Improving your B12 3.0 website's Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving your website so it appears higher in search engine results. This article covers four key areas of an SEO strategy: 

• Website Content
• Website Structure & Technical SEO
• External SEO
• Measuring SEO Progress

Website Content

Content is the foundation of a strong SEO strategy. High-quality, informative, and relevant content helps search engines understand your website and connect you with the right visitors.

Identify your ideal customers 

Content is the foundation of a strong SEO strategy. High-quality, informative, and relevant content helps search engines understand your website and connect you with the right visitors.

• • Where are they located?
  • Why do they need your services? What problems do they face?
  • What other solutions or competitors are they considering?
  • What information are they searching for?
  • Are there common characteristics that help you write for their specific circumstances?

Include all services and products

Most people search for a specific service or product. Listing and describing everything your business offers makes it easier for potential customers to find you. Follow these best practices:

• • Create a unique webpage for each product or service you offer.
  • Include a detailed description of each offering.
  • Include value propositions and differentiators that set you apart from competitors.

Include the locations you serve

Search engines tailor results based on location. If you serve a specific geographic area, state this clearly on your website so search engines can include you in local results. If you serve multiple areas, consider creating separate pages for each. Follow these tips:

• • Create a dedicated page for each city, town, or neighborhood you serve, even without a physical office there. Include unique content tailored to each location.
  • Publish locally relevant content, such as blog posts, case studies, or guides that address local topics.
  • Feature local partners or collaborators to help build your audience.

Write about common questions and problems

SEO works by connecting your website to searches that are already happening. If potential customers don't know to search for your solution, SEO alone may not reach them. Writing content that answers common questions or addresses familiar problems helps expand your reach.

Blog posts and FAQ sections work well for this purpose. Create content that addresses each of the following search types:

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Expert Level SEO: Research specific keywords (common search terms)

Keywords are the terms people type into search engines. Including relevant keywords in your content helps search engines match your pages to relevant searches.

Follow these steps to research and apply keywords:

1. Brainstorm keywords relevant to your business using tools like Ubersuggest, SEMrush, ahrefs. KWFinder, WordStream, or SpyFu.

2. Choose the right keywords to target in your site content.

   • Look for keywords that are searched frequently but aren't highly competitive. These are easier to rank for, especially on a new website.

   • Common questions and known problems are good starting points.
   • Avoid broad keywords that are difficult to rank for. More specific terms (such as those that include a city name or a specialized service) can give you a competitive advantage.
3. Optimize each page to target one or two relevant keywords. Use your chosen keyword naturally in the main heading, page meta title, and throughout the page content.
4. Avoid keyword stuffing. Write detailed, meaningful content rather than repeating keywords out of context. Substantive content on a topic signals expertise to both visitors and search engines.

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Keep content fresh

Regular updates signal to search engines that your website is active. New content also gives visitors a reason to return.

• • Update outdated content with new information, including any changes to your business over time.

  • Add new pages and content regularly. Look for opportunities to expand your coverage of services, locations, or topics.

Website Structure & Technical SEO

How your website is structured affects how search engines crawl and rank it. This includes how pages link to each other, how headings are written, and how accessible and fast your site is.

Creating internal links

Internal links help both visitors and search engines navigate your website.

• Add your most important pages to your site's main navigation so they are easy to find.

  • Add a new navigation link for [page name] to 
    the header

     

• Link relevant pages together using descriptive anchor text (the clickable text in a hyperlink). More internal links pointing to a page can signal its importance to search engines. Internal links also improve user experience and keep visitors on your site longer. You can ask the AI Agent to add a hyperlink to a text.

  • Add a hyperlink to [text] in [section name] section 
    that links to [URL/ section name/ page name]

     

Main page headings (H1s) 

The H1 is the main heading on each webpage. It helps both users and search engines understand what a page is about—making it one of the most important on-page SEO elements.

On B12 websites, the H1 is automatically set from the Title field in each page's first Hero section, and B12 ensures only one H1 appears per page. Follow these best practices when writing H1s:

• • Include your primary keyword for the page.
  • Make it descriptive and specific.
  • Keep it concise; avoid keyword stuffing or unnecessary length.

Page meta titles and descriptions

Your meta title and meta description are the text that appears in search results for your page. They directly affect how often people click through to your site.

• • Keep meta titles under 60 characters and include your primary keyword.
  • Write a unique meta description under 160 characters that describes the page and encourages users to click.
  • Each page has its own metadata, including your home page.

Accessibility and page speed

Search engines favor accessible websites because they provide a better user experience. Page speed is also a direct ranking factor in Google's algorithm—slow pages increase bounce rates and hurt both SEO and conversions.

B12 includes built-in optimizations for both accessibility and page speed. The following are additional steps you can take on your own.

Screen reader accessibility

• • Add alternative text to all images.
  • Use descriptive link text that explains what the user will get, such as "Download our pricing guide."

Visual readability

• • Avoid busy background images, or use image filters to ensure text remains easy to read over them.
  • Use high-contrast text colors throughout your site. You can check contrast ratios using free tools like WebAim or colourcontrast.cc, then update your color palette in the Style section of your website. Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1.
  • Use clean, legible fonts that are optimized for all screen sizes.

Page speed

• • Avoid uploading large video files directly to your site. Use an external provider like YouTube or Vimeo instead.
  • B12 automatically resizes images to support page speed, but uploading appropriately sized images can improve performance further.
  • Be mindful of third-party integrations. Chat widgets, analytics scripts, social media embeds, and similar tools can slow page load times.

External SEO

Search engines consider factors outside your website when determining rankings. While some of these are outside your control, the following steps can help build your business's presence online.

Google Business Profile

For local businesses, creating a Google Business Profile is the most effective way to get found online. This free profile helps your business appear in Google Maps results and can lead to prominent placement on search results pages. Follow these steps to create your business listing, and be sure to link to your website in your profile.

Social Media

Social media does not directly affect search engine rankings, but it helps develop your brand and engage your audience. Social platforms also provide additional channels for content distribution and website traffic. Create profiles on the platforms most relevant to your audience, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and others.

Business Listings

Consistent contact information across the internet helps search engines confirm your business's legitimacy. This is especially important for local businesses.

NAP (Name, Address, and Phone number) consistency is critical; search engines use this data to verify your business details. Submit your business to online directories such as Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Mapquest, Yellow Pages, the Better Business Bureau, and the Chamber of Commerce. Services like Yext, Moz Local, or BrightLocal can automatically push your NAP to dozens of directories at once.

Backlinks

A backlink is a link from another website to yours. Backlinks from reputable websites signal credibility to search engines and are one of the most important ranking factors, though also one of the most difficult to influence directly. These tips can help you build backlinks over time:

• • Create unique, compelling content. Quality content is more likely to be shared and linked to by others.
  • Share your content on social media and in email campaigns to encourage others to link to it.
  • Reach out to industry partners or blogs and ask to be listed on their website. Sites that feature businesses in roundup lists are a good starting point.
  • Find and engage with an online community that can help you collaborate on mutually beneficial content and marketing.
  • Create co-branded content. A joint blog post with a partner can expand both of your audiences.
  • Create a partners page and exchange links with industry partners.

Measuring SEO Progress

Tracking your website's performance helps you understand what's working and where to improve.

B12 Website Analytics

B12 provides high-level performance metrics within your account. The analytics report updates weekly and shows trends on a rolling 30-day basis. Key SEO-related metrics include:

• • Organic search (under Traffic sources): Shows the percentage of visitors who arrived at your site from a search engine like Google, Bing, or Yahoo.
  • Top pages and blog posts: Shows which pages visitors first landed on, indicating which pages are performing best in search results.
  • B12 reports the number of visits and the percentage change compared to the previous 30-day period.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool that shows detailed information about your site's visibility in Google search results. It is one of the most useful SEO tools available. With Google Search Console, you can:

• • Request indexing of new pages or re-crawls of updated pages
  • Identify issues such as indexing errors, mobile usability problems, or broken links
  • View which keywords your site ranks for, how many people click your pages, and which pages perform best

You can add your website to Google Search Console by following these steps.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool that shows how people find and interact with your website. Use it to see which traffic comes from organic search, which pages get the most visits, how long visitors stay on each page, and where they leave. This data helps you identify what content is working, what needs improvement, and which keywords or landing pages are driving the most engaged visitors.

Copy your Google Tag, then ask the AI Agent to integrate it in your website.

Add Google Analytics with this ID: INSERT YOUR TAG ID

Expert SEO Tools

The following tools can assist with keyword research, rank tracking, backlink management, and more:

• Ahrefs – Tracks keyword rankings, audits sites, and uncovers backlink opportunities.

• BrightEdge – Delivers enterprise-level SEO tracking and content performance insights.

• Crayon – Tracks competitors’ digital activity, including website and SEO changes.

• KWFinder – Helps you discover low-competition keywords with high search volume.

• Moz Pro – Monitors rankings, audits sites, and helps improve domain authority.

• Screaming Frog – Crawls your site to identify technical SEO issues and on-page problems.

• SEMrush – Offers in-depth keyword tracking, competitor analysis, and site audits.

• SpyFu – Reveals competitor keywords, backlinks, and paid search strategies.

• Ubersuggest – Provides keyword ideas, SEO insights, and site performance metrics. 

• WordStream – Offers SEO and PPC recommendations with performance tracking tools.