Understanding SEO Setup in Website Development: What to Expect and Clarify in Your Contract
Launching a new website is an exciting milestone for any business. However, ensuring that your site is optimized for search engines is equally crucial to attract and engage your target audience effectively. When working with web developers or designers, you might encounter various terminologies around SEO setup, which can sometimes be confusing. A common question is: what exactly does a typical SEO setup include in a website development contract?
Clarifying “Clean SEO Setup” in Contracts
Recently, a small business owner hired a web developer to create a Wix website. In the project proposal, one of the key deliverables was described as a “Clean SEO setup.” Upon inquiry, the developer indicated that this involved creating a single blog post, suggesting that this content alone constituted the complete SEO preparation. Such an explanation may lead to misunderstandings about industry standards.
What is Usually Included in SEO Setup?
In most cases, a comprehensive SEO setup goes beyond publishing a single blog post. It typically involves several foundational elements designed to enhance your website’s visibility in search engine results:
- Meta Titles and Descriptions: Crafting unique and keyword-optimized titles and descriptions for each page.
- Alt Text for Images: Providing descriptive alt text for images to improve accessibility and search relevance.
- Headings and Structure: Using proper heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to organize content clearly.
- URL Optimization: Creating clean, keyword-friendly URLs that are easy to read and index.
- Technical SEO Elements: Ensuring the website’s backend is optimized for crawlability, including sitemap creation and robots.txt configuration.
- Google Search Console and Analytics Setup: Submitting your site to Google Search Console and integrating analytics tools for ongoing performance insights.
- Keyword Research and Strategy: Identifying relevant keywords to target within your niche.
Is a Blog Post Equivalent to SEO Setup?
While publishing high-quality blog content is a vital part of content marketing and ongoing SEO efforts, it is generally not considered a standalone SEO setup. Instead, blog posts serve as ongoing content that benefits your SEO through targeted keywords and backlink opportunities. The initial setup, however, is more technical and strategic—laying the groundwork that allows your content to be discoverable and rank well.
Navigating Your Contract and Expectations
It is advisable to have a clear discussion with your developer or agency to understand what is included in the “SEO setup”