Start with whether you can be indexed at all
Before any consideration of keywords or content strategy, confirm that search engines can actually reach and read the site. It is more common than it should be to find a site invisible in search because a staging-era 'discourage search engines' setting was never switched off.
Check the basics: robots.txt is not blocking anything important, pages are not carrying noindex tags by accident, a sitemap exists and is submitted, and the site is verified in Google Search Console.
- Verify the property in Google Search Console
- Submit an accurate XML sitemap
- Check robots.txt and meta robots tags
- Confirm one canonical version of the domain (www vs non-www, HTTP vs HTTPS)
One page, one question
A page that thoroughly answers one question outperforms a page that briefly mentions five. This is the reasoning behind giving each service its own page rather than listing all services on one.
It also makes the page more useful to a human reader, which is the more durable reason to do it.
Titles and descriptions are written, not generated
The title tag is the strongest on-page signal you control, and it is also the headline in search results deciding whether anyone clicks. A templated title like 'Home | Company Name' wastes both.
Write each one specifically: describe what the page is about in language someone would actually search for, keep it under roughly 60 characters, and write a meta description that gives a reason to click rather than restating the title.
Structure the page semantically
Use one H1 per page describing the page's subject, then H2 and H3 in a logical order that reflects the content's actual hierarchy, not chosen because a particular size looked right.
Semantic structure is read by search engines and by screen readers alike. The same work serves both.
- One H1, describing what the page is about
- Heading levels in order, without skipping
- Descriptive link text, never 'click here'
- Alt text describing the image's purpose in context
Internal linking is underrated
Links between your own pages help search engines understand which pages matter and how they relate. They also help readers reach the next relevant thing rather than leaving.
Link naturally from body content using descriptive anchor text, and make sure no useful page is reachable only from the sitemap.
Structured data, where it genuinely applies
Schema markup tells search engines what a page represents in explicit terms: an organisation, a person, an article, a product, a local business. It can enable richer search results.
Use the types that genuinely describe your content. Marking up things that are not really there is a policy violation and a reasonable way to damage your own visibility.
Local search matters more than global ranking
For most businesses operating in Kampala or anywhere else specific, local visibility is the realistic and valuable goal. A complete and accurate Google Business Profile, consistent name/address/phone details across the web, and location-relevant page content do more than pursuing broad competitive terms.
Measure, and be patient
Search Console shows which queries actually bring people to the site, frequently not the ones you expected. That data is more useful than any assumption made at the planning stage.
SEO results also take time. Be suspicious of anyone promising specific rankings on a specific date; nobody controls the algorithm.
Written by Ntege Israel Charles, a Web Developer and WordPress Developer based in Kampala, Uganda. If any of this applies to a site you are responsible for, get in touch.