Websites have three general elements. These elements are the header, body and the footer.
- Header – Your company logo stays here. The header also includes company information and site navigation.
- Body – This part is where your readers see your content, from images to articles.
- Footer – This part of your site repeats some of the items in the header and other elements the body can’t accommodate.
In this how-to article, improve your Google ranking the fastest way by enhancing the footer of your site in eight different ways.
But first, let’s discuss why improving your site’s footer is essential.
7 Reasons for Improving the Footer
- The footer can generate sales lead.
- The footer can contain important information about your website or business.
- Some readers or potential customers, especially mobile users, navigate straight to your footer.
- The footer can help in increasing your email list.
- Of course, the footer can help you rank better in search engines, especially Google.
- The footer can establish your credibility.
- The footer can use some optimizations.
Hopefully, these reasons can convince you that the footer is as important as your header and body. The question is what to include in the footer.
Related Topic: How Googlebot Sees Your Website – Technical Is the New SEO
9 Elements to Include in the Footer
Here are nine elements you can select from:
Sitemap
This element contains the list of all pages on your website. It helps in the indexing of your pages by the search engines. Most of the time, you can find the HTML version of the sitemap in the footer.
One tip to remember, don’t expect your users to click this. This part is for the search engines. Sitemap in the footer can help your pages rank better and faster than having no sitemap.
Call-To-Action
Encourage your visitors to do something once they reach the bottom of your site. Marketing and e-commerce sites can benefit from this inclusion in the footer. Ways to include a CTA is to ask your visitors to sign up or contact you and ask questions.
The design of the CTA button should be appropriate to the overall theme of your site. It should be noticeable and yet not too obvious that the CTA design becomes counterproductive.
Forms
- Sign Up Form
- Contact Form
- Log-In form
- Search Tool
You can add forms in your footer. However, use only one type of form to include. If you have a log-in form in the header, use the contact form or the search tool instead. If your CTA asks your visitors to sign up, don’t use the sign up form in the footer. In short, avoid redundancy.
Legal and Technical Information
- Copyright
- Company Address and Contact Details
- Privacy Policy
- Terms and Use
This element is one of the most important things in the footer. These details in the footer can save you from legal and plagiarism issues. A small line indicating the copyright tells your visitors that your site is subject to copyright laws.
Media
- Mini gallery
- Videos
- Featured photos
Sites that feature food, fashion, and places can use this element to enhance the aesthetic design of the site. Placing featured pictures or videos can capture the attention of your visitors. This element can encourage them to click.
SEO Keywords
Include the right number of keywords in the footer. Google won’t mind if you place one or two keywords or phrases to emphasize what your site does and offers. You can use keywords in brief in the About Us section.
Social Media Icons
Social media icons in the footer is an excellent way to encourage your visitors to share your content. If your content is exciting and entertaining, your chance of shares from visitors is high.
Company Accomplishments
- Awards
- Certifications
- Affiliations with organized agencies
These accomplishments can give credibility to your site. These accomplishments tell your visitors you are active in the community. Sites that offer health and wellness products and services can benefit in including this in the footer.
Site Navigation
- About Us
- Home
- Careers
Some users don’t seem to notice the header if the page is loading slower than usual. These users tend to scroll down to the footer. The site navigation is one of the elements that you can repeat in the footer.
8 SEO Footer Best Practices
At this point, you probably know what elements to place in your footer. Let’s talk about the best practices in improving the footer.
Give the Elements the Space They Need
Place enough spaces between the elements. Enough spaces can make your footer professional. Enough spaces don’t make your footer look cramped and crowded.
Keep the Design Simple
Avoid the clutter in your footer. Don’t include too many elements. You know you added the right number of elements if your eyes kept you hooked in the footer. You know you have the aspects right if you keep clicking on the footer to know more.
Ditch the Underlines
Many sites still use underlines in their footer. Those underlines make your footer look cramp and outdated. Remove the lines, and you can make your footer look modern and fresh.
Contrast and Readability Are Important
Footer fonts are small. However, keep the readability factor. Use the right size for the footer. You know you’ve chosen the right size if at arm’s length you can still read the letters.
You can use the same size throughout your site. Use the right contrast of color. If your footer’s background is black, use white fonts for the lettering.
Use Graphics
If you intend to include your site’s accomplishments, use graphical representation such as logos or pictures. These graphical representations enhance your site’s overall design. Just make sure that the graphics don’t interfere with the theme of your site. These graphic inclusions shouldn’t appear as if they’re a last-minute thought.
SEO the Right Way
Google considers keyword stuffing in the footer as a black hat practice. Be careful in optimizing your footer with keywords. One or two keywords are enough.
Hierarchy Keeps Your Footer Elements Organized
Let’s discuss this practice by citing an example. For instance, you included a CTA, contact information, company vision and mission, social media icons, and copyright notice.
Create a more prominent call-to-action than the contact information. Next, build the company information and social media icons smaller than the CTA. The smallest among the elements is the copyright notice.
In short, build your footer elements according to how you want your visitors would act in your site. Another way of creating a hierarchy is grouping the footer elements by category.
Optimize Your Site for Mobile Users
Majority of online visitors use their mobiles to search for products and services. Nowadays, making your site optimized for mobile users is easier than 10 years ago.
Final Thoughts
Footer design is an important part of your site. The footer helps you in including items you can’t place in other parts of your site. The key in a good footer design is simplicity, readability, and contrast. Don’t overcrowd.
What do you think are 8 ways on SEO footer best practices–fastest way to Google rankings? The answer depends on the type of your site. Leave a comment below to let us know which elements are included in your site that helped you in Google ranking.
