SEO Plan

This document outlines the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plan for the LEAD-UTexas.github.io website.

1. Keyword Research

  • Objective: Identify relevant keywords and phrases that potential visitors might use to find our website.
  • Action Items:
    • Brainstorm a list of primary and secondary keywords related to our research, publications, and group members.
    • Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to analyze keyword volume and competition.
    • Target long-tail keywords for more specific searches.

2. On-Page SEO

  • Objective: Optimize individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines.
  • Action Items:
    • Title Tags: Ensure each page has a unique and descriptive title tag (under 60 characters).
    • Meta Descriptions: Write compelling meta descriptions (under 160 characters) for each page to improve click-through rates.
    • Header Tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to structure content and highlight important topics.
    • Image Optimization: Optimize images by compressing them and using descriptive alt text.
    • Content: Create high-quality, original content that is relevant to our target audience.

3. Technical SEO

  • Objective: Improve the technical aspects of the website to help search engines crawl and index it more effectively.
  • Action Items:
    • Sitemap: Create and submit an XML sitemap to Google Search Console.
    • Robots.txt: Ensure the robots.txt file is correctly configured to allow search engines to crawl important pages.
    • Page Speed: Improve page load times by optimizing images, minifying CSS and JavaScript, and leveraging browser caching.
    • Mobile-Friendliness: Ensure the website is fully responsive and provides a good user experience on mobile devices.
    • SSL: The website is already using HTTPS, which is good for security and SEO.

4. Content Strategy

  • Objective: Create and distribute valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.
  • Action Items:
    • Blog/News: Regularly publish news articles, research updates, and other relevant content.
    • Publications: Keep the publications page up-to-date with the latest research.
    • Social Media: Share new content on social media platforms to increase visibility and drive traffic to the website.

5. Monitoring and Reporting

  • Objective: Track SEO performance and make data-driven decisions to improve results.
  • Action Items:
    • Google Analytics: Monitor website traffic, user behavior, and goal conversions.
    • Google Search Console: Track keyword rankings, click-through rates, and indexing status.
    • Regular Audits: Conduct regular SEO audits to identify and fix any issues.