Great website content is made even greater by enabling users to find it easily. It can be optimised by following the process of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).


TABLE OF CONTENTS


What is SEO? 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the systematic process of enhancing the visibility of online content within search engine results pages (SERPs) such as those of Google and Bing.  

SEO involves strategically indicating to search engines the core subject matter and relevance of your content. This is achieved, in part, through the thoughtful integration of specific words and phrases, known as keywords. When users input these keywords into a search engine, the engine analyzes its index to identify and present the most pertinent results, including potentially your webpage.  

A failure to incorporate relevant keywords within the appropriate elements of your content and webpage can impede a search engine's ability to accurately contextualize and index your site. Consequently, your pages may not appear in relevant search queries, significantly limiting their organic discoverability and hindering user access to your information.

How to Optimize Content for Search Engines

For optimal discoverability of EIT Food webpages, consider the following key on-page elements:

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Metadata:

  • Meta Titles and Descriptions: These elements are displayed on the search engine results page and provide users with a concise summary of your page's content. Aligning these with anticipated user search queries is crucial. For instance, a page addressing "Food Sustainability" should ideally incorporate this keyword within its title.  

    • Meta Titles significantly influence a page's ranking potential. They also serve as the initial point of contact for users in the SERPs. Titles should accurately reflect the page's content while addressing the user's search intent.  

    • Character Limit for Titles: Maintain a character count below 60 to prevent truncation in search results.  

    • Keyword Placement in Titles: Prioritize the inclusion of the primary target keyword at or near the beginning of the title.  

    • Secondary Keyword Integration: Incorporate a secondary relevant keyword where contextually appropriate.  

    • The EIT Food brand name is typically appended automatically and does not require manual inclusion.

    • Character Limit for Descriptions: Keep descriptions under 156 characters to avoid truncation.  

    • Keyword Inclusion in Descriptions: Aim to include the primary keyword naturally within the description text.

    • Call to Action in Descriptions: Employ concise and compelling language to encourage user clicks, such as "Learn more," "Visit official site," or "View verified results."  


  • Keywords (Meta Tag):

    • While the meta keywords tag currently carries less weight in ranking algorithms, it remains a useful practice for internal organization and consistency, particularly for future content revisions. Include the primary target keyword for internal reference.



Visible On-Page Elements:

These elements constitute the main body of your content and directly influence its perceived relevance by both users and search engines. Precise keyword integration is essential to align with user search intent while effectively conveying your intended message.  

Discrepancies between your intended message and chosen keywords may indicate a misalignment, suggesting the need to identify keywords that more accurately reflect your content.

  • Headings:

    • Maintain close thematic alignment between your primary heading and the meta title for consistency.

    • Integrate the target keyword within the heading where natural and contextually relevant.

  • Subheadings:

    • Utilize subheadings to address related concepts and incorporate relevant secondary keywords. For example, content focused on "food sustainability" might include subheadings referencing "animal welfare."

    • Review the subheadings and related keywords employed by high-ranking competitors to ensure comprehensive topic coverage.

  • Paragraphs:

    • Ideally, introduce the primary keyword early in the content, preferably within the opening paragraph.

  • Images:

    • Employ descriptive ALT tags for all images, incorporating the primary keyword where it accurately describes the image content.

  • Internal Links:

    • Following publication, establish links to the new page from other relevant pages within the EIT Food website. This signals the page's importance to search engines, which may prioritize it accordingly.

  • URL

    • The URL should be kept to a minimum of 5 words and include the primary keyword


Over-Optimization: Avoid excessive or unnatural keyword repetition within the outlined elements. Keywords should be integrated seamlessly into the text to maintain readability and a natural flow. Over-optimization can negatively impact search engine rankings.  


Social Meta Data


Within the website's SEO section, there is also the provision to configure specific titles, descriptions, and visual assets, such as images, for social media sharing. These customizable elements allow for enhanced presentation and engagement when the webpage is shared across various social media platforms.



How to Choose the Right Keyword(s)

Ubersuggest is a complimentary keyword research tool designed to facilitate the identification of relevant keywords for content optimization.

To initiate keyword research, users should first log in and then navigate to the “Keyword Research” section located within the left-hand menu. Upon accessing this section, enter the desired seed keyword and specify the target location for analysis.

The subsequent results page provides valuable keyword metrics, including:

  • Search Volume: This indicates the estimated number of monthly searches for the entered keyword phrase, often accompanied by a geographical breakdown.

  • Questions: Common user queries formulated as questions that incorporate the seed keyword.



The insights gleaned from these results can be strategically integrated into your content development process to align with user search behavior and enhance discover-ability.





Understanding User Intent


Analyzing the search engine results page (SERP) for your target keyword is a crucial step in determining its suitability. Examining the types of content that currently rank highly provides valuable insight into what users are seeking when they perform that specific search.

For instance, if the objective is to rank for the keyword "Food Sustainability" within Ireland and the majority of top-ranking results on Google are official government websites, it suggests that users searching for this term are primarily seeking governmental resources and information. Consequently, achieving a high ranking for a standard blog post targeting this keyword may present a significant challenge.

While the example provided indicates that the BBC has secured a position within the top five results with an article, suggesting the possibility of achieving a page one ranking, surpassing this position may be improbable. This observation reinforces the understanding that the dominant user intent behind the search query "Food Sustainability" likely aligns with the consumption of governmental information.

Similarly, the presence of product listings or map results within the SERP indicates a strong user intent towards making a purchase or engaging with a local service. In such instances, it is less likely that an informational article or blog post will rank effectively for that particular keyword, as the search query is primarily driven by transactional or local needs.



This article was updated in May 2025 and will be reviewed in May 2026. 


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