The Absolute 12 Best SEO Articles of 2017

SEO is misunderstood by many small business owners, so we've put together some of the best resources of 2017 to help take the guesswork out of SEO. We hope you enjoy...

“SEO is only not seen as rocket science by those who already know it” – Danny Sullivan

Without further adieu here are the best SEO articles of 2017.

1. SEO Basics: What is SEO?

by Marieke van de Rakt

This article is a must-read, especially for beginners on search engine optimization. SEO has been around for years, but most of us still don't know what it means. This is a great introduction to the subject. I like how simple she explained the basic ideas of SEO.

2. 19 Advanced SEO Techniques That’ll Double Your Search Traffic

by Neil Patel

I am a huge fan of Mr. Neil Patel. Not only that he publishes content on his website regularly, but every single article he writes is insightful. This article is a great example of how he highlights Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as a powerful digital marketing strategy that can help small businesses. It talks about different techniques that are very helpful, easy to understand, and easy to apply.

3. On-Page SEO: Anatomy of a Perfectly Optimized Page (2017 Update)

by Brian Dean

Backlinko is another great website for your regular dose of all things Search Engine Optimization. It is where small business owners and marketers turn for helpful tips and tricks related to SEO. This article, in particular, talks about On-Page SEO and how you can optimize your page in an easy and convenient way.

4. The Periodic Table of SEO Success Factors: 2017 edition now released

by Danny Sullivan

I never knew that a periodic table could be used as a guide towards a successful SEO campaign. I wasn't a fan of chemistry in high school, but this article from Search Engine Land definitely caught my attention. It talks about On-Page and Off-Page SEO, and the different factors that are in play. Each factor has a two-letter symbol exactly like the ones in the periodic table of elements.The article also talks about how to understand the table and what changed from the previous one.

“Never lose sight of the fact that all SEO ranking signals revolve around content of some kind.” – Duane Forrester

5. When SEO isn’t your SEO problem

by Casie Gillette

The first time I read the title of this article, I thought, it won't be very helpful to me; but then I immediately realized the underlying message. This article will make you realize what you could be doing wrong with your SEO efforts. The best part? Useful tips and tricks. I recommend reading the whole article to learn how to improve your small business SEO strategy.

6. 4 Most Important Ranking Factors, According to SEO Industry Studies

by Aleh Barysevich

In 2017, have you figured out which factors are affecting your ranking? I know that this is difficult to answer. Now that the year is ending, you should at least have an idea of what these factors are. Search Engine Journal put together an article that enumerates the most important SEO ranking factors and how to optimize them to have a better ranking. These factors are content, backlinks, mobile-first user experience and other technical factors like encryption, H1 and H2 headings, anchor texts, and interstitials.

7.  How to Audit & Gain Insights from Your Keyword Lists

by Wells Yu

Let's be honest, building a strong keywords list poses challenges. Most small business owners neglect how important it is to adapt to Google's changing algorithms. One of the reasons why I follow folks from Search Engine Journal is their ability to explain how we can nail our SEO efforts. This article talks about how to improve keywords lists and rank higher in search engines. I am 100% sure that with the right technique and perseverance, your keywords list will be a hit.

8. Which of My Competitor's Keywords Should (& Shouldn't ) I Target? - Whiteboard Friday

by Rand Fishkin

Because of the importance of an effective keywords list, I decided to share another article about it. As the title suggests, this article from Moz.com talks about your competition's best practices that you should apply. It also talks about what keywords to avoid. I suggest that you watch the 7-minute video first before continuing.

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9. The Definitive Guide to Higher Rankings for WordPress Sites 

by Joost de Valk

This article from Yoast is helpful to WordPress users. It talks about basic and advanced WordPress SEO, effective template optimization, conversion and comment optimization, and how to measure results. You can use the table of contents if you want to jump from one topic to another.

10. How Google AdWords (PPC) Does and Doesn't Affect Organic Results - Whiteboard Friday

by Rand Fishkin

This is another great piece of content from Rand Fishkin of Moz.com. Pay-per-click advertising is the opposite of traditional advertising in terms of strategy and expenses. This article tackles how PPC affects organic results. Again, I would watch the 7-minute video first before anything else.

11.  What are the SEO Benefits of Social Media?

by Simon Ensor

I read somewhere that "If you are not earning from social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, then you are not using it right.". I agree. Search Engine Watch published this article to shed light on the advantages of SEO on social media. This helps small business owners rethink their social media strategy to increase visibility.

12.  The Definitive Guide To SEO In 2018

by Brian Dean

2017 taught us a lot of SEO lessons that we can surely apply in 2018. This article from Backlinko outlines what small business owners should expect in next year's ball game. Just like what he said in the article "This is NOT a lame “SEO in 2018” predictions post.", it is more geared towards new ideas that we should pay attention to.

We only have a few days left before a new year starts. What have you done to improve your SEO strategy this year? What techniques are you going to continue or discontinue in 2018?

Let us know in the comments. Cheers to another year full of prosperity, learning, and success!

About the Author

Tim Fitzpatrick is the President & Founder of Rialto Mobile Marketing. At Rialto Mobile Marketing we create marketing systems to help small businesses achieve simple, sustainable growth. We’re the bridge between where you are and where you want to be.