2. Keyword Research & Rankings

Keyword Overview: Using SEMrush’s Keyword Overview tool, I analyzed the keywords Avista.ie is currently ranking for. Here’s a breakdown of the most relevant findings:

• Current Ranking Keywords: 250+ keywords are currently driving traffic to the site.
• Top Performing Keywords:
  • “energy efficiency services” — ranking #15 on Google (moderate competition)
  • “sustainable energy solutions Ireland” — ranking #22 (high competition)
  • “green energy solutions” — ranking #30 (moderate competition)
• Keyword Gaps:
  • The website is not ranking for high-volume keywords like “renewable energy Ireland,” “energy management solutions,” or “energy audit services.”
  • There’s a potential to rank for long-tail keywords such as “affordable energy efficiency solutions for homes in Ireland” and “commercial energy audit services”.

Opportunities Identified:

• Content Optimization: The website is not ranking for several high-traffic, relevant keywords in the energy and sustainability industry. Optimizing existing content (such as service pages) for these keywords could significantly improve traffic.
• Long-Tail Keywords: Focusing on more specific long-tail keywords could help drive more targeted traffic, especially for services offered in Ireland.

Actionable Recommendations:

• Content Optimization: Update existing pages and blog posts with high-volume keywords that have moderate competition. Adding these to title tags, headings, and within content can improve visibility for these terms.
• Target Long-Tail Keywords: Focus on creating blog posts and landing pages targeting long-tail keywords. For example, creating a page specifically for “affordable energy audits in Ireland” or “how to improve home energy efficiency” could attract more qualified leads.

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3. Technical SEO Audit

Using SEMrush’s Site Audit tool, a comprehensive technical SEO audit of Avista.ie was conducted. Here are the main findings:

A. Site Health

• Site Health Score: 85/100 (Good)
• Crawlability: No major issues were detected. The site is well-structured for search engines.

B. SEO Errors:

• Missing Meta Descriptions: Several pages are missing meta descriptions, which can negatively impact click-through rates from search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Duplicate Content: Some service pages have duplicate meta descriptions and title tags.
• Broken Links: There were 3 broken links found (404 errors), which negatively impact user experience and SEO.

C. Recommendations:

• Fix Broken Links: Resolve the 404 errors by either redirecting broken links or fixing the source of the issue.
• Optimize Meta Descriptions: Add unique meta descriptions for pages that currently lack them. Ensure that all meta tags are unique and optimized for relevant keywords.
• Address Duplicate Content: Update duplicate title tags and meta descriptions to ensure uniqueness across pages.

How I Fixed It:

• Meta Descriptions Added: I added optimized meta descriptions for missing pages and updated the existing ones with targeted keywords.
• Broken Links Fixed: Repaired broken links or redirected them to appropriate pages.
• Duplicate Content Fixed: Updated duplicate title tags and meta descriptions to be unique and relevant to the content of each page.

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4. Backlink Analysis

Using SEMrush’s Backlink Analytics, I examined the backlink profile of Avista.ie.

• Total Referring Domains: 90 (relatively low for a competitive industry)
• Backlink Types: A majority of the backlinks are from low-authority domains, with few high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources.
• Toxic Links: Several backlinks from low-quality or spammy sites were detected.

Challenges:

• Low-Quality Backlinks: The presence of low-quality backlinks could harm the website’s domain authority and rankings.
• Insufficient High-Authority Backlinks: The website lacks backlinks from authoritative domains, which are essential for improving SEO performance and increasing domain authority.

Solutions:

• Disavow Toxic Backlinks: I used SEMrush’s Backlink Audit Tool to disavow harmful backlinks that might be hurting the site’s SEO.
• Focus on Link Building: I created an outreach strategy to acquire backlinks from high-authority websites in the energy, sustainability, and technology sectors. This includes guest blogging, press releases, and partnerships with industry-related organizations.

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5. Site Speed and Mobile Optimization

Findings:

• Desktop Speed: 3.5 seconds (slower than the recommended 2-3 seconds)
• Mobile Speed: 4.2 seconds (higher than optimal, leading to potential issues with mobile users)

Challenges:

• Slow load times affect both user experience and SEO rankings. Google’s Core Web Vitals emphasize the importance of fast load times for both desktop and mobile.

Solutions:

• Image Optimization: I compressed and resized large images to reduce their file sizes.
• Minify CSS and JavaScript: I implemented minification of CSS and JavaScript files to reduce unnecessary code.
• Leverage Browser Caching: I enabled browser caching to allow faster page loading on repeat visits.

How I Fixed It:

• By optimizing the images, minifying the CSS and JavaScript files, and enabling caching, I improved load times to around 2.9 seconds for desktop and 3.5 seconds for mobile.

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Conclusion & Recommendations

The Avista.ie website has a strong foundation, but there are several areas for improvement to boost its search engine rankings and overall online presence.

Key Recommendations:

1. Keyword Optimization: Target additional long-tail keywords and high-traffic terms in the energy sector to boost organic traffic.
2. Fix Technical SEO Issues: Address broken links, missing meta descriptions, and duplicate content to improve on-page SEO.
3. Backlink Strategy: Disavow low-quality backlinks and develop a strategy for acquiring high-quality backlinks.
4. Site Speed & Mobile Optimization: Continue improving site speed and mobile optimization for better user experience and SEO performance.

By following these recommendations, Avista.ie should see improvements in organic rankings, user engagement, and overall site performance.

Next Steps:

• Phase 1 (Weeks 1-2): Keyword optimization and technical SEO fixes.
• Phase 2 (Weeks 3-4): Backlink acquisition and content expansion.
• Phase 3 (Weeks 5-6): Ongoing monitoring of site speed, mobile optimization, and keyword rankings.