10 Ways to Optimise Your Ghost Website for SEO

Want to boost your Ghost website's SEO? Here's how:

Ghost CMS is built for speed and search engine optimisation. It automatically handles key SEO essentials like metadata, sitemaps, and Schema.org data. But to really maximise your site's visibility, you need to go further.

Here’s a quick summary of the 10 strategies to optimise your Ghost website for SEO:

1. Use Ghost's Built-in SEO Tools: Adjust meta titles, descriptions, and social sharing settings. Submit your XML sitemap to Google Search Console.
2. Write Better Meta Titles and Descriptions: Keep them unique, keyword-rich, and under 60 characters for titles, and 150 characters for descriptions.
3. Improve Site Speed: Compress images, enable lazy loading, and optimise code to reduce load times.
4. Organise Content with Tags: Use Ghost's tagging system for better structure and navigation.
5. Optimise for Mobile: Ensure responsive design, fast loading, and easy navigation for mobile users.
6. Set Clear URL Structures: Use short, descriptive URLs with keywords and avoid unnecessary parameters.
7. Add Structured Data: Implement Schema.org markup for rich search results like star ratings or event details.
8. Fix User Experience Issues: Improve Core Web Vitals like LCP, INP, and CLS for better usability.
9. Use Analytics Tools: Integrate Google Search Console and Analytics to monitor performance and identify areas for improvement.
10. Keep Content Updated: Refresh old posts with new data, fix broken links, and promote updates.

Quick Comparison Table:

Start with these actionable tips to make your Ghost website faster, more user-friendly, and easier for search engines to understand.

Using Ghost for Blogging Step-by-Step | Lesson 4 (Ghost for ...

1. Use Ghost's Built-in SEO Tools

Ghost CMS comes with built-in SEO features that handle many technical tasks for you, making it easier to optimise your website.

For starters, Ghost automatically creates meta tags for your posts. You can tweak these settings to maximise their effectiveness:

• Meta Title: Adjust titles in the post settings. Use the Google preview tool to include your target keywords effectively.
• Meta Description: Write clear, keyword-focused descriptions that summarise your content.
• Social Media: Set up Twitter Cards and Open Graph tags to improve how your posts appear when shared on social platforms.

"Ghost CMS presents itself as a modern publishing platform, designed to be fast and optimized for SEO." - Jérémie Raude-Leroy, Director of Abstract27.com

Ghost also generates an XML sitemap to help search engines find your content. Here’s how to make the most of it:

• Sitemap Verification: Check your sitemap at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml. It updates automatically whenever you add new content.
• Search Console Integration: Submit the sitemap to Google Search Console to improve how quickly search engines can index your site.
• Canonical Tags: Ghost automatically applies canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues by telling search engines which page version is the main one.

Additionally, Ghost uses Schema.org tags for your blog posts, which helps search engines better understand your content and display rich snippets.

To keep everything running smoothly:

• Test your structured data using Google's Structured Data Testing Tool.
• Regularly check your XML sitemap for any errors or missing pages.

These tools and tips ensure that your content is not only easy for readers to enjoy but also search-engine friendly.

2. Write Better Meta Titles and Descriptions

For Ghost websites, clear and effective meta titles and descriptions can enhance the platform's built-in SEO benefits.

Meta titles and descriptions play a key role in search visibility and influencing click-through rates. Page titles, in particular, are crucial for appearing in search results.

How to Create Strong Meta Titles

Meta titles should be short but descriptive, ideally between 50-60 characters to avoid being cut off in search results. Here are some tips to make them stand out:

• Put your main keyword at the start.
• Add your brand name at the end.
• Use natural, engaging language that matches the page's content.
• Ensure every title across your site is unique.

For instance, instead of a generic title like "SEO Tips", try something more detailed and engaging, such as "10 Essential SEO Tips for Ghost Websites | Abstract27".

Now, let’s focus on improving meta descriptions.

Tips for Writing Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions act as a mini-advertisement for your page in search results. While they don't directly impact rankings, they can significantly influence click-through rates. Aim for descriptions between 145-150 characters and follow these guidelines:

• Naturally include your target keyword.
• Write action-focused content.
• Summarise what users can expect from the page.
• Make each description distinct.

Ghost's built-in Google preview tool is a great resource to see how your meta titles and descriptions will appear in search results. Use it to ensure your content looks appealing and fits without being cut off.

"Writing a good page title is an essential skillset for anyone in SEO, as they help both users and search engines understand the purpose of a page." - Screaming Frog

According to research from Moz, around 90% of page titles display fully if they stay within 30-60 characters. Use this space wisely by focusing on key keywords while keeping the title easy to read.

If your titles are vague, Google might rewrite them. Make sure they are clear, rich in keywords, and aligned with what users are searching for.

3. Make Your Site Load Faster

Site speed plays a key role in SEO performance. Research shows that websites taking over 10 seconds to load can see bounce rates increase by an alarming 123%.

Image Optimisation Basics

Images are often the biggest culprits behind slow-loading websites. Choosing the right format for each image type can make a big difference:

Steps to Improve Speed

• Compress Images: Use tools like TinyPNG to reduce file sizes without losing quality.
• Enable Lazy Loading: This ensures images load only when users scroll to them.
• Optimise Code: For advanced users, consider:
  • Using PurgeCSS to remove unused CSS.
  • Implementing Partytown to shift heavy scripts off the main thread.
  • Limiting web fonts and avoiding excessive animations.

These adjustments can significantly improve site speed and user experience.

"Optimise images to balance quality and performance." - Nathan Ojaokomo

Smart Image Practices

Beyond technical fixes, how you handle images daily matters too. When uploading images to platforms like Ghost:

• Resize images to their display dimensions before uploading.
• Add descriptive alt text and file names to boost SEO.
• Use a CDN (Content Delivery Network) for faster delivery worldwide.

To track progress, use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights. Aim for a score above 90, especially for mobile devices, where speed is crucial for SEO.

"When done properly, image optimization can drastically decrease the size of your images in kilobytes and megabytes without affecting how they appear on a website." - Nathan Ojaokomo

4. Set Up Tags for Better Content Organisation

Organising tags effectively helps search engines make sense of your site's structure. Ghost's tagging system can improve your SEO and make your content easier to navigate.

How Tag Collections Work

When you add tags, Ghost generates separate collection pages automatically. Here's how it looks:

This setup simplifies how search engines and users discover your content.

Fine-Tuning Tag Metadata

Think of each tag page as a mini homepage. To make the most of them:

• Write keyword-rich descriptions for each tag's metadata.
• Add relevant cover images to make tag pages visually appealing.
• Use consistent capitalisation and correct spelling for tag names.

Using Tags Strategically

Organise your tags with a clear hierarchy:

• Primary Tags: These represent your main content categories and are often featured in navigation and search results.
• Secondary Tags: Use these for more specific subcategories or to link related content.
• Internal Tags: Prefixed with a hashtag (e.g. #draft), these are for internal use, helping with organisation and management.

Advanced Tagging Tips

Taking your tagging further can improve content visibility. Internal tags, in particular, offer extra functionality:

• Filter content efficiently.
• Apply special styling.
• Enable dynamic routing.

Each tag collection also generates its own RSS feed, making it easy for readers to follow specific topics and for search engines to index related content.

5. Make Your Site Work Well on Mobile

With 58% of Google searches happening on mobile devices, making your site mobile-friendly isn't optional - it's a must. Plus, with Google's mobile-first indexing, how your site performs on mobile directly affects your search rankings.

Mobile-First Testing

Google offers tools to check your site's mobile performance. Here's a quick breakdown:

Use these tools to uncover areas for improvement and prioritise fixes.

Key Mobile Optimisations

1. Viewport Setup Ensure your website includes a responsive viewport meta tag. This ensures content scales correctly across different screen sizes.
2. Readable and Accessible Content
   • Use text that's at least 16px for readability.
   • Stick to short paragraphs (3-4 lines).
   • Maintain high contrast for better visibility.
   • Space out tap targets to avoid accidental clicks.
3. Image Adjustments
   • Enable lazy loading to improve page speed.
   • Compress image files to reduce their size.
   • Use dimensions that fit mobile screens.

And don’t stop there - speed is crucial for mobile users.

Tips to Boost Mobile Speed

Aim for pages to load in under one second. Here’s how to shave off those precious milliseconds:

• Minimise CSS and JavaScript files.
• Limit the number of web fonts.
• Use HTML5 for videos instead of bulky plugins.

"If it's critical content, it should be visible." - John Mueller, Google

Mobile Mistakes to Avoid

To keep your mobile SEO strong, steer clear of these common blunders:

• Intrusive pop-ups that frustrate users.
• Blocked resources that stop Googlebot from accessing your site.
• Hidden content that search engines might ignore.
• Images that don’t resize properly.
• Touch elements placed too close together, making navigation tricky.

6. Set Up Clear URL Structures

After improving performance and metadata, having well-organised URL structures is key for both search engines and users. Clear URLs make it easier for search engines to understand your site's layout, while also helping users navigate your content. Ghost simplifies the process of creating SEO-friendly URLs by following a few straightforward principles.

URL Structure Basics

A good URL should be simple, descriptive, and consistent. Here's a quick comparison of what works and what doesn't:

Customising Ghost URLs

Ghost uses the routes.yaml file to control URL patterns. You can create tailored structures like:

• Blog Posts: site.com/blog/post-title
• Categories: site.com/[category]/[content-name]

Tips for Better URLs

Follow these technical tips to create effective URLs:

• Use hyphens (-) to separate words, avoid capital letters, and skip unnecessary stop words.
• Keep URLs short - ideally under 50 characters.
• Always use HTTPS for security.
• Be consistent with or without trailing slashes.

"I generally recommend avoiding special characters like commas, semicolons, colons, spaces, quotes etc. in URLs, to help keep things simple. URLs like that are often harder to automatically link (when someone posts in a forum or elsewhere), and hard for us to recognise correctly when we parse text content to try to find new URLs." - John Mueller, Google

Handling URL Updates

If you need to change URLs, follow these steps:

• Set up 301 redirects for the old URLs.
• Update all internal links to point to the new URLs.
• Keep a log of changes for future reference.
• Watch for any changes in traffic patterns after the updates.

Quick URL Checklist

Before publishing, double-check these points:

• Keywords are naturally included in the URL.
• Avoid special characters or spaces.
• Ensure a clear structure if using subfolders.
• URLs work seamlessly on both mobile and desktop.
• Prevent duplicate content across different URLs.
• Confirm your SSL certificate is active.

Google typically shows about 50 characters (or 335px) of a URL in search results. Put the most important information at the beginning of your URLs for better visibility.

7. Add Structured Data for Rich Results

After setting up clean URL structures, adding structured data to your site can further improve its SEO performance. Structured data markup helps search engines better understand and display your content in search results.

Understanding Schema Types

Different types of content require specific schema markup. Use the following table to determine the right schema for your content type:

Implementing JSON-LD Markup

To add JSON-LD markup in Ghost, go to 'Code Injection' under Ghost Admin Settings, insert the JSON-LD code into the header, and validate it using Google's Rich Results Test tool.

"We currently prefer JSON-LD markup. I think most of the new structured data that are kind of come out for JSON-LD first. So that's what we prefer." - John Mueller, Senior Search Analyst Google

Best Practices for Implementation

When adding structured data to your Ghost site, keep these tips in mind:

• Use schema types that are relevant to your specific content.
• Ensure the markup accurately represents the page's content.
• Validate your code before publishing to avoid errors.

Once implemented, monitor your structured data to ensure it performs as expected.

Monitoring and Optimisation

Use Google Search Console's Rich Results report to track your structured data performance. This tool can help you:

• Identify implementation errors
• Spot missing or incomplete properties
• Find opportunities to improve
• Analyse performance metrics

Common Schema Properties

No matter the schema type, these basic properties should always be included:

Structured data plays an essential role in SEO, as highlighted by Search Engine Land's Olya Ianovskaia.

8. Check and Fix User Experience Issues

User experience plays a key role in both search rankings and user engagement. Here's how to spot and resolve common UX problems that could be holding back your Ghost website's SEO performance.

Core Web Vitals Assessment

Core Web Vitals are metrics Google uses to measure user experience. These include:

Use tools like Google Lighthouse to measure these metrics and identify areas that need improvement.

Performance Tools to Help

Google Lighthouse is a powerful tool that evaluates performance, accessibility, SEO, and PWA standards. It provides actionable insights to help improve your site's performance and user experience.

Mobile Experience Improvement

With more users browsing on mobile devices, it's crucial to ensure your site works seamlessly on smaller screens. Focus on these areas to enhance the mobile experience:

• Responsive Design: Test your site on various devices, optimise touch targets, ensure fonts are legible, adjust content spacing, and verify images scale correctly.
• Navigation: Create clear menus, make buttons easy to tap, include a search function, and simplify footer links.
• Content Accessibility: Use high-contrast colours, organise content with proper headings, make form fields easy to use, and include alt text for images.

Technical Adjustments for a Smoother Experience

Once you've tackled performance and mobile updates, fine-tune the technical side of your site:

• Optimise media files for faster loading.
• Minimise JavaScript and CSS to reduce page load times.
• Shorten server response times.
• Enable browser caching for returning visitors.
• Remove unnecessary scripts to streamline your site.

Keep an eye on tools like Google Search Console and Lighthouse to quickly detect and address any issues. Improving user experience not only helps with SEO but also keeps visitors engaged and reduces bounce rates.

9. Set Up Search Analytics Tools

Use analytics tools to track and improve your Ghost website's performance in search results.

Google Search Console Integration

1. Add your Ghost site as a new property using the URL prefix method.
2. Go to Ghost's Code Injection settings (Settings > Code Injection).
3. Copy the HTML verification tag from Google Search Console and paste it into the Site Header. Then, verify your site in Google Search Console.

Google Analytics Setup

1. Create a new Analytics property for your Ghost site, choosing "Web" as the data stream type.
2. Paste the global site tag (gtag.js) into the Header section under Ghost's Code Injection settings.
3. Confirm the setup by checking real-time user activity in Google Analytics.

Once both tools are connected, decide on the metrics you'll track to measure your SEO efforts.

Key Metrics to Focus On

With your analytics tools ready, keep an eye on these metrics:

"SEO metrics are indicators that help you understand whether your SEO is working. Some are essential, many are useful, and others are just vanity metrics that won't help you make better decisions." – Michal Pecánek, SaaS SEO consultant

Tracking these metrics helps you spot opportunities for improvement and refine your strategies.

Monitoring Schedule

• Daily: Review real-time traffic and user behaviour.
• Weekly: Check keyword rankings and search visibility.
• Monthly: Assess technical SEO health and Core Web Vitals.
• Quarterly: Examine referring domains and backlink quality.

10. Keep Content Fresh and Updated

Regularly updating your content is a great way to show activity on your site and improve SEO. Building on earlier strategies, keeping your content current can boost both your site's performance and user engagement.

Content Update Schedule

Set up a clear schedule for updating different types of content:

Spotting Content That Needs Updates

Here’s how to identify content that may need a refresh:

• Use Google Analytics to find pages with declining traffic.
• Check Search Console for ranking changes.
• Look for outdated statistics, discontinued features, or old references.

Once you've identified content that needs attention, follow a structured process to make updates effectively.

Best Practices for Updating Content

When refreshing content, focus on:

• Auditing key pages every 3–6 months.
• Analysing engagement data with tools like Google Analytics.
• Using tools like Ghost's post history for version tracking.

Promoting Updated Content

After updates, make sure people know about it:

• Change the publish date to reflect the update.
• Feature the updated content in newsletters.
• Share it on your social media platforms.

"In a nutshell, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to how often you should update your content; it really depends on your industry, the type of content you have, and what your users need. A good rule of thumb is to conduct a thorough review every three to six months, especially for your most important pages." - Juddiy

Refreshing content can deliver impressive results. For example, one case study showed a 524% increase in organic clicks, a 42% rise in impressions, and a 340% boost in click-through rate after a content update.

Technical Tips for Updates

When making updates, pay attention to these technical details:

• Keep your existing URL structures intact.
• Update meta titles and descriptions.
• Fix any broken links.
• Refresh structured data markup.

Conclusion

Improving SEO for your Ghost website requires consistent effort and a structured approach. The strategies we've covered can help boost your site's visibility and search rankings.

Measuring Success

"SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Continuous efforts and strategic adjustments are essential to achieve and maintain a strong and effective online presence." - Jérémie Raude-Leroy, Director of Abstract27.com

To achieve success, focus on these three main areas:

• Technical Foundation: Make sure your Ghost website is technically sound. This includes optimising site speed, ensuring mobile responsiveness, and addressing other essential technical aspects.
• Content Strategy: Create high-quality, relevant content that not only improves visibility but also aligns with your audience's needs.
• Performance Monitoring: Regularly review your SEO performance. Identify areas for improvement and adjust your approach as needed.

Moving Forward

Staying on top of your SEO game means consistently monitoring your site's performance and making updates when necessary. Schedule routine audits, track important metrics, keep up with Ghost's latest SEO tools, and fine-tune your strategy regularly. These steps will help you maintain progress and adapt to changes effectively.

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