Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a way of improving a page's rank in search results by the way website content is written.

Planning SEO-Friendly Web Content

Content should be high quality, relevant and fresh

Content on the page ideallyshould be at least 500 words in length

Choose one or two target keywords and phrases for each page. These are the words that you hope will lead to your page if someone types them into a search engine.

If you choose more than two target keywords, you risk diluting the strength of the content on the page. Instead, pick the most relevant keywords.

If you are trying to rank well for three to four keywords on a page, it may be an indicatorthe content is too broad and should bebroken up onto multiple pages so you can create page focus

Although search engine optimization is important, we want to write for our audiences and base optimization decisions on what's best for the visitors of our site.

Focusing too hard on specific tweaks to gain ranking in the organic results of search engines may not deliver the desired results. Search engine optimization is about putting our site's best foot forward when it comes to visibility in search engines, but ultimate site visitors and site users are the audience, not search engines.

Optimizing Our Pages for Search Engines

For the best ranking in search engines, consider the following.

Ensure target search phrases are included in page title and subheads

Ensure target search phrases are repeated within body copy. The recommendation for repetitionis three to 10 times depending on the amount of content, without over-doing it. Copy should always be reader-friendly.

Include a page summary that is no longer than 160 character and includes target phrases. This summary should give an overview of the subject or purpose of the page.

Add a summary by clicking the blue "Edit summary" link located directly above the body editor.

The meta description will pull from the page summary.Meta descriptions are important for conversions and to encourage people toclick-through to a page.

Use meaningful titles for pdfs, photos and other assets on the page

Other Search Engine Optimization (SEO)Considerations

Use internal links to other Pacific website pages to encourage deeper user engagement and aid in SEO

Use every opportunity to encourage inbound links, including newsreleases, articles, relevant blogs, web listings, etc.

Use Press/News for timely content. Press/News content has social media links which makes it sharable content.