Footer SEO: How To Leverage Your Footer For Better Results

Footer SEO is the strategic utilization of your website’s footer – the bottom section of your web page – to enhance your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It involves the placement of vital information, links, and keywords in your footer in a structured and user-friendly way.

Your footer is a very often “underutilized” piece of real estate on your website. It can house your site navigation, secondary information, and legal info – all while adhering to your SEO strategy.

By optimizing your footer, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility, user engagement, and overall ranking in search engine results. It’s a secret weapon that far too few people use and one you can change in as little as 5-minutes.

The number of links in your footer should be carefully considered.

While there’s no definitive rule, it’s generally advisable to include between 5 and 15 links in your footer. This ensures you have plenty of navigational options without being overwhelmed. However, remember that quality trumps quantity. Each link should serve a clear purpose, be it for your navigation, providing essential information, or aiding in your SEO efforts.

When it comes to linking for SEO in your footer, the primary focus should be on your most important and informative pages.

1. Your About page. This page offers readers and search engines insight into who you are and what you stand for.
2. Your Service pages. These pages are critical for your footer as they link readers to what they can buy from you. Even websites that have active referral networks that don’t “need” SEO to drive clients or businesses should not miss out on this vital place to link up to your services.
3. Your Blog so readers can easily find your latest blog, showcasing your expertise and providing a legitimate reason to visit your website often.
4. Your Events page so it’s simple to locate where you’re presenting, speaking or offering classes.
5. Your Contact page so it’s easy for clients to get in touch with you.
6. Your Calendar offers online scheduling so clients don’t have to search for how to schedule a session with you.
7. Your Newsletter so readers can become subscribers easily.

In addition to these pages, many clients also include their legal pages like a privacy policy or cookie policy. And, you can include your sitemap to help search engines navigate and index your site more effectively.

Remember, it’s not just about crowding your footer with links, it’s about strategic placement of critical resources to boost your SEO and enhance your user experience.

How To Use Keywords In Your Footer SEO Strategy

To effectively use keywords in your footer, you first need to identify the right ones. Use SEO tools like SEMrush or Moz to pinpoint the most relevant keywords for your business. Once you have identified the keywords, incorporate them organically in the links and descriptions in your footer. For instance, if you are a bakery specializing in vegan pastries, instead of just “Menu”, you can use “Vegan Pastry Menu” in your footer link.

Your SEO keywords can also be integrated into your footer’s alt text, your page title, meta description, and even your URL. All of these support your footer SEO strategy in a smart way. Just remember that keywords need to be used organically, not stuffed in. That kind of behavior can cause search engines to become confused about your site and even penalize you if the behavior is too egregious.

Should I Add My Logo To The Footer Of My Website?

Absolutely, yes! Adding your logo to the footer of your website is a great move for several reasons. First, it reinforces brand recognition. Every time a visitor navigates your site, they’ll see your logo, ingraining it in their memory and associating it with your high-quality content and services.

Second, it lends an aspect of professionalism and credibility to your site. Having your logo at the footer shows that you are proud of your brand and stand behind your services or products.

Finally, you can link your logo back to your homepage, providing an intuitive way for visitors to navigate back. So, not only does a footer logo enhance your branding, but it also improves user experience.

Should I Add Social Media Links To My Footer For Better SEO Results?

Yes to this as well! Incorporating social media links in your footer is an excellent way to boost your social media reach, but it’s more of a branding play vs an SEO one. Keep in mind that your social links take visitors OFF your website. It’s wise to have them, but in terms of how they help your SEO, the jury is out.

Social media platforms are a fantastic way to showcase your brand’s personality and engage with your audience through interesting updates, promotions, or customer feedback. This two-way interaction can result in deeper brand loyalty and awareness.

My suggestion is to add them, but don’t waste precious real estate on social media links if you need the space to link to your service pages. Those links are far more important to your SEO than social media links.

Are There Any Links To Avoid Adding To My Footer If I Want Good Footer SEO?

Yes, there are. While optimizing your footer with relevant links is advantageous, there are certain types of links you should avoid for better footer SEO results. These include:

1. Low-value links: Such links offer minimal value to your users and can dilute the effectiveness of your other, more critical links. Examples may include links to rarely visited pages or irrelevant sections of your site.
2. Duplicate links: Avoid including the same link multiple times in your footer. This doesn’t improve its SEO value and can frustrate users by making your footer appear cluttered and confusing.
3. Off-site links: While there can be exceptions, such as to your main social media pages, as a general rule, you want to keep users on your website for as long as possible. Linking to other sites can encourage users to exit your site prematurely.
4. ‘Follow’ links to low-quality or irrelevant sites: This can be harmful to your site’s SEO, as search engines may associate your site with the low-quality sites you’re linking to.

Remember, every element of your site can support your overall SEO strategy. Footer SEO is no different and perhaps it’s even more important to consider because it’s on every page of your website. By thinking about your footer as a high-value SEO target that’s designed with your user’s experience in mind, you will make the best decisions about what to include, and what to leave off. This ensures that your footer will act as a useful navigational tool to enhance user experience while also supporting your SEO strategy.

Footer SEO (FAQs)

Need help with your footer SEO or your website in general? Reach out for a complimentary consultation today.