Insights

Search engine optimization is an important part of maximizing your site traffic to increase qualified leads for your nonprofit. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Page Title Keyword

The title tag is arguably the most important element for SEO. Use a target keyword for each page on your site and keep it short, 70 characters or less.

2. URL Keyword

Keep your most valuable keywords in mind and use them in the URL of your page, pushing them as close to the backslash as possible.

3. Meta Data Keyword

The page meta data is not as important as the page title keyword, but it should not be forgotten altogether. Although you may want to make it sound natural, don’t forget to keep it under 150 characters.

4. Header Text Keywords

These are things like the title of a blog article or the bold text at the top of a page. Search engines hone in on these and use them in combination with the page title to decide what your page is all about. Then, they index it accordingly.

5. Content Keywords

Research the most popular and relevant keywords, as they will reflect your nonprofit’s goals, vision, and values. This attracts visitors. There is some discussion on how many times to use them, with some experts saying as little as 4 times and others directing you to use them up to 12 times in your content. The bottom line is to write genuinely; if the keyword you chose truly fits your content, it will appear naturally several times.

6. ALT Image Text Keyword

Search engines can’t “see” your image, so by optimizing the ALT text, the information can be “read” to support your keyword ranking.

7. Add a CTA (Call-to-Action)

On a nonprofit website where you are directing visitors to some type of action (sponsorship, donation, volunteering), each of your pages should have at least one CTA above the page fold. These will create an internal link leading the reader to a landing page. As CTAs are often images, optimize the file name and ALT text for that page’s primary keyword.

8. Inbound Links

Google uses these links to rank you, so think QUALITY over QUANTITY when choosing them. Consider your online and offline relationships with other organizations, and try for a few high-value links from trusted industry leaders’ sites.

9. Create Relevant and Unique Content

Know the current trends so you are writing what your audience wants to hear at that time. Your content should be informative and inspirational; can a story encourage them to support your organization? Review your content for any errors before posting; grammatical errors certainly don’t help your cause! Aim for 600-800 words per page, and don’t neglect mobile readers, so format the content for ease of viewing.

10. Get Social

Blogging, both by you and others, can be an instrument of your strategy. Invite industry leaders and activists to contribute to your site; this can attract THEIR followers to become YOUR followers. Comment on other nonprofits’ blogs and ask to write one for them. Create new material and include links back to your site by using anchor text with your target keyword. When it comes to social media, nonprofits have many opportunities to share videos and photos, which are thought provoking and appeal to supporters’ compassion. You will build an audience by proving details of what your organization does.

These 10 suggestions will help you optimize your site (and your mission) for search engines. They work together to allow you to create a site full of great content which will be easy for viewers to find, navigate, and share!

About Digital Impact Agency

Digital Impact Agency is a creative firm specializing in interactive media and inbound marketing strategies for manufacturing and technology companies, professional service firms (architectural, engineering, construction, legal and consulting), nonprofits and enterprise companies. We are a team of innovative entrepreneurs focused on creating the most strategic and effective communication channels for our clients.