Seven Steps to Improved SEO
?Someone once humorously said, "The best place to hide a dead body is on the second page of a Google search."
Why?
Because almost nobody looks there.
?Page #1 is where you'll get all the action and traction for your company.
So, how do you get onto Page #1?
?If you've been in business, you've been bombarded by SEO experts telling you, "Pay us $XXXX.XX and we'll get you on the first page of Google very quickly."
By now, you've likely been burned by an SEO "expert" or two.
?You realize that there are SEO specialists out there who know what they are doing and can help boost rankings. But on the flip side, many more "experts" aren't skilled and can't back up their big promises with measurable SEO results.
So, what do you do?
?Well, you do some research. Ask around and find an SEO specialist that comes highly recommended by someone that you trust. (Someone that has gotten results based on the SEO specialist's efforts.) But until you find that SEO specialist that's able to help level up your website's positioning in search engine rankings, here are seven SEO best practices that you can put into practice immediately.
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#1 – Write Relevant, Authoritative Content for Better SEO Results
When the internet was young, and there was little competition for attention, you could write just about anything on a topic and easily find it by people interested in your case.
But times have changed.?
Today, you've got to be able to demonstrate a mastery of the topic at hand. Google's algorithms are good at sniffing out the imposters and copycats.
So, what makes content "authoritative"?
In an?article?for OKWrite.co, Tom Heigh puts it like this, "…authoritative content is unique content that informs the reader, demonstrates subject expertise, and provides the right level of depth for the target audience. It's a piece of content that will help the reader answer their question or find the information they're searching for. Authoritative content establishes your website as an expert on the subject and a trusted voice."
We'll get to some ideas for authoritative content in another section, but for now, let's continue.
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#2 - Keep Content Updated for Better SEO Results
We are living in an information economy. Some information is more valuable than others, right? Although interesting from a historical perspective, outdated information is nearly useless to the person looking for answers today.
Revisit some of your older blog posts and web pages and update them with new pointers and recent statistics and quotations to keep your content fresh. Then, label the page as updated and update the date, so Google and the reader know that the info they are getting is new and actionable.
For example:
If your original page was "What green energy can do for your home."?
Revamp the article with fresh info and rename it something like, "What 2022 Green Energy Can Do For Your Home."
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#3 – Do Keyword Research for Better SEO Results
Although there is a little bit of work and strategy to keywords, it's well worth your time to find and focus on a set of keywords for your site.
Moz.com has an excellent?article?on keywords. If you boil down everything on your page — all the images, video, copy, etc. — to simple words and phrases, those are your primary keywords."?
"Keywords are ideas and topics that define the content of the article. In terms of SEO, they're the words and phrases that searchers enter into search engines, also called "search queries."
It's important to point out that your business isn't likely to be able to quickly rank on the first page of Google based on a single word. SEO takes time.
For example, if you sold swimming pools and wanted to work hard and write articles around the word "pool" as the keyword, you likely won't succeed.
However, if you use a 'longtail keyword' (which is a phrase) like "best swimming pools for cool climates," you would get ranked highly for that longtail keyword and attract people searching with that phrase or something similar.
There are many helpful keyword research tools – some free, some paid. You should utilize one in coming up with your list of keywords and phrases.
Here's a shortlist:
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#4 - Build Stuff Other People Want to Link to – and Get Better SEO Results
When business leaders think about blog or webpage content, they often dash to a writer to create a wall of copy for that page. Although that "wall of text" may say what the business owner wants it to say, it often doesn't hit the mark when it comes to "shareability."
Keep in mind that while working on your website, thousands of other people in your niche do the same thing. They're all wanting credible, authoritative sources to back up the claims and assertions made on their website.
So what do they do??
They find a site with a study, statistic, or quote they feel backs up their point of view, and they link to that "authority source."?
That's what you want.?
You want people linking to your site. (What SEO experts call "backlinks").?
Google looks at backlinks to see how many people think that your webpage or blog article is worth mentioning on their site.
Why don't most sites get lots of legitimate backlinks?
The answer: because written content doesn't have backlinks. Built content does.?
Think about producing content that draws upon resources like:?
These kinds of "built" content are far more effective than a page o original copy. It does take time and work to do the research, but these are the pages that demonstrate authority in your niche. Using credible backlinks makes the kind of content that others will cite and link to from their pages, triggering Google to take note of your status as a "subject matter authority."
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#5 – Answer Regular People's Questions to Get Better SEO Results
Ask yourself this question. "Why do people search the internet?"
Because they have questions, that' why.
Well, why should Google show them your website?
You have the answer to the question that they've typed into Google's search bar; that's why.
?Sites like?AnswerthePublic.com?and the suggestions that Google gives in the "People also ask" and "Related Searches" sections give you a great place to start your search for questions to answer in your content.
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#6 – Do Internal Linking to Get Better SEO Results
Internal linking is when you add a link from another page on your website. An internal link references material from previous blogs or some other internal content. Internal linking does a few things for you.
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#7 – Don't Forget the Metadata and Alt Tags to Get Better SEO Results
Finally, we get to the most tedious part of do-it-yourself SEO work – the backend work. Within your CMS (content management system) – the software you use to "run" your website – you will find fields for Metadata and Alt Tags. You must take the time to fill out those fields. The information in your Metadata and Alt Tags helps Google – and the person searching – understand what your page is all about. This summary of your page and associated images enable Google to see it.
For further information on writing your Meta Descriptions, check out this topic.?
For further information about best practices for Alt Tags, go to this WIX article:
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In Conclusion:
SEO is more of an art than a science. Google is constantly shifting the goalposts with their algorithm updates, making it difficult for the busy business owner to keep pace with SEO best practices. It's essential to have two specialists on your side.?
First, find an SEO specialist that has a proven track record and comes highly recommended by someone you trust.?
Second, hire a skilled writer that can help you craft compelling copy for your pages. Remember, it's not all about SEO. People have to be engaged enough by the writing to want to read it. After all, it doesn't matter if Google LOVES your page if the writing is so awkward or uninteresting that nobody wants to read it.?
?In the end, the best SEO tip we can give you is to create content for people, not for Google. Answer their questions, provide them with information, and Google will reward you.
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