After all the time and work it takes to get a website set up and looking professional, it can be daunting to think about actually filling it with information and content. You may have seen the beautiful design of a single page website and immediately wanted one just like it.
For your website to be outstanding, make a difference, and get responses from search engines like Google, you will need to implement SEO (or Search Engine Optimization) as well as a strong digital marketing strategy. People need to find your website.
If you have a single page site, it’s important to note that there is an SEO difference between multi-page websites versus one-page websites. So what is the difference, and what are the pros and cons of single page sites versus multi-page sites for website SEO? Firstly it’s important to explore the background of SEO and how it works.
How SEO Works
SEO is a strategy used to optimize a website’s results on a search engine. In understanding the algorithms used by various search engines, like Google, you can use tactics to help your content rank higher in the search results.
Since most people only look at one page of search results, you need your content to appear on the first page if you want to attract your target audience. There are various aspects that are good or bad for SEO, and it’s important to know what they are so you can avoid or incorporate them.
Some aspects that a search engine looks for in a website to determine the rank of the result are:
- How much time it takes for it to load
- How responsive it is for both mobile and desktop users
- How many internal and external links exist to your site.
These are all things that you can optimize, or improve, so your web page ranks better and higher on Google (or Yahoo, or Bing).
How Many Pages Should A Website Have For SEO?
There isn’t one rule here about how many pages are needed for SEO. However, generally speaking, the more, the better. This leans towards multi-page websites. You should generally strive for at least 5-10 pages for multi-page website SEO, depending on your business type and size. Remember, Google wants to give people the information they are looking for.
The more information you have available on your site, on multiple pages, the better. You might be able to add more pages by having a different one for each service you offer and include testimonials, photos, and current events or news.
However, quality is vital. This means if you have 30 pages on your website but cannot properly maintain and update them, this is not as good as 5-10 maintained, carefully crafted, and targeted pages.
What Do You Call A One-Page Website?
You might hear many terms: a one-pager or a single page site. These are websites where all the content lives on one single page. Recently, these designs have become increasingly popular and can be very visually appealing.
Single page websites require more in-depth information for SEO to be successful.
Are One Page Websites Good For SEO?
Single page websites are less than reputable in the SEO world because they can be more challenging to optimize. People want a great website with an easy-to-follow design where they can find all the information they need and easily navigate the site. More pages may mean information is readily accessible; nevertheless, this can be achieved with a single page site.
To compare page website SEO on single page sites versus multi-page sites, we will take a few of the factors that a search engine looks for to rank your page, for example, page speed. Generally, single page sites have a sleek, modern, and aesthetically pleasant design.
When all the content appears on one page and loads as you scroll down, this can increase your loading time and negatively affect both your user experience and your SEO ranking. Therefore, if you have a one-page site, you’ll need to optimize its speed to increase your ranking.
Search engines also take a look at your headlines, content, and the structure of the page, so your page content should be informative and easy to read. People want to find the information they’re looking for the fastest, best, and easiest way possible. It would be best if you also defined keywords to improve SEO.
Keywords are frequent words or expressions searched for by users who are looking for information on your topic. So, generally, before you write SEO-friendly content, you need to identify the focus keyword/s. Therefore, if you have a single-page website, it is more important to optimize that one page with your keywords, as your content is reduced. On multiple page websites, the various keywords can be used throughout the different pages.
Usually, a single-page website is centered around one topic, so your single page SEO should focus on a smaller, more specific set of keywords. The place you put them is important as well; they should appear in your headlines, URL, and the meta description of your page to increase your ranking.
Additionally, the overall design and aesthetics for one-pagers should be pleasing to your users and encouraging them to stay longer on your site.
A single page site should be organized into sections, similar to a multi-page site. For example, you can have different clearly defined sections for each topic you’re going to discuss. Within each section, organize your content into divs, which is an HTML tag used to define a division in the text. Each div should have a keyword-appropriate ID that the search engine will scan to increase rankings.
Keywords are also crucial in headings. Normally, experts from SEO agencies advise against more than one h1 per page because h1 tags are used as a title, and each page only requires one. However, a single-page website might need to use more than one h1 tag.
This enables you to incorporate your keywords in a readable, user-friendly way, as well as maximize your SEO, as it turns each section or topic into its own “page.”
You can also use your keywords within a menu bar. Google (and other search engines) prefer anchor links. This can be incorporated using a navigation or menu bar, where each link helps the reader find a specific section. This is similar to a regular site having pages for “about,” “products,” or “contact us” with a name, email address, etc. You can make good use of your anchor links if you take a keyword and incorporate it within your anchor links.
Google also likes to see fresh content. So a single page website that was written two years ago and never edited or added will be unlikely to rank as well as a one-page website that is often updated or a one-page website with new regular content.
Single page websites that only have one-page website SEO can be a challenge to continue adding fresh content. However, single page websites do depend on regular updates and fresh content to keep them relevant.
This will also help your marketing, as it gives you more content to share for your website’s promotion.
Links are necessary for any successful website, including single page websites. It will help if you utilize both external and internal links. When you get a link on your website to point to another page or area, this is an internal link. When someone else (on a different blog or site) includes a link to your website, this is an external link.
You may be limited with how many links you can include on a single page website. Nevertheless, it’s important that you work on link building, i.e., increasing the number of existing links to your page. Depending on your industry, one of the best ways to do this is through guest blogs or reviews that link back to your website while avoiding creating spam by linking your website everywhere.
Building quality links to your content is good for your one-page website SEO. Successful single page websites use this tactic to increase their page authority to get more visitors to their site. This can be used alongside your digital marketing strategy, allowing users to easily link your content to their social media with accessible sharing options.
How Can I Do SEO For A Single Page?
SEO is definitely possible for a single page website. The following tips will help to optimize your SEO:
- Divide into sections: Focus on one topic per section on your page, using a keyword-specific div ID for each of them.
- Make your website user-friendly: Reduce the amount of time it takes for your page to load, and check if it’s mobile-friendly to ensure people enjoy your site and spend more time browsing.
- Get enough links: In addition to including internal links to different areas on your page, combine your marketing strategy with your SEO by building quality links to your website.
- Choose your keywords carefully: A single page website is unable to focus on many keywords at once. Choose a few keywords, and use them naturally within your URL, headlines, and meta description.
This article may help you learn the best way to incorporate SEO for your one-page website. Single page websites can be modern and effective, and there you can get to improve your rankings with the right knowledge and effort. You should like the results.