What are title tags?

The title tag is an HTML element that specifies the title of a web page. It appears as the clickable headline in search engine results and is displayed in the browser tab.

Best Practices:

• Keep titles under 60 characters to avoid truncation in search results
• Include your primary keyword near the beginning
• Make each title unique across your website
• Be descriptive but concise
• Include your brand name (typically at the end, separated by a pipe | or dash -)

Housing Agent Analogy: The title tag is like the headline of your property listing. It's the first thing potential clients see and determines whether they'll click to learn more.

What are meta descriptions?

The meta description is an HTML attribute that provides a brief summary of a web page. It appears under the title in search engine results and acts as advertising copy that encourages users to click through to your site.

Best Practices:

• Keep descriptions between 150-160 characters
• Include relevant keywords naturally
• Make each description unique and compelling
• Include a call-to-action when appropriate
• Accurately summarize the page content

Housing Agent Analogy: The meta description is the quick sales pitch that convinces a client to choose your listing from many options. While not a direct ranking factor, a compelling description increases click-through rates, which can indirectly improve rankings.

HTML Heading Hierarchy:

• <h1> - Main page title(e.g., "Downtown Houston 2-Bedroom Apartments for Rent")
• <h2> - Major section headings(e.g., "Location and Neighborhood", "Amenities and Features")
• <h3> - Subsection headings(e.g., "Transportation Options", "Nearby Restaurants")
• <h4>-<h6> - Further subdivisions as needed

Best Practices:

• Use only one H1 tag per page (your main title)
• Structure headings in a logical hierarchy (don't skip levels)
• Include relevant keywords in headings where natural
• Keep headings descriptive but concise
• Use headings to break up text and improve readability

What is alt text?

Alt text is an HTML attribute added to image tags that describes the image. It serves multiple purposes:

• Helps screen readers describe images to visually impaired users
• Appears when images fail to load
• Helps search engines understand image content
• Provides another opportunity to include relevant keywords

Best Practices for Image SEO:

• Use descriptive file names (e.g., downtown-houston-apartment.jpg instead of IMG1234.jpg)
• Write descriptive alt text that includes relevant keywords naturally
• Optimize image size and format for fast loading
• Consider adding captions for important images
• Implement responsive images that work well on all devices

Benefits of Internal Linking:

• Helps search engines discover and index pages on your site
• Establishes information hierarchy
• Distributes page authority throughout your site
• Improves user navigation and increases time on site
• Provides context about the content on the linked page

Best Practices:

• Use descriptive anchor text (clickable text) that includes keywords relevant to the linked page
• Link to relevant, related content on your site
• Maintain a reasonable number of links (not too few, not too many)
• Ensure all links work (no broken links)
• Create a logical structure that helps users find related information

Housing Agent Analogy: Internal links are like the agent saying, "If you like this property, I also have another one nearby that might interest you." They keep clients engaged and help them discover more of what you offer.

Readability Best Practices:

• Use short paragraphs (3-4 sentences max)
• Include plenty of subheadings to break up text
• Utilize bullet points and numbered lists
• Incorporate relevant images, diagrams, or videos
• Use a clear, legible font size (at least 16px for body text)
• Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background
• Write in a conversational tone appropriate for your audience
• Use transitional phrases to guide readers through your content

Mobile Optimization Tips:

• Use a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes
• Keep paragraphs even shorter on mobile (1-2 sentences ideal)
• Ensure buttons and links are large enough to tap easily
• Avoid using pop-ups that obstruct content on mobile
• Test your pages on various mobile devices
• Compress images to reduce load time on mobile connections

Housing Agent Analogy: If a housing agent's property brochure is difficult to read, has tiny print, or is cluttered with too much information, clients will discard it. Similarly, users will leave websites that are hard to use, especially on mobile devices.