Answer the following 25 questions carefully and accurately. The information that comes out of this process will give you a comprehensive and independent assessment of your current SEO status.

25 may seem like a lot. Why not start today and aim to have them completed for the end of the week.  SEO is something that must be gotten to grips with. Take the first step and do your SEO audit. Start today.

A quirky way to introduce you to SEO tips & advice, from a slightly whacky Irish SEO to you.  Merry Christmas.

On the first day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me a talk on website usability

On the second day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 2 key word research tools (Google Keyword Tool & Wordtracker) and a talk on website usability

On the third day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases (SEO Tips), 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the fourth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the fifth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me the 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the sixth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the seventh day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the eight day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 8 great reports in analytics to analyse,  7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the ninth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me  9 great tips on creating a strong brand, 8 great reports in analytics to analyse,  7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the tenth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 10 tips for writing for the web,  9 great tips on creating a strong brand, 8 great reports in analytics to analyse,  7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the eleventh day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 11 great free online resources, 10 tips for writing for the web,  9 great tips on creating a strong brand, 8 great reports in analytics to analyse,  7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the twelfth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 12 tips to do my own SEO audit, 11 free online resources, 10 tips for writing for the web,  9 great tips on creating a strong brand, 8 great reports in analytics to analyse,  7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

On the first day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me a talk on website usability

On the second day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 2 key word research tools (Google Keyword Tool & Wordtracker) and a talk on website usability

On the third day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases (SEO Tips), 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the fourth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the fifth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me the 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the sixth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the seventh day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the eight day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 8 great reports in analytics to analyse,  7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the ninth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me  9 great tips on creating a strong brand, 8 great reports in analytics to analyse,  7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the tenth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 10 tips for writing for the web,  9 great tips on creating a strong brand, 8 great reports in analytics to analyse,  7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the eleventh day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 11 great free online resources, 10 tips for writing for the web,  9 great tips on creating a strong brand, 8 great reports in analytics to analyse,  7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

On the twelfth day of Christmas my SEO guru gave to me 12 tips to do my own SEO audit, 11 free online resources, 10 tips for writing for the web,  9 great tips on creating a strong brand, 8 great reports in analytics to analyse,  7 tips for writing good meta data,  6 ways to increase my link popularity, 5 steps for acquiring customers online , 4 ways to optimise my meta data, 3 key areas on my website to add my key phrases, 2 key word research tools and a talk on website usability

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Do you have a website and unsure what search engine optimisation has been completed on it?  Well, here is a list of 12 questions which will enable you to complete your own search engine optimisation audit. If you answer no to any of the below questions you have just identified an area you need to address to ensure your website is well optimised:

1. Did you or your developer choose key phrases for each page? It is ideal starting out to choose 2 or 3 key phrases for each page, this will allow you to optimise for many different phrase or variations of the same phrase throughout the site and maximise your impact in the search engines and have all pages as a possible entry page.
2. When choosing your key phrases did you use a keyword tool like Google’s Keyword Tool or was it guess work?  Why not target terms that you know people search for online.
3. Are the key phrases repeated in the content two or more times? It is important that your phrases are repeated sufficiently to ensure that Google can easily identify them.
4. Are you including your key phrases in headings?  Headings are an important area and to ensure that your are complying with accessibility guidelines, they should be tagged h1-h6 (you can see the tags in the sourse code of your website)
5. Do you include, where possible, your key phrases in your page names and url’s?
6. If you have a deep website, are you using breadcrumb navigation, sample can be seen here - see the navigation at the top Home > Search Engine Optimisation > SEO Packages. This allows users retrace their steps, but it is also another way to get your key phrases on the page if you pages names include them.
7. Is your meta data individual to each page and contain the phrases specific to that page? Consistency is the key.
8. Does your meta data include a title, keywords and description? Some say that this makes little difference but in my experience it does. Also, search engines like Google uses it to make up part of your listing and when you create links in sites like Facebook, they pull in the meta data information to make up the link information.
9. Is your website up to date?  Google likes websites that are user friendly and you cannot get more user friendly than having an up to date website.
10. Does your website contain timely information? Again, Google loves user friendly websites and what’s more user friendly than information that talks about whats happening today and in the future.
11. Does your website have lots of inbound links from relevant high ranking websites and are you including your key phrases for the landing page on or around the link? If not, why not? If you are listed on relevant sites then the links will drive visitors to your website and if the key phrase is included Google will see it and it will help with your ranking for that particular phrase.
12. Are you active online e.g. using Social & Business Networking websites.  This blog is only 3 weeks old and its already getting a high ranking in Google for chosen search terms through other networking sites.

Still confused, check out our search engine optimisation packages.

Happy auditing