November 21, 2023
Whether you sell a product via your company website or are looking to build an audience for your blog, you know how important search engines are when it comes to driving traffic. Simply putting something extraordinary out there and calling it a day isn’t good enough all by itself. It needs to be thoroughly search engine optimized, as well.
Without a solid SEO strategy in place, you’re not giving your site the best possible chance at the stellar visibility you’re after. And the sooner you establish one, the better. Here are some tips to get you started in the right direction.
1. Brush up on what’s new
Search engine optimization isn’t something you do once before indefinitely forgetting about it. Google and the rest of the search engines are constantly evolving, so you can bet that SEO ranking factors are, as well. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that having been well-versed in SEO even five years ago means you still know the shot.
Learn what other industry leaders in your niche are doing to rank well, drive traffic, and build an audience. Then figure out where your site stands at present with a free SEO audit. Audits are a great way to identify possible problem areas and can give you some key areas to focus on first.
2. Make using your site a user-friendly experience
Search engines are getting smarter all the time, and one of the most significant factors they evaluate these days is overall user experience. Yes, search engines do check to make sure your content is fully optimized for essential keywords your audience might be searching, but that’s not all.
They also look at metrics like the clickthrough rate when you show up in search results, as well as the average length of dwell time visitors spend on your site once they’re there. Ensure your site is easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and fortified with an internal link structure that helps people find what they’re looking for with ease.
3. Craft next-level evergreen content
Google goes absolutely crazy for in-depth content on key evergreen subjects related to terms people are out there searching, so you’ll want to make sure your website contains plenty of it. Think meaty, original, long-form pieces that are at least 2,000 words long. Search engines love longer content and frequently favor it over shorter posts.
You’ll want to make sure you’re going deep when it comes to your topic choices, as well. One effective way to show search engines you’re doing this is to research LSI keywords that factor into your topic and use them naturally throughout when drafting your content.
4. Encourage better user engagement
Whether it’s an in-depth product review or a brand new post for your company blog, every new page you add to your website should be created with user engagement in mind. Start by making sure your content is easy to read. Great content that holds a visitor’s attention is organized into sections, contains plenty of white space, features appealing images that relate to the topic, and keeps paragraphs on the short side.
You don’t want to stop at simply answering the question that brought the reader to your site, either. SEO-savvy website owners also seek to provide additional information that person might also be looking for. (That’s where LSI keyword usage comes in.) Extras like videos and infographics help, too. The better you can fulfill a visitor’s needs, the more time they’ll spend on your site, and the better you’ll look to the search engines.
5. Build your site’s authority
Once you’ve got your site looking good to search engines, keep your progress going by boosting your credibility with existing and potential visitors. Seed your content with external links to high-quality authority sites. Start building a catalog of backlinks by encouraging other sites in your niche to link back to your pages, as well.
Build even more credibility by encouraging your visitors, readers, and customers to leave you testimonials and product reviews. Installing an SSL certificate to boost visitors’ peace of mind is an excellent idea, too. The more trust you can build with those who visit your site and love your content, the better you’ll look to major search engines. Get started today!
