Are You Optimizing Your Non-Profit Website?
If your website is not optimized for search engine’s your “people” may not find you. For-profit organizations make search engine optimization a common practice.
The non-profit sector should be no different. In the “Nonprofit Acceleration Report 2024”, about 44.72% of nonprofits rated SEO as very important in 2024 (up from about 30.7% in 2023).
Website optimization is the cornerstone of a successful online presence for all businesses today. Done right, they ensure your organization gets found, delivers a strong user experience, and keeps your audience engaged.
There are several things you can do today to get started:
Six essential things you can do to optimize your website
1. Improve Your Website Speed
Speed isn’t just a technical issue—it’s part of creating a smooth, enjoyable experience that keeps customers on your site. A slow website frustrates users and increases bounce rates. Here are some things you can do to help.
Compress large images
Use browser caching
Consider a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
2. Make It Mobile-Friendly
More than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your website doesn’t display properly on smartphones or tablets, you’re losing potential customers.
Use responsive design
Test your site on multiple devices
Simplify navigation for smaller screens
Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in search rankings, making this step non-negotiable.
3. Optimize On-Page SEO
On-page SEO helps search engines understand what your site is about, while making it easier for customers to find you. Make your site search-friendly and user-friendly by:
Writing compelling meta titles and descriptions
Using header tags (H1, H2, H3) strategically
Adding keywords naturally into your copy
Optimizing image alt text
4. Create High-Quality Content
Your competitors are publishing blogs, articles, and guides that address customer questions and build trust. You should too! Great content helps you rank higher on search engines, positions your business as an authority, and drives organic traffic over the long term. You can do this by:
Developing a content strategy based on customer needs
Publishing regular blog posts with useful insights
Using keywords naturally
5. Strengthen Internal Linking
Internal linking connects your pages, guiding users (and search engines) to your most important content. This not only helps improve SEO but also keeps users exploring more of your site. When possible:
Link to related blog posts within your site
Make navigation clear and intuitive
Highlight cornerstone content
6. Build a Strong Technical SEO Foundation
Even the most beautiful website won’t succeed without the right technical setup. Technical SEO ensures that search engines can properly index your site so it shows up in search results.
Ensure your site has an XML sitemap
Use HTTPS for security
Fix broken links and 404 errors
Optimize your site’s structure for crawlers
Your competitors are already investing in website optimization to stay ahead. By focusing on speed, mobile-friendliness, on-page SEO, content, internal linking, and technical SEO, you’ll create a site that works harder for your organization.
Remember: an optimized website is more than a digital brochure—it’s your most powerful marketing tool.