Website menus are one of those things you take for granted — until you encounter a really bad one. In the ideal scenario, users get an instant overview of what a site has to offer, and they can reach all the important stuff with just one or two clicks. In the worst case, users end up frustrated and unable to find what they’re looking for. This post will walk you through the basics of menu design and help you understand which options will work best for your site.
Your website’s menu is important because it helps users navigate your site. Sure, sometimes a user will arrive on the page they were looking for straight from Google. But usually, your visitors will want to look at various pages on your site. Or they land on your homepage and will need to navigate to the right page from there. That’s why your menu should be available on every page, and ideally, you would even have a sticky menu. Meaning that it scrolls down with the content to make sure it’s always in view. That way it doesn’t matter where your users are: they’ll always be able to find what they need.
Besides the essential navigation function of a menu, it’s also a neat way of letting users know what your site has to offer. You can think of it like a banner on each page, saying “This is what we do”. Make the most of that opportunity!
A great site menu should include links to the most important parts of your website. So it’s up to you to figure out what to put in it. But whatever content you decide to include, it’s essential to keep your menu usable.
One of the worst things you can do is overload your menu with too many links. This will make it look cluttered, and users will need to work hard to find what they need. Depending on your choice of menu design, some of the links could end up inaccessible if you have too many. For instance, if you’re using a drop-down menu, users might struggle to access links that appear off-screen.
Do: be selective or use alternative navigation options
The best option is to be selective about what you include in your menu, but for larger or more complex sites this won’t be possible. Luckily, there are lots of other solutions to a crowded menu. One solution is to create hub pages or categories, and add these to your menu instead. Then users can navigate to the relevant category or hub, and find their way to more specific content from there.
A second solution is to add sub-menus; these are additional menu options which only appear when the user hovers or clicks on a particular menu area. Sub-menus can be handy, but they can also become cluttered and difficult to use. So if you do use sub-menus, do so in moderation.
The third option is to include a search bar as part of your navigation menu. That way, if a user can’t see what they’re looking for in your menu, they can search your site for what they need. A search bar is a great feature to include, whether your menu is too cluttered or not. But do take some time to configure your search function well, because otherwise it won’t really help.
Tip:Yoast SEO Premium includes an Algolia integration you can use to improve your site search results. Using it will help push your most important content to the top of the results. Give it a go!
It’s easy to forget about mobile users when you’re using a desktop computer to build your website. But that’s the last thing you want to do, especially when it comes to your site menu design. A menu that looks good and works well on desktop might be completely unusable on a phone or tablet. Now that more and more people are using mobile devices to go online, it’s really important to consider menu design for both desktop and mobile.
There are two options for creating a menu that works on both desktop and mobile. You could add a responsive menu with a layout that adapts to the screen size being used. Alternatively, you can create a specific menu for the mobile version of your site. Whichever solution you choose, test it out on a few different screen sizes to make sure the end result is user-friendly.
There are loads of different menu styles to choose from. Hamburger menus, drop-down menus, and sidebar menus are a few well-known examples. There are also some very abstract and creative menus out there. However, the way that you implement these styles has a big impact on the overall impression and usability.
Here are some of the more standard options:
If you have a simple website and only one or two online goals, it makes sense to opt for a minimalist menu design. For example, Behance is a ‘network for showcasing and discovering creative work’, so it doesn’t need a complicated menu. They only include 3 menu options: ‘Discover’, ‘Livestreams’, and ‘Jobs’. This lets the user focus on the search field and the creative works being displayed instead.
Some sites use a more minimalist menu style to cater to their mobile users. A hamburger menu (which looks like this: ☰) is a popular minimalist choice for mobile sites as it takes up a very small amount of screen space. For instance, on the mobile version of Joolz.com there are three simple icons to help users navigate: search, shopping cart, and a hamburger menu. Clicking on the hamburger menu expands it to show a list of their product categories. Solutions like this work really well on mobile devices.
Classic menus are probably the simplest to work with. These focus on selecting the main categories or areas of the site and use buttons with text labels to guide users to the right place. A horizontal navigation bar is the most common type of classic menu. Sometimes menus like this have a few drop-down options below the main menu items, too. WordPress.org uses a classic menu design on its desktop site. Two of the menu items have a drop-down button to show more options: ‘Support’ and ‘Get Involved’.
Another classic menu style is the sidebar. You can see this kind of menu in action on Google Maps. Usually, these kinds of menus can be opened using a hamburger menu button and closed again using the ×-button. This is a great way to offer full-screen content, as the menu is hidden most of the time.
Mega menus are a kind of drop-down menu, but instead of having a single column of links under each main menu item, there is space for multiple columns. These menus are popular with larger and more complex sites, as they offer space for many more links than other menu styles. So in theory, you can be less picky about which links to include. Right?
Well actually, this supposed benefit can be the downfall of mega menus. Even though all the links can fit in there, including too much content in your menu can be overwhelming for users. That being said, if you limit yourself to a moderate amount of menu links, a mega menu can be a great option for your site.
On asana.com you can see they’re using a mega menu with a manageable number of links below each main menu item:
An example of a very full mega menu can be found on the World Food Program desktop site. In this case, the drop-down menu shows a list of countries, so users will still be able to navigate this menu quite easily. But just imagine if all these links were about different topics. Then users would struggle to find what they need, as if they were rummaging around in a messy drawer.
Other navigation options
You can do a lot with your site menu, but it’s not the only navigation option. Many sites add extra navigation links to their site header or footer. You’ll often see options to log in or change the site language in these spaces. However, if you do choose to add footer links you must disable infinite scrolling, or your users will never be able to reach the footer.
Another possibility is to create a sitemap page that users can access. This shows a structured list of all your site’s pages. These are becoming less popular than they once were, but they can still be a powerful tool for site navigation.
Site menus and SEO
Does your site menu influence SEO? Sure it does! You’re unlikely to get a lot of internal linking benefit from adding items to your menu. But there are other ways your menu can benefit your SEO, and that benefit has to do with how users experience your site.
If users can’t find what they’re looking for, they’re likely to leave more quickly and not come back to your site again. Google can pick up on those kinds of signals. So a great menu can help your SEO, albeit in an indirect way.
As a general rule, it’s a good idea to keep your menu as simple as possible. Especially for smaller sites and those just starting up, a classic or minimalist-style menu should work great for you. If you have an enormous site you’ll need to think harder about what your users need to see, and how best to display that content.
Once you have a design you’re happy with, it won’t hurt to ask a few people to try it out and give you their feedback. If you’re really serious about making your site menu usable, you could carry out task-based user testing. Either way, make sure your website menu works for your users and provides them with a great experience!
We’re in the smartphone era, which means a large part of your audience will use your site via mobile. So, what does this mean? Do you need to write differently if you’re copywriting for a ‘mobile’ audience? In this post, we’ll share some useful tips on how to write awesome texts that are great for both desktops and mobile devices.
Why is copywriting for mobile different?
Even with responsive website designs, reading on a mobile device is still different from reading on a desktop. Since phone screens are smaller, text will appear longer because it takes up more space, and people have to scroll to read everything (which will make it feel longer to read).
What’s more, lots of people use their mobile device ‘on the go’, while also doing other things. This means their attention span and concentration are limited. They’re easily distracted, so you want to grab their attention with short and concise content when you’re copywriting for mobile.
Tip 1: Always focus on your audience
While it’s good to focus on the question ‘how can I write good texts for smartphone users’, you shouldn’t lose track of the most important question: ‘what does my audience like?’ Because phones won’t read your content. But your audience will! That’s why it’s good to keep an eye on your audience’s interests, and write about those topics.
Tip 2: Make your fonts large enough
Font size is important for your mobile UX. You want your texts to be readable without folks having to squint or pinch and zoom; especially your base font – your paragraph font – should be readable. So don’t use your desktop font size on your mobile site. At least, not without checking how it looks on mobile first. And while you’re at it, check it for tablets too.
How many font sizes should you use?
Be aware that your mobile site will look messy when you use more than three font sizes. The size differences will be much more visible. That’s why we advise limiting the number to two, maybe three, sizes.
Don’t use too many long sentences. As we’ve said before, people who search on their phone want fast and short answers. To illustrate, a sentence of 25 words takes up two lines on an average desktop screen. But on a phone screen, those 25 words will be four lines. That’s twice as long!
Not to mention, long sentences make reading your text much more difficult. This is true for desktop as well, but it’s even more important when you write for a mobile audience. So, try to address your audience’s specific pain points with your copy and quickly offer a solution.
Tip 4: Add subheadings
Mobile users often skim texts. So, if you want your content to be easy to read, break it up with informative subheadings. These subheadings will guide your readers through your text, making your message much easier to digest. They’re almost like road signs, guiding your users to the good stuff.
Tip 5: Check your white space
Don’t be afraid to let your words breathe. Since phones have smaller screens, you don’t want your text to look cramped. By giving your content some room, it will be easier to read. Plus, if you have sufficient white space between sentences, people will be able to easily tap on clickable elements with their finger.
If you’re unsure how much white space is enough, you should check on multiple devices how it looks. And feel free to ask other people what they think!
Tip 6: Keep an eye on text-structure
If your text is well structured, people will more easily understand the main message of your post. If it’s not, people might get lost and tune out. So the structure of your text should be flawless.
A well-structured text has two things:
Paragraphs that follow each other in a logical order.
Sentences that are connected to each other, usually by transition words. These words will help people understand the meaning of your text.
Remember, copywriting for mobile is all about writing texts that are easy to read. So, pay attention to your text structure and make sure it makes sense.
With shorts and reels and all types of short-form video trending right now, you’d be a fool not to use some type of multimedia on your mobile site. So, use high-quality visuals that underline or amplify the main message of your text. And mind the file size! Nobody likes a slow-loading website.
And remember: using images or videos isn’t just about making your site look good. You want them to enhance your user’s experience.
Short and sweet
If you want to use videos on your pages or posts, keep in mind that they need to be short! Mobile users are like speed daters, they want to know who and what and why fast. A short video will keep them hooked and on your site.
And of course, don’t forget to add captions. People who search on their phone are usually outside or on public transport, so they can’t turn on their volume. By using captions, you’ll ensure that people will be able to watch your video.
Conclusion: readability is of the utmost importance on mobile
Copywriting for mobile is not that different from writing for a desktop. In both cases, you need to write for a real audience. However, ‘mobile’ texts demand an even better readability than ‘desktop’ texts, because reading from a mobile screen is more challenging than from a desktop. But if you make sure your readability is top-notch, your texts will have loads of readers, both on mobile devices and desktops.
Cindy is a content manager at Yoast. She writes and optimizes blog posts, and enjoys writing content that will help people create better content for their site and users.
While we live in a video world, blogs aren’t going anywhere. As Cindy points out in her post about the future of blogging in a video-obsessed world, there’s still space for blogs and written content in a world dominated by short-form videos. As TV hasn’t precipitated the demise of books or newspapers, there is room for written and video content in web marketing. Let’s find out how to integrate your video and blog strategies.
A different experience
The core distinction between video and online writing is consumer experience. Written content requires active participation from the reader. They must determine which sections to focus on and at what pace to take the information.
Video is a more passive form of consumption, where the creator determines the running time and controls the experience. You can’t skim-read a video. It also plays across conceptual, visual, and aural faculties, whereas text only connects with us on a conceptual level.
In today’s mixed-media world, the best use of blogs and videos is an integrated strategy. In such a strategy, each form influences the other and works together.
There are a few ways you can think about getting started.
Turn your blog posts into videos
Certain posts are ideal to convert into videos, giving them extra life beyond your blog. You can post these on YouTube and social media. In addition, you can use these to augment and improve the quality of your blog posts.
The blog posts that tend to work best as videos are those with a strong individual editorial perspective. We know these as “op-ed” type content in traditional journalistic language.
When the post is written with the voice and expertise of an individual, hearing from that individual on camera helps to add authenticity and credibility to the post itself. It ensures the core message can be distributed across social media more effectively.
The simplest way to do this is to plan for a talking head video after writing the post – either as a monologue or an interview.
Firstly, reverse engineer your article to determine the theme (core message). Find the points that help explore and explain the theme.
Write these down, and then sit in front of a camera. Talk your way through them, or structure a more formal interview where an interviewer asks questions about each point to get you (or the writer) going.
These videos can then be edited to include branded visual elements, text overlays, and cropped for the optimized formatting of different platforms.
Generally, it’s better to shoot 16×9 horizontally, with the talent’s face in the center of the frame. From there, crop these to create vertical videos for TikTok and Instagram.
Turn your videos into blog posts
Do you have a YouTube channel that’s driving a lot of views? Do you seem to get a lot of engagement with your video posts on LinkedIn? Think about how those videos might be able to be adapted to a written form.
Sometimes, you might be creating a quick video based on an idea, and lo and behold, it seems to resonate with your audience or pick up a lot of views from a YouTube search.
Perhaps it’s then worth thinking about whether there’s a blog-style execution of this idea that would work. Examples of this might be a list of step-by-step instructions for a tutorial idea or several slides and images with supporting text explaining what they show.
A simple way to get going here is to pull out the transcription of the video. Once you have that, reformat it into plain text, and then use this as a basis to edit. Tools like Descript are great for pulling the transcription from any video, and you can then export it to Word or Google Docs.
If your video is rambling or unstructured, you can use ChatGPT or another LLM AI to summarise the core points in more of an article form.
Remember that the nature of media types on the web is much more fluid than ever. Blog posts can encompass video embeds, images, audio, interactive elements, and more.
Consider instances where a mixed-media approach may be preferable to just pure text. Find out where the different media types can support one another. Recipes, for example, are often great when they include lists of ingredients, a summary of the method, some supporting copy, an image of how the final product is supposed to look, and a video demo.
So, as you plan out a content calendar, consider before drafting the possibility of video as part of any posts you’re writing, and bake that into the creative process. Even if you don’t have production resources to do more than a simple talking head video, it can help with EEAT factors. You can demonstrate authenticity and use the personal connection offered by video to build trust.
Don’t forget to implement Video SEO
One of the great benefits of adding video to your blog posts is that these pages can rank in video search and Google organic search.
By implementing Video SEO — which Yoast Video SEO for WordPress automates — your blog posts can appear in the “videos” tab in Google and sometimes as video results with a rich snippet in universal web search.
This means you can use video to improve user experience and drive more traffic to your blog!
Phil Nottingham
Phil Nottingham is a marketing strategist who specialises in video SEO and brand strategy and search engine optimization.
If you search for a specific company, you’ll likely see a big block of information on the right (sometimes the top) of your screen. That’s Google’s Knowledge Graph. This block – also known as the Knowledge Graph Card or Panel – contains relevant, context-specific information regarding your search, powered by the Knowledge Graph.
If you search for a specific company, the Knowledge Graph will show an almost complete profile, depending on how well they did their SEO work. Searching for a recently released movie will show posters, reviews and screening times for your local cinema. As you see, the graph is a powerful and fascinating tool. But what can you do to get your information in the Knowledge Graph?
It’s Google’s way of connecting information
Google’s core business is providing people with a correct answer to all their questions. To do that, it doesn’t just present the result that closest matches a search term, but it also makes broader connections between data. Google, therefore, collects and analyzes massive amounts of data on people, places, things and facts, and develops ways to present the findings in an accessible way. These are often rich results, like featured snippets, images carrousels or the famous Knowledge Panel mentioned in the intro of this text.
The Knowledge Graph and its panel
This is where it might get confusing: many people mix up the Knowledge Graph and the panel you see on the right-hand side of your screen. The Knowledge Graph is the engine that powers the panel that’s officially called the Knowledge Graph Card or Panel. In this card, you’ll find the most visible result of the work that the graph does. When there’s enough data about a subject, the card will be filled with all kinds of relevant facts, images, and related searches.
Check out Albert Einstein’s card in the screenshot below, and you’ll see how much information it provides.
This Knowledge Graph at the top and right side gives you all the facts about Albert Einstein
When Google released the Knowledge Graph in 2012, they made an excellent introductory video. This explains in easy-to-understand language how the graph works, and how it influences the results you get when you search for a specific term. Check out the video! It’s still as relevant today as it was then:
Examples of search results
In recent years, content presented by the Knowledge Graph has become much more interactive. Google likes to experiment with the graph, what it shows and how it’s presented. At first, it featured only static content, like images, social media profiles, and general information about the search. Today, it is continually expanding in possibilities. If you search for a movie, you can directly book tickets to see it at your local cinema. Search for a local store, and you know exactly when the busiest times are. And on mobile, the rich results are even richer!
Let’s look at some examples of Knowledge Graph listings.
Nutritional information:
Movies:
Places:
List sliders:
How do you get your content into the Knowledge Graph?
First, you need to become an authority on your subject. Find out what people search for by doing keyword research, write excellent content and make sure your site is fully optimized and mobile-friendly.
Next, you should use structured data to mark up important elements of your site to make it easier for Google to understand what it’s all about. After all, structured data in the form of Schema.org is becoming increasingly important! And finally, you should register your site with Google Search Console and My Business.
If you are a well-known person or if you own a particular company, you can claim your Knowledge Panel. After verifying, you can edit the contents of the panel to a certain extent.
Yoast SEO and the Knowledge Graph
Do you need help getting your (business) information in the Knowledge Graph? Fear no more, because Yoast SEO can help! Our Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress and Yoast SEO app for Shopify both output a complete Schema graph for your site, ready for search engines to use.
Just by setting up Yoast SEO — optionally supported by Local SEO in WordPress — and filling out the information on your site, you automatically enable the data that Google needs to fill the Knowledge Graph. After that, you can use regular SEO tactics and structured data to fill in the missing pieces. Keep in mind, though, that it’s Google that determines what it adds to its Knowledge Graph.
Conclusion
The Knowledge Graph is an important part of the search experience in Google. It powers many of the innovative new ways data shows up in the search engine. Getting your information in there is of the essence, especially if you have a business. And don’t forget to make sure that your business details are correct, you sign up for Google My Business and add everything you possibly can. Many other parts of the Knowledge Graph are generated from structured data, like reviews, movie information, events, so be sure to mark up your data in any which way you can.
Maintaining a blog is about more than just writing a bunch of blog posts. You should develop a strategy and plan your content – especially if you’re writing with multiple authors. You should also interact with your audience and respond to their comments. In this post, I’ll explain the importance of content planning and give some practical tips on how to plan your blog posts – effortlessly!
A blog post planning that works
If your blog and audience are growing and you’re getting more serious about blogging, you should make a plan for your content. This might seem unnecessary at first, but it will make your life so much easier! Especially if you work with guest bloggers or multiple authors who write about different topics.
But how do you create a proper plan? Well, we’ve got six important pointers for you:
An editorial calendar is essential if you’re working with multiple authors and you’re posting frequently. So, what is an editorial calendar? It’s a calendar in which you plot all the posts that you’re going to write the upcoming weeks, months, or even year!
This could just be an Excel sheet, but it’s easier to use an editorial plugin or a service with a drag-and-drop calendar. ThinkTrello, MeisterTask or Monday. In this calendar, you can easily assign posts to authors and editors, and (if you like) use labels for categorization.
2. Sit down and brainstorm
If you want to fill your editorial calendar, you could start with a brainstorm session. Invite all your blog authors, and sit together. Ask everyone what their ideas are and which posts they would like to write in the near future. Of course, you should use your keyword research as a basis.
While you’re brainstorming, make a list of everyone’s ideas and wishes, then plot them out on the editorial calendar. Make sure your authors finish their blog posts a few days before the publish date so you can proofread and edit if needed. Plus, you can use that time to find or create accompanying illustrations or photos.
3. Decide on frequency
You should blog regularly. Still, it’s hard to give exact numbers. For most company blogs, one daily post is fine and doable. For a personal blog, however, this probably isn’t be feasible. Try to establish some kind of frequency and stick to it. Your readers will appreciate a reliable schedule.
Once you know you can commit to your chosen schedule, make sure to communicate it to your audience, so they know what they can expect!
4. Add variation
If you often write about similar topics – beware of keyword cannibalization though – make sure to vary a little. Don’t post articles about nearly identical topics one after another. Of course, you can still write blog series, but try to vary between subjects as much as possible.
You could also make variations in the form of your content. A video post, for example, spices things up!
5. Use news and current events
When planning your content, you should take a look at your calendar as well! Are there any major events coming up that are worth mentioning in your blog post? Or should you write a few seasonal posts? Make sure to mix these ‘current-events posts’ with other posts you have lined up.
6. Use a style guide
Creating a style guide for your blog is a great way to make sure everyone writes and spells in the same way. Of course, we should all write in a grammatically correct way, but the use of capitals and brand names could differ. As all authors write for the same blog, it will create more unity if everyone spells the important words in the same way.
In the style guide, you could also agree on the length of your posts, the use of paragraphs and headings, and the use of images. It should be a document in which you write down all the things that have to be consistent in your posts. And don’t forget to add some pointers for SEO copywriting as well!
If you work with an occasional guest blogger, a style guide could be a great document to help them write a post that fits the style of your blog as well.
Content planning will help you grow!
A growing blog will ask for more content planning, especially if you’re working with multiple authors. It’s important to agree on style, the topics you want to write about, and the number of blog posts you want to publish. And don’t forget to evaluate your content strategy from time to time. As long as authors keep on working and talking together, a blog with multiple authors can be a great success and make your site grow even further!
Cindy is a content manager at Yoast. She writes and optimizes blog posts, and enjoys writing content that will help people create better content for their site and users.
You want your content to rank. We understand! But you have to be careful that you don’t go overboard in your optimization strategies. So what is the difference between SEO and over-optimization? And how do you recognize an over-optimized website? In this post, we will answer both questions!
What is over-optimization?
We believe that a website is over-optimized if the techniques aimed at ranking high harm the quality of the site. In such a case, visitors of the website will have a different and worse experience.
For example: if your texts become hard or annoying to read, then you’re probably stuffing them with keywords you want to be found on. Perhaps there are uncountable numbers of links on your website, and you’re probably trying to over-optimize your anchor texts.
Ways you can over-optimize your site
Let’s look at all the ways you can over-optimize your site, so you know what not to do.
Keyword stuffing
Keyword stuffing is the most obvious way to over-optimize your website. Of course, using your keyword a number of times will help with your ranking. Google will understand what your post is about and rank it accordingly. Over-optimized text, however, is unreadable. If you put your keyword in every (other) sentence, your text will become terrible to read. Nobody wants to read a blog post about pink ballet shoes if every sentence contains the keyword [pink ballet shoes]. Even people who are genuinely interested in pink ballet shoes will get annoyed.
Too many internal links
You might not immediately think about site structure when you think about over-optimizing your website. But if you point all your internal and external links to your homepage or contact page, because you want them to rank high, you’re definitely not doing it right.
If you want to have a good site structure, your internal and external links should go to your in-depth content and your homepage. A good rule of thumb is 50% to your homepage and other main navigation pages, and 50% to your in-depth pages or content.
Ranking for non-relevant keywords
It might be tempting to try to rank for popular search terms. After all, more people will see your site! But that’s not necessarily true. If this ‘extra’ keyword or keyphrase has nothing to do with your content, people will realize your content isn’t helpful and leave your site. This won’t look good to Google. In fact, having too much content optimized for unrelated keywords could even make your site rank lower in the search result pages.
Another way to over-optimize your site is by stuffing your footer with keywords and links. They don’t really add any value to your SEO, since they aren’t crawled often and Google devalues footer links. But you are risking over-optimization.
Besides, having a cluttered footer also makes for a poor user experience. People mostly use a footer to get referred to your socials or easily access your contact details. And as we always say: you should design and optimize your website for your users, not Google.
Consequences of an over-optimizated website
If you’re taking the optimization of your content a little too far, you are risking a Panda penalty. If Panda hits you, you’ll notice a sudden drop in your rankings. Over-optimizing your content could, therefore, backfire.
And that’s just Google. An over-optimized site also has consequences for your UX, and therefore for your users. A post stuffed with keywords isn’t easy or fun to read, and a text full of links isn’t attractive either. Would you want to share that type of content on social media? Probably not. So, an over-optimized website can also cause you to receive less social media attention. The bottom line: if your visitors get annoyed, they’ll be less inclined to buy something or return to your website.
Our advice for over-optimization
Though you may have good intentions, an over-optimized website means there’s too much of a good thing. It implies that the UX or readability of your website has suffered from your SEO strategy. At Yoast, we practice holistic SEO. This is backed up by Google, who states they want to give the user the best result. With our SEO strategy, we always aim to the best result.
So, write the best content, make sure the UX of your site is flawless, cover all technical aspects, and take care of the security of your site. Without making any concessions to the quality of your site, you can do numerous things to optimize your site for the search engines.
Cindy is a content manager at Yoast. She writes and optimizes blog posts, and enjoys writing content that will help people create better content for their site and users.
At Yoast, we like to say: “Content is king”. But what does that mean? In short, it means you need content to rank. But not just any content. It needs to be meaningful and original. In this SEO basics post, we’ll explain why you need content to make your site attractive for visitors. We’ll also explain why Google dislikes low quality or thin content, and what you can do about it.
What is thin content?
Thin content is content that has little or no value to the user. Google considers low-quality affiliate pages, doorway pages (pages optimized for a keyword that redirect the user to another page), or simply pages with very little to no content as thin content pages.
But don’t fall into the trap of just producing loads of very similar content! Non-original pages, pages with scraped and duplicate content are considered thin content pages too. And Google doesn’t like pages that are stuffed with keywords either, because it has learned to distinguish between valuable and low-quality content, especially since Google Panda. That’s why Google has also launched the Helpful Content update, to further differentiate between helpful and original content, and low-quality content.
What does Google want?
Google tries to provide the best results for their users. The best result is usually the one that matches the search intent of the user. So, if you want to rank high, you have to convince Google that you’re answering the question of the user.
When we look at it this way, it makes sense why thin content rarely qualifies as the best result. If there’s not enough information, people will likely not find their answer. So try to write enjoyable and informative copy. Not just to make Google happy, but (even more importantly) to make your users happy.
Now that you understand what Google wants, it’s time to write meaningful copy about the keywords you’d like to rank for. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem if you blog about something you’re passionate about. After all, if you write about a topic you love (and probably know everything about), it’ll be easy to show Google that your content contains an expert’s point of view!
I don’t know how to write longer content
Every situation is different. We understand that it’s not always possible to write an elaborate text about everything. For instance, if you own an online shop that sells hundreds of different computer parts, it can be a challenge to write an extensive text about everything.
Our advice: make sure that every page has some original introductory content, instead of just an image and a buy button next to the price. If you sell lots of products that are very alike, you could also choose to optimize the category page instead of the product page or use canonicals to prevent duplicate content issues.
How do we help you?
Have you heard of our content analysis checks? It’s part of the Yoast SEO plugin, and it helps you write awesome copy. For example, one of the checks is to write at least 300 words per page or posts. This ensures that you won’t publish thin content. We also check if you haven’t used the same keyword before, which helps prevent you from creating similar content.
And what about keyword stuffing? Yep, we check for that too! Our keyword density check shows you if you’ve used your keyword too many or too little, so you get a nicely optimized and natural-sounding text. That’s why you should make sure at least these lights are green!
If you want to take it one step further, you can use our readability check. This allows you to make sure that the quality of your text is good, and that readers can easily understand your content.
Next steps
Really want to learn how to create content that ranks? Then you may want to give our SEO copywriting training a try! It guides you through the entire process of keyword research and content creation. This training will help you to develop skills to write awesome content for your website!
Cindy is a content manager at Yoast. She writes and optimizes blog posts, and enjoys writing content that will help people create better content for their site and users.
Great SEO forms the foundation of your online store, setting the stage for increased visibility and traffic. Yet, the real magic happens when you blend this with a strong content marketing strategy for your online shop. This is where you transform casual clicks into a captivated audience, ready to explore what your online shop has to offer! It’s not just about being seen; it’s about creating a connection that turns visitors into valued customers. In this blog post, we’ll guide you on creating a content marketing strategy that breathes life into your online business. Get ready to boost your sales and succeed in the world of ecommerce!
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is the art of creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage a target audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for newsletters, or sharing your content. It’s about understanding the needs and questions of your customers and providing the answers through quality content.
Unlike traditional marketing, content marketing turns the spotlight away from the products themselves and shines it on the story, the context, and the value they add to the customer’s life. It’s not a pitch; it’s a conversation. It’s how brands today build a loyal following by offering tidbits of wisdom, entertainment, and inspiration without asking for anything in return—at least not right away.
Why is content marketing important for your online shop?
Within the world of ecommerce, content marketing becomes the bridge between online visibility and conversion. It’s important because it answers your audience’s questions and helps you build trust, develop relationships, improve conversions, and generate leads. Customers consistently expect high-quality content from their favorite brands. Content marketing also helps improve your visibility in search engine results, which is crucial for attracting customers in a space where the competition is only a click away. It also provides a means to keep your audience engaged with your brand between purchases.
7 strategies to unlock ecommerce success
Content marketing includes many different types of content, like blogging, social media, video and so much more. Here, we’ll guide you through these options and help you make the right choice for your specific needs and goals.
1. Effective blogging strategies
Blogging is a fundamental content marketing strategy for online shops. Regularly publishing informative and engaging blog posts related to your products or industry can attract and educate potential customers. It also provides valuable content for search engines to index, improving your SEO.
For ecommerce, this means creating blog posts that not only showcase your products but also provide actionable advice. For instance, if you’re selling eco-friendly products, a blog post on “10 easy ways to make your home greener” can educate your audience while subtly introducing your products. Or if you’re selling jeans you can create content surrounding the topic of jeans, like how to wash your jeans. Use keyword research to guide your topics, ensuring they’re not only interesting but also SEO-proof!
Zappos has a blog with content on various relevant topics, like jeans
Social media is your digital storefront where your brand’s personality shines. It’s not just about promotion; it’s about connection. Create a content mix that includes product highlights, customer testimonials, and even memes that align with your brand voice. For example, if you have a new line of kitchenware, why not run a “Recipe of the Week” feature on Instagram with pictures of meals made using your products? Engage with your followers by asking them to share their own creations.
Email isn’t dead; it’s one of the most direct ways to reach your customer. Segment your audience and tailor your messages. A customer who bought a tent from your outdoor shop might appreciate an email about the top 10 camping spots in their area, along with a special offer on camping gear. Use automation to trigger emails based on customer behavior, like a follow-up email with care tips after a purchase, to keep your brand at the forefront of their minds.
An example of a follow-up email from an outdoor company
Video is a dynamic way to showcase your products in action. For example, if you sell fitness equipment, a series of short workout videos can demonstrate the versatility of your products. These can be shared across platforms, from YouTube to TikTok, depending on where your audience spends their time. Remember, videos can also be repurposed; a live Q&A session on Facebook can later be edited into bite-sized tips for other platforms!
Did you know that there’s also such a thing as video SEO? Video SEO is optimizing your videos and video content pages to make them appear in the regular search results for the keywords you want them to be found for. There are primarily two strategies for video optimization: one aims to increase your website’s visibility in video and universal search results (Video SEO), while the other focuses on boosting the presence of your videos on various social media platforms and ensuring they are prominent within Google search results (this includes optimizing for platforms like YouTube, Facebook, etc.). Want to learn more? Learn how to rank your videos with our guide on Video SEO.
5. Create an editorial calendar as a roadmap
An editorial calendar is your content compass. Tools like Trello or Asana can help you visualize your content strategy and ensure that your team is on the same page. This calendar should be flexible; be ready to adapt to trends or breaking news relevant to your audience. It also helps you plan for seasonal content, like a summer essentials guide for your fashion store, ensuring you’re always ahead of the trend.
What Trello looks like
6. Optimized product descriptions for SEO
Your product descriptions are where SEO meets persuasion. Instead of just listing features, tell a story. For a coffee machine, don’t just talk about the technical specs; describe the aroma of fresh coffee that fills the room. Use keywords naturally, and remember to optimize for long-tail keywords, like “energy-efficient Italian espresso machine,” which can capture a more targeted audience.
7. Enhance product visibility with structured data
Structured data is like a secret handshake with search engines. It translates your product information into a language they understand, which can lead to richer search results. For example, by using Schema.org markup, you can make sure your guitars show up with ratings and prices right in the search results, making it easier for customers to make a decision.
Example of 5-star review rich result for Fender Guitarre
Optimizing your product descriptions with structured data is a game-changer in how your products appear in search results. By leveraging the Yoast WooCommerce SEO plugin or the Yoast SEO for Shopify app you can enhance your product listings with rich snippets, thanks to Schema.org structured data integration. This makes your listings more eye-catching with ratings, price, and availability directly visible in search results. Yoast SEO simplifies the process; you’re not just listing products; you’re providing a richer, more informative search experience that can translate into better visibility and higher sales.
Achieving ecommerce excellence through content marketing
Ecommerce content marketing is not just about selling; it’s about creating a narrative that weaves your products into the lives of your customers. Embrace content marketing as a powerful tool and use these strategies to build that narrative and watch your online shop thrive!
Iris Guelen is Yoast’s Content Lead. She loves to write and is responsible for Yoast’s content strategy. Making sure you get top-notch content through articles, email, social media, video, and more!
Nowadays, it’s easy to run a blog. Simply head to your generative AI tool of choice, insert a prompt, and you’re good to go. But is it really that simple? Spoiler: no. Generated content isn’t as original as something you’ve written yourself. And there’s another thing AI doesn’t take into account: accessibility.
With over 100 million users, ChatGPT is an AI tool that most people know and use. And it’s easy to see why: within seconds, you can be a content writer too. No need to hire other people, which means you can spend your valuable money on other aspects of your business.
Except that’s not really how it works. A computer isn’t human. It doesn’t know your audience the way you do. You might prompt it to sound hip and relatable for people between 18 and 25 who are interested in gaming, but how nuanced will that text be?
Besides, there’s one thing generative AI tools can’t help you with: accessibility.
Know your audience – no, really
Did you know that 1.3 billion people have a disability? That’s 16% of the global population. Chances are at least some of your audience has a disability, too. So have you taken them into account?
Because, let’s face it, AI tools haven’t. ChatGPT is a known perpetrator of biases, and other tools are no exception. They don’t concern themselves with diversity, because they’re not human. But you are. So, tell me: How many people in your audience have a visual impairment? How many are colorblind? Do you know? And, perhaps more importantly, do you care?
Why accessibility matters
An alternative title would be ‘why you should care about other people’, because that’s what it boils down to. Do you want other people to have access to the same information that you do? Then, you’ll want to put in an effort into making your site, blog, and product accessible for everyone.
If that’s not enough reason, then think about your profits. Your clicks. Your traffic. If you haven’t catered to people with disabilities or visual impairment before, they’re essentially an untapped market. Consider people who are colorblind and can’t use your product, for example. By focusing on accessibility, you’ll create an app or product everyone can use. Isn’t that wonderful?
Can’t you have both?
I get it. Time is money, and by using generative tools, you’re saving both. So, is there no hope at all? If we’re looking at content, the answer is: yes, but. You can use AI tools to make it easier to write content. But you should use them as just that: tools.
Let’s look at it this way: by writing content, generative AI will save you time. You won’t have to come up with blog post topics or struggle to write a single paragraph. Instead, you’ll have more time to review and edit and to ensure your content is easy to read for people with disabilities. That’s a win-win, isn’t it?
A few quick tips
Let’s say you’ve generated a blog post. Now, you want to make sure it’s easy to read for people who use a screen reader, for example. Here’s a couple of things you should look out for:
Keep your sentences short. It’s easier to keep track of the point you’re trying to make if your sentences are short. Between 20 and 25 words is perfect.
Don’t use acronymsor abbreviations. Screen readers won’t read those like a human would. They spell them out, letter by letter. If you’re writing for your business, this might not be a problem, because it looks more professional if you write it out.
Make sure images have Alt-Text or Alt Tags. Because that’s what screen readers will read aloud. So, use factually correct and accurate information to describe the images on your blog and site.
If you need more tips, we’ve got a post that discusses how to write good alt texts. The post is about social media, but the information is useful for your site and blog as well.
Conclusion: don’t give AI too much power
Truth be told, the problem with AI tools is how much power people give them. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: they’re tools. You’re meant to use them to your advantage, not let them run wild like a Roomba and trust that they’ll keep your house clean.
Because just like a Roomba isn’t good at cleaning corners (because it’s a circle), generative AI tools can’t create diverse, personal, and accessible content. You’ve got to do at least some of the work yourself. And trust us, it’s worth it!
Cindy is a content manager at Yoast. She writes and optimizes blog posts, and enjoys writing content that will help people create better content for their site and users.
Whether you’re writing a new blog post or working on your product pages, chances are you’ll find yourself asking whether your page needs an image. The answer is always “Yes”. Images bring a page to life and contribute to your website’s SEO. But don’t worry; we’ll help you figure out where to find the right image and optimize it for SEO in no time. Let’s get started!
Table of contents
Always use images
Images, when used correctly, will help readers better understand your article. Or get a better idea of the product or service you’re offering. The old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” probably doesn’t apply to Google. But it’s true when you need to spice up 1,000 dull words, illustrate what you mean in a chart, or make your social media posts more enticing.
It’s a simple recommendation: add images to every article you write or page you create to make them more appealing. Moreover, with the search landscape rapidly changing and not just relying on text anymore, adding visuals to your pages will benefit your SEO.
Visual search is still very much part of the equation — as was already apparent in Google’s vision for the future of search a few years ago. But with AI and other multimedia developments on the rise, optimizing your images (and videos, for that matter) makes it easier for search engines and people to find you. Making that effort to optimize your images can provide you with a nice bit of traffic.
When you go to Google Images, you’ll notice it now comes with filters, metadata, and attribution. This shows us that Google increasingly knows what’s in an image and how that image fits into the larger context.
A Google Image Search shows much more than just images
Finding the right image
It’s always better to use original images – high-quality photos you have taken – than stock photos. Your team page needs pictures of your actual team. Not this dude on the right or one of his other stock photo friends.
Your article needs an image relevant to its subject. If you’re adding a random photo just to get a green bullet in the Yoast SEO content analysis, you’re doing it wrong. The image should reflect the post’s topic or have illustrative purposes within the article. Also, try to place the image near the relevant text. If you have a central image or an image you’re trying to rank, try to keep that near the top of the page if possible without feeling forced. There is a simple image SEO reason for all of this. An image with related text ranks better for the keyword it is optimized for. But we’ll go into image SEO later on in this article.
Alternatives
Don’t you have any original images you can use on your website? There are other ways to find unique images. Flickr: Creative Commons and Unsplash are great image sources, for instance, as you can use Creative Commons images. Remember to check out the restrictions and attribute the original photographer when you use one of their images. Our blog post gives you an overview of where to get great images. Steer clear of obvious stock photos. And if you insist on using stock photos, pick the ones that look more genuine. But whatever you use, you’ll probably find that images with people in them tend to look like stock photos. Unless you took the photos yourself, which (in our opinion) is always the best idea.
Apparent alternatives for photos are illustrations or graphs, which is what we at Yoast often use. Also, an honorable mention should go to animated GIFs, which are prevalent today.
Animated GIFs are cool but heavy-loading
Even though animated GIFs are popular, stay moderate. It’ll make your post more challenging to read, as the movement of the image distracts your readers’ attention. Also, not unimportant and good to mention is that they can slow down your page.
Preparing images for use in your article
Once you’ve found the right image – a photo, illustration, or chart – the next step is optimizing it for your website. So before you add your image, there are a few things you need to think about:
Choose the right file name
Yes, we’re serious. Image SEO starts with the file name. You would like Google to know what the image is about without even looking at it. So, use your focus keyphrase in the image file name. It’s simple: if you’re writing an article on Notre Dame and use an image showing a sunrise in Paris over the Notre Dame Cathedral, the file name shouldn’t be DSC4536.jpg. A proper file name would be notre-dame-paris-sunrise.jpg. That way, the photo’s main subject (and perhaps your article) is at the beginning of the file name.
Choose the right format
For images, the right format doesn’t exist. It depends on the kind of image and how you want to use it. In short, we recommend to:
Choose JPEG for larger photos or illustrations. It will give you good results in terms of colors and clarity with a relatively small file size;
use PNG if you want to preserve background transparency in your image;
or use WebP instead of JPEG and PNG. It will produce high-quality results with smaller file sizes. You can use tools like Squoosh to convert your image into WebP.
use SVG for logos and icons. With the help of CSS or JavaScript, you can manage images in SVG format. For instance, resize them without loss of quality.
If you know a large part of your audience uses specific browsers or devices, check whether those browsers on CanIuse.com support your preferred format. When you’ve chosen the correct name and format, it’s time to resize and optimize your image!
Scale for image SEO
Loading times are essential for user experience and SEO overall. The faster the site, the easier for users and search engines to visit a page. Images significantly impact loading times, especially when you upload a huge image to display it small. For example, a 2500×1500 pixels image displayed at 250×150 pixels size.
Even if it is displayed a lot smaller, the entire image still has to be loaded. So, resize the image to the size you want to display it. WordPress helps you do this by automatically providing images in multiple sizes after uploading them. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the file size is also optimized; that’s just the image display size. So think about the size in which you upload your images!
Use responsive images
This one is essential for SEO as well. And if you’re using WordPress, it’s done automatically since it was added by default in WordPress 4.4. Images should have the srcset attribute, which makes it possible to serve a different image per screen width, is especially useful for mobile devices.
Reduce file size
The next step in image SEO is to ensure your scaled image is compressed. That way, it’s served in the smallest file size possible. It is good to know that WordPress does compress the images you upload. But, unfortunately, this automatic compression often isn’t enough to rely on it alone.
Of course, you could export the image and experiment with quality percentages. But we prefer to use the highest possible quality images, especially given the popularity of high-resolution screens in mobile and desktop devices.
Tools like JPEGmini can drastically reduce image file sizes without artifacts
Specifying width and height for images in CSS can significantly improve your website’s user experience and overall performance. By setting explicit dimensions for your images, you can optimize the layout and prevent content from shifting while the images load. This practice is essential for improving Core Web Vitals, including Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).
When you define the width and height properties for images in CSS, the browser can allocate the required space for the image before it is fully loaded. This allows the browser to render the content more accurately and avoids unexpected layout shifts, which can be incredibly frustrating for users.
Here are some key benefits of doing this:
Prevents layout shifts: By setting the exact dimensions of images, you reserve the appropriate space for them. This ensures that other content on the page doesn’t shift or jump around when the images load. Users can start consuming the content without distractions, leading to a better user experience.
Improves page loading speed: When the browser knows the dimensions of an image in advance, it can allocate space for it while other page elements continue to load. This helps to optimize the page loading speed, particularly the LCP metric, as the largest contentful element’s space is reserved from the start.
Optimizes browser rendering: Knowing the image dimensions allows the browser to perform better in rendering and painting. It can allocate resources efficiently and optimize the rendering pipeline, resulting in a smoother and faster browsing experience.
To specify width and height you can use either inline styles or external stylesheets for images in CSS. Here’s an example:
img {
width: 500px; /* Set the desired width */
height: 300px; /* Set the desired height */
}
Instead of using fixed pixel values, you can use relative units like percentages or viewport-based units (e.g., vw, vh) to make the image responsive and adapt to different screen sizes.
It’s important to note that specifying the dimensions in CSS only sets the image’s display size and not its actual file size. To optimize image file sizes for faster loading, consider compressing and resizing images before uploading them to your website.
By specifying width and height for your images in CSS, you improve your website’s overall performance, visual stability, and user experience. Combine this practice with other image SEO techniques, such as proper image formats, compression, and lazy loading, for maximum impact on your website’s speed and Core Web Vitals.
Adding the image to your article
While Google is improving at recognizing what’s in an image, you shouldn’t rely on their abilities yet. It all comes down to you providing the context for that image — so fill in as much as you can! We’ll discuss how below.
When your image is ready to use, don’t just throw it into your article anywhere. As mentioned earlier, adding it close to related textual content helps a lot. It makes sure the text is as relevant to the image as the image is to the text, something users and Google prefer.
Captions
The image caption is the text that accompanies the image on the page. If you look at the images in this article, it’s the text in the gray box below each one. Why are captions important for image SEO? Because people use them when scanning an article. People tend to scan headings, images and captions as they scan a web page. Way back in 1997, Jakob Nielsen wrote:
“Elements that enhance scanning include headings, large type, bold text, highlighted text, bulleted lists, graphics, captions, topic sentences, and tables of contents.”
Do you need to add captions to every image? No, because sometimes images serve other purposes. Decide whether you want to use yours for SEO as well or not. You should only add captions where it would make sense to the visitor for one to be there. Think about the visitor first, and don’t add a caption just for image SEO purposes.
alt text
The alt text (or alt tag) is added to an image, so descriptive text will be in place if the image can’t be displayed to the visitor for any reason. We can’t put it any better than Wikipedia:
“In situations where the image is not available to the reader, perhaps because they have turned off images in their web browser or are using a screen reader due to a visual impairment, the alternative text ensures that no information or functionality is lost.”
The alt text is there to enhance your website’s accessibility. So be sure to add alt text to the images you use. Also, consider including the SEO keyphrase for that page if appropriate. Do not stuff the alt text of every image with keywords. Most importantly, please describe what’s in the picture so search engines and people can understand it. The more relevant information surrounding an image, the more search engines deem this image important.
However, please remember that not every image needs an alt text. Instead, consider alt text as a part of your content and add it where it makes sense. For instance, if you have an image purely for decorative reasons, then that image doesn’t need an alt text. In this case, having an alt text doesn’t bring any value to your readers. On the other hand, if you use an image with a statistic, let’s say – the number of people who searched for ice cream last month, then this should be reflected in the alt text. You can find guidance for alt text in this W3’s article.
title text
Some browsers show the title text as a ‘tooltip’ when hovering over an image. Chrome shows the title text as was intended. Images’ titles are similar, and many people who use titles copy the alt text. But more and more people leave them out altogether. Why is that? Here’s Mozilla’s take:
“title has a number of accessibility problems, mainly based around the fact that screen reader support is very unpredictable and most browsers won’t show it unless you are hovering with a mouse (so e.g. no access to keyboard users).”
Including supporting information in the main article text is better than attaching it to the image.
Adding structured data to your pages can help search engines display your images as rich results. While Google says structured data doesn’t help you rank higher, it does help to achieve a more fleshed-out listing in Image Search.
Google has a few guidelines you need to follow if you want your images to appear rich in image search. For one, when specifying an image as a structured data property, please ensure that the image belongs to the instance of that type. In addition, your image should have the image attribute, and your pictures should be crawlable and indexable. You can find them all in Google’s Structured Data General Guidelines.
Yoast SEO automatically adds the correct structured data to several images on your site. For example, your logo or the images you add to the how-to articles you build with our blocks. The plugin finds at least one relevant image on any page to add to the structured data graph. This way, Yoast SEO can describe your page properly to search engines. Want to learn more about structured data? Enroll in our free Structured data training course to learn more about adding structured data to your pages!
Recipes with proper image structured data get a label on Google Images
OpenGraph and social sharing
Earlier on, we mentioned using images for social sharing. If you add the following image tag to the section in your page HTML like this:
That will ensure the image is included in your share on Facebook or Twitter/X (OpenGraph is also used for other social media platforms like Pinterest).
Yoast SEO has a Social media appearance section where you can set and – in the Premium version – even preview your social posts. Make sure to use a high-quality image, like the original image you used in the post, as social platforms often use higher quality/larger images. If you have set this up correctly, and it’s not showing the right image, try to flush Facebook’s cache in the URL Debugger. The Twitter/X Card Validator does the same for Twitter.
XML image sitemaps
As a web developer, you might wonder about XML image sitemaps. We’d prefer to describe this as images in XML sitemaps. Google is clear about this:
Additionally, you can use Google image extensions for sitemaps to give Google more information about the images available on your pages. Image sitemap information helps Google discover images that we might not otherwise find (such as images your site reaches with JavaScript code), and allows you to indicate images on your site that you want Google to crawl and index.
Now and then, people ask us about XML image sitemaps. We don’t generate these in our plugin but follow Google’s advice and include them in the page or post sitemaps. Just scroll down in our post sitemap and see we have added images to all our posts (there is a column just for that). Adding images to your XML sitemaps helps Google index your images, so be sure to do so for better image SEO.
Serving images via an image CDN
We all know CDNs as one of the most popular site speed optimizations. Some companies that provide CDNs also have a specific CDN for images. The image CDNs are built around basic tasks: to optimize your images and get them to your visitor as fast as possible. Running an image CDN can speed up the delivery of your images many, many times.
An image CDN lets you handle the transformation, optimization and delivery of images. You can determine what loads when and how that should work. For instance, all your PNG images should be converted to webp on-the-fly because these load fastest and give the best image quality. An image CDN has loads of options to fine-tune the process, but there’s often a default setting that’s probably best for most sites.
There are loads of image CDNs to choose from, like Sirv, Cloudinary and Imagekit. Also, platforms like Cloudflare let you determine how to resize, reformat and serve images.
Image SEO: summary
Image SEO is the sum of a number of elements. With Google getting better at recognizing elements in images every day, it makes sense to make sure the image and its elements contribute to a good user experience as well as SEO. It would be foolish to try to kid Google.
Keep these 12 things in mind when adding an image to an article:
Use a relevant image that matches your text
Pick a good file name for your image
Make sure image dimensions match the image size as displayed
Use srcset if possible
Reduce file size for faster loading
Specify width and height for your images
Add a caption, if appropriate, for easier scanning of the page
