May 20, 2021

SEO 101: GovHub Gives You a Head Start

Content Brings You Through the Finish Line

illustration of bystanders cheering on a runner

Agency websites are designed to address constituent needs and provide government services. However, for many constituents looking for these services, their user journey does not start at the agency website. In most cases, the user journey starts at a search engine, like Google or Bing. Therefore, in order to reach an audience where they are, state organizations must make search engine optimization (SEO) a digital priority for their websites.

SEO is the process of formatting web content to rank highly in search results. Search engines use algorithms to “crawl” websites and index authoritative, accurate, and relevant information in their results. While no search engine gives away its secrets for how it ranks content, we can say that government agencies have every tool, advantage, and reason to rank first on search engine results.

Simply having a .gov domain is extremely valuable for SEO. A government website with published information that matches what constituents are looking for is exactly what search engines want to index. 

GovHub also gives you the technical tools to format your web content. Actions you can take in GovHub to improve SEO include:

  • Publish quality, informative content that helps address user needs.
  • Structure content with the appropriate format, such as topic page, press release, or contact.
  • Improve your user journey and information architecture by keeping the menu navigation straightforward and simple
  • Use keywords and headers in the body of your content.
  • Keep your Download this pdf file. user experience mobile-friendly by removing unnecessary content, nonessential links, and non-responsive media (embeds, files, or tables).
  • Use the GovHub Analytics SEO Dashboard to audit your existing content.

Government agencies have every advantage to be the top-ranked search engine result: a .gov domain, a GovHub backend that includes all the technology bells and whistles, and the most accurate information. As a legitimate authority on government services, we should rank at the top every time.

You don’t have to be a technology wizard or algorithm whisperer to understand search engine optimization. You just need to understand your users’ needs, meet them where they are, and guide them through the digital process.

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