Advanced SEO Writing

Introduction

Web Content Governance and Quality Control

These SEO guidelines are not meant to complicate work, but to provide helpful guardrails for higher-impact pages and long-term site health. Think of this section as the “why” behind the checklist.

SEO, web governance, and content practices can sometimes sound technical or abstract, but at their core, they aim for a few simple things: making sure our pages are clearly on-topic, easy to understand, and easy for people to find.

Don’t be afraid to engage with the site at this level. Applying these best practices thoughtfully will not “break” anything. Instead, they help us work together to create a stronger, more consistent digital presence that benefits everyone in the long run.

Strategic Alignment

User Intent Classification: If a page does not align with a clear intent(s), its purpose should be reconsidered.

• Exploratory Awareness (Helping someone understand a topic or field)
• Program Evaluation (Helping someone compare options and assess value)
• Institutional Validation (Reinforcing credibility, trust, or policy activity)
• Conversion Action (Guiding someone toward a specific next step)
• Navigational (Helping someone quickly find a specific destination or action)

Note: This intent classification is a strong starting point. Many pages blend more than one purpose, and that’s normal. The key is ensuring the page has a clear primary focus. If the purpose feels unclear, it may need refinement before publishing.

High-Priority Page Types Requiring Review: The following page types require structured review prior to publication.

• Degree program pages
• Admissions information
• Tuition and financial information
• Compliance-related pages
• Major landing pages
• Homepage content 

Search and Discoverability (SEO and Beyond)

Search practices are simply about helping people find the content they’re already looking for. For high impact pages:

• Choose one clear primary topic or key phrase.
• Before publishing, check whether a similar page already exists.
• Avoid creating duplicate or competing content.
• Use consistent title formatting (e.g., Primary Topic | CU Denver).
• Keep URLs short, readable, and stable.

Note: If a URL must change, ensure a redirect is in place to avoid broken links. Our Drupal platform tries to capture URL changes automatically, but please check by copying the old URL into your browser and ensuring that it redirects to the new URL.

Structure and Accessibility

As discussed on the Writing Great Web Content page, good structure helps both users and search engines understand your page. Below is a quick review of some of those basic practices for page structure, which support web accessibility as well.

• Use proper heading hierarchy (H1 > H2 > H3).
• Ensure content is scannable and organized.
• Avoid thin or placeholder content on important pages.
• Include alt text for images.
• Ensure forms, PDFs, and media meet accessibility standards.  

Note: Accessibility is not optional. It ensures all users can access our content and protects institutional compliance. For more information on digital accessibility, please visit the Foundational Five – Digital Accessibility Easy Wins page.

Authority, Linking, and Site Health

Internal linking strengthens the overall site, giving it more authority when people an AI crawlers are looking for answers. Best practices for internal linking:

• Link to relevant pages.
• Support priority pages where appropriate.
• Avoid orphaned content (pages with no internal links pointing to them).

On a regular basis, review:

• Broken links
• Redirect issues
• Internal linking consistency 

Conversion and Performance

For high-priority pages, make it clear what the next step should be:

• Include a clear call-to-action (CTA).
• Provide logical next-step guidance.
• Ensure important actions (apply, request info, etc.) are easy to find.

When reviewing pages, look at:  

• Strategic alignment
• SEO basics
• Structure and readability
• Accessibility compliance
• Linking integrity 

Ongoing Improvement

Contact Us

For additional information or questions, please contact daniel.ruzich@ucdenver.edu.