Fixing HTML Markup for Organic Search
When a company creates a website, they may not be aware of the role HTML (HyperText Markup Language) plays in getting their site noticed.
- Organizing your page using hierarchical headings like H1, H2, and H3 tags helps users navigate your content in both display and ability to search.
- For troubleshooting search performance, the first item on your SEO checklist should be checking the site’s markup.
A large membership website had been migrated from a commercial to an open source Content Management System (CMS). After the migration, the pages and posts were stripped of their H1 tags without them being flagged.
When reviewing this website, I noticed the absence of H1 tags on all pages and posts. Fortunately, there were great developer resources available, and a fix was put in place programatically.
Here’s a breakdown of the project:
- Development Team
Encoded page and post titles as H1; pushed changes live in under two weeks. - My Part
Created Web Publishing Guide emphasizing the importance of H2 tags, and trained content creators. - Outcome
14% improvement in Organic Search one month after H1 and H2 tags correctly encoded.