7 SEO Tips and Best Practices for Nonprofit Organisations

SEO can be difficult to start with. Let’s focus on the most important areas. Here are 7 SEO Tips and Best Practices for Nonprofit Organisations.

SEO is a set of strategies that help search engines and users find your website. High-quality SEO is a complicated and lengthy process that requires financial investments; that is why it can be a problem for nonprofit organizations. Still, there are some free tips that can be useful to raise the website higher in Google results.

Related article: How to learn SEO [Step-by-step Guide]

1. Do Technical SEO Audit

Technical SEO is about the technical optimization of the website. It includes:

Presence of SEO base. Meta information, robots.txt, sitemap.xml, correct redirects, https protocol, and many other details. All this you can do at once and then only check for errors from time to time.
Availability of content for search robots. It is the amount of content relative to the page code, its position on the page, and even the ability to see/receive it.
Speed of the site. It depends on business processes, technology, which operates the site, servers, and content. For example, if there are a lot of heavy pictures, the site will be slowly loaded.
Page making. Of the popular errors: more than one H1 on the page, CSS styles are not in a separate file.

Technical SEO is something that the user does not always see, but that the search engine always indexes. If there are errors in it, the rating of the site will decrease. A professional technical audit will help to identify these errors. Line: If you are new to technical SEO and don’t know where to start, check out this detailed website audit checklist by keyword.com.

2. Fill the Card of Organization in Google

With a Google My Business profile, your nonprofit organization will be displayed on relevant requests as a prominent block with images, a map, and other useful information.

Filling in the card is easy; the primary step is to confirm that you are a real representative of the organization. Google usually lets you do this with a letter.

When the rights are confirmed, you will have a mark on the maps and the navigator, rating, the ability to get feedback, as well as publish news in search. For an extra boost, consider checking out Page Experience Report tips to enhance the overall user experience on your online platforms.

3. Constantly Fill the Website with Unique Content

SEO strategies are aimed at the user and search engines. And while search engines check the technical indicators, the user selects intuitively. He or she is looking for new, unique, and valuable content, remaining on the site that offers it.

According to Mason Jones, marketing director of the photo retouching service, the correct content marketing is more than half of the success; after they implemented a content strategy for a blog, site traffic increased by 400% in 3 months and continues to grow. He recommends the following blog topics:

news of the organization;
a blog on the subject;
“behind the scenes”, regular posts about how your nonprofit organization works;
the results of your work;
interviews with volunteers or someone who got help from your nonprofit organization.

Choose a few suitable formats and create a content plan. Release new texts, videos and photos regularly and focus on the entertainment of the visitor. Remember that collecting donations right off the bat will scare the readers away.

4. Use Keywords and Links

Many people associate all SEO only with keywords and links. From the points above, you could already conclude that this is not all. And yet, keywords and links really have a significant impact on optimization.

Keywords

Keywords define the subject of the site, communicate to search engines, what the site is about, and help the reader to “cling” to the essence of the text. Also, it is easier for SEO-specialists and content-managers from an seo agency to find out new topics for content on their basis. You can select keywords through Google Keyword Planner, niche and competitors’ analysis.

Links

Links are about the convenience of surfing the Internet and the importance of the site. If the content contains links to the internal pages of the site, it is more convenient for the user to search for the information he or she needs.

If third party sites have links to your site, your nonprofit company becomes better known, and Google increases its ranking. And if your articles include links to authoritative resources, you increase the confidence of your users and search engines, because that means you’re providing verified and reliable information.

5. Focus on What Users Need and Not on What You Have

A common mistake is to think about how to promote content that already exists instead of planning your new content strategy. By choosing this path, you focus on yourself instead of the user.

At the same time, it’s much easier to give visitors what they want. The difficulty arises only at the stage of determining what it is.

Here are some tips:

explore the search queries – people are looking for what they want;
study your competitors;
conduct experiments;
ask the users themselves for advice.

6. Monitor Trends

Content is divided into trendy and eternal. Eternal one (also known as evergreen content, since it is continually relevant) can bring visitors to the site an infinite amount of times, and it will always be valuable. Trendy one is a flash in the pan, but in the peak of popularity, it brings a massive number of visitors at a time. Take advantage of this: keep track of topics that everyone is interested in here and now.

The main thing is, approach your work with creativity and tie all the content to your subject (nonprofit itself, not just publication about recent news in the world).

A proper technique is to use seasonal trends. For example, prepare a project about what kind of charity can be done for Christmas.

7. Use Analytics

It is impossible to professionally evaluate the effectiveness of marketing without analytics. So, the correct setting of conversions will help you better understand your audience and save on advertising. According to Mason Jones, marketing director of a retouching service, conversions settings have boosted portrait photo retouching orders by 36% and ROI by 17%.

With its help you will learn, for example:

social and demographic characteristics of potential sponsors;
where future volunteers of your nonprofit organization live and what they are interested in;
which pages of the site have a greater resonance;
what brings you more traffic – an email or a social media post;
whether users have difficulty navigating the site.

Google Analytics is a free solution that shows you who is accessing your nonprofit site from what devices and what actions they are taking.

And you’ll need the Google Search Console to track the search queries that lead visitors to your site and the pages that appear in search engine indexes.

As you can see, there are many SEO strategies and tricks for nonprofit organizations, including free. Of course, you need to study each item in more detail, but if you are ready to do it yourself or ask for help, it will bring results.

FAQ

What are SEO tips for nonprofit organizations?

SEO tips for nonprofits include optimizing website content, using relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, and building backlinks from reputable sources.

How can nonprofits improve their website’s search engine ranking?

Nonprofits can improve their website’s search engine ranking by optimizing their website structure, using relevant keywords, and regularly updating their content.

Are there specific SEO strategies tailored for nonprofit websites?

While SEO fundamentals apply to all websites, nonprofits can benefit from strategies like local SEO, storytelling, and leveraging their mission to connect with their audience.

What role does content quality play in nonprofit SEO?

Content quality is crucial for nonprofit SEO as it helps engage visitors, build trust, and attract backlinks, which can improve search engine rankings.

How can nonprofits utilize keywords effectively for SEO?

Nonprofits should research and use relevant keywords in their website content, meta tags, and headings to make their site more discoverable by search engines.

What is the importance of local SEO for nonprofit organizations?

Local SEO is vital for nonprofits to reach their local community and donors. It involves optimizing for location-based keywords and Google My Business.

Are there any free or low-cost SEO tools for nonprofits?

Yes, nonprofits can use free or affordable SEO tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and tools like Moz and SEMrush for keyword research.

How can nonprofits measure the success of their SEO efforts?

Nonprofits can measure SEO success by tracking website traffic, keyword rankings, conversion rates, and the number of quality backlinks.

What are common SEO mistakes that nonprofits should avoid?

Common SEO mistakes to avoid include neglecting mobile optimization, using duplicate content, ignoring local SEO, and neglecting website speed.

Can you provide examples of successful nonprofit SEO campaigns?

Successful nonprofit SEO campaigns often involve storytelling, user-generated content, and targeted keyword optimization. Organizations like Charity: Water and World Wildlife Fund are good examples.

How can nonprofits enhance their website’s user experience to improve SEO?

Nonprofits can improve user experience by optimizing site speed, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and creating an intuitive navigation structure.

What role do social media and content marketing play in nonprofit SEO?

Social media and content marketing can boost nonprofit SEO by increasing online visibility, attracting traffic, and encouraging engagement with the audience.

Are there any specific SEO considerations for nonprofit blogs?

Nonprofit blogs should focus on creating valuable, shareable content, optimizing headlines and meta descriptions, and interlinking related articles.

How can nonprofits build authoritative backlinks to their websites?

Nonprofits can build authoritative backlinks by reaching out to other organizations, sharing impactful stories, and guest posting on reputable websites.

What is the impact of local citations on nonprofit SEO?

Local citations, such as directory listings, can enhance local SEO for nonprofits by ensuring consistent and accurate information about their organization.

How can nonprofits leverage Google Grants for SEO benefits?

Nonprofits can use Google Grants to run paid advertising campaigns, which can indirectly boost SEO by driving more traffic and visibility.

What are the benefits of conducting keyword research for nonprofit SEO?

Keyword research helps nonprofits identify relevant search terms that potential supporters use, allowing them to tailor their content and improve search rankings.

How can nonprofits address the issue of duplicate content in SEO?

Nonprofits should avoid duplicate content by creating original, unique content for their website and using canonical tags when necessary.

What is the significance of mobile optimization for nonprofit SEO?

Mobile optimization is crucial as search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites, and a significant portion of users access nonprofit websites on mobile devices.

How can nonprofits stay updated on SEO best practices and algorithm changes?

Nonprofits can stay updated by following reputable SEO blogs, attending webinars, and participating in online communities to learn about SEO trends and updates.