clean your website
Just like your home, your website needs a good scouring every now and then, too. As spring slowly inches its way into the present, clear out your site's cobwebs, dust off your content and polish your visuals.
Tidy Up Your Cobwebs
Over time, your site collects cobwebs that need to be periodically cleared out. Take the time to clean these little buggers out, and your site will rank better.
Old code is something that can accumulate and make your site slower. Joe Foley has a great tutorial for cleaning up old code: 10 Quick Ways to Clean Up and Optimize Your WordPress Site
Another thing that can accumulate like cobwebs on your granny's front porch is broken links. Broken links not only frustrate your readers, Google doesn't like them either. You can manually go through all of your pages and posts, check each link and delete the broken links. Another option is installing a plugin to WordPress sites that clears out bad links for you or, if your don't have a WP site, you can use software. There are many software programs and plugins that can help you sweep away your bad links in a jiff, for free. One good plugin is Broken Link Checker.
Do Some Content Dusting
dusting
If you haven't touched your site's blog posts or articles since they were published, they're covered with a fine layer of dust. The dust is all of the things you missed adding when you first published the post or things you need to update to make it search engine friendly. Revisit them and squirt them with a little cleanser, then wipe them down:
Add H2 headers to sections.
Add a couple of great images, complete with meta, descriptions and captions.
Be sure that your post has a meta description.
Check for any misspellings or typos.
Add bullet points to clarify any points.
Remove excess keywords, links and ads.
Add Tweetable Text. Here's an example:
[bctt tweet="Cleaning out your site's cobwebs make it rank better. Get rid of broken links and old code. #sitespringcleaning" via="no"]
Look! Your content's all pretty, so share it again! In fact, tweet it to me @alinabradford and use the hashtag #SiteSpringClean.
adam lambert cleaning
Polish that Sucker 'Till it Shines
Finally, add some little touches to your site that makes it just a little snazzier.
Change your font so that it is easier to read. Take a look at Avoiding Font Failures: Choosing the Right Fonts For Your Website for tips.
Add links to your social media accounts so your visitors know where they can follow you.
Simplify your menu so that it is easier to use.
Mmm, smell that fresh, piney scent? That's the smell of a clean website.
