Todd Sumamno
An average search typically generates millions of search results across SERPs. However, the average user will only browse through the few lucky sites that make it to the first result page. It is why search engine optimization, or SEO, is imperative for any website vying for attention on the internet.
With proven SEO techniques, you can rank your web pages high on search engines, increasing footfall and, ultimately, conversions. This is even more important when you are operating in a competitive market. But what type of tactics could help you achieve optimum results? Here are our top five SEO recommendations to get you started.
1. Design a Keyword Strategy
An effective keyword strategy is the crucial first step to search-optimizing your website. It will help you map out which keywords to target based on the audience’s search intent and your goals for the site. A well-crafted strategy will also guide your content and its structure.
So, start with keyword research. Google Analytics can provide useful insights into your website’s existing performance. Google can also suggest important search phrases based on popular search queries.
Moz, Ubersuggest, and similar keyword search tools can help identify keywords and keyphrases to target by providing data on search volumes, keyword difficulty, and other critical metrics. You can also analyze your competitor sites for search traffic and high-performing keywords.
All this information will allow you to identify keywords and long-tails you could target for your website.
2. Optimize Content
There was a time when search engine optimization typically involved keyword stuffing—cramming your content with a keyword every few words apart. This tactic could severely backfire with today’s algorithms deployed by Google and other search engines.
Remember, their priority is identifying and displaying the most relevant and helpful results for their users. And content stuffed with keywords signals a different objective—one that involves ranking on SERPs instead of adding value to readers. As a result, these pages can fall out of favor with search engines.
So, what is the correct way to optimize your content? The key is to include keywords within the natural flow of the text. HubSpot recommends a keyword density of 1-2%. Using related words and phrases that convey the same meaning is another option.
In addition, including your main keyphrase in the title, title tag, meta description, and URL is essential. Images, videos, and other types of content also require optimization with text.
Readability is another important factor to rank. Sentence and paragraph length, subheadings, sentence variety, and active language all have a say in this.
3. Focus on Adding Value
If your content is stale, repetitive, or unimaginative, keeping readers on your site or getting them to visit it twice will be difficult. To fully enjoy the benefits of SEO, getting clicks is not enough. You need site visitors to engage with your website and respond or react.
Search engines already know this. It is why when visitors spend more time on a page, it has a higher chance of ranking on SERPs for a particular keyword.
So, how can you keep your site visitors longer and reduce the bounce rate? The easiest solution is to create high-quality, unique, and useful content that adds value. Share interesting viewpoints, provide well-researched factual context, and structure your posts for optimum flow. Insert dynamic and interactive content formats, including images, GIFs, and videos. These can provide visual appeal and make your content easier to understand and digest.
Google also seems to favor longer material. Some research suggests writing 1000 to 1500 words for informational blog posts and over 3000 words for pillar pages.
4. Keep Your Site Up-to-Date
Search engines typically prioritize new material when displaying search results. So, it makes sense to update your web pages every few months. This will give you the opportunity to review content, add the latest facts and figures, update sources, and refresh the overall look and feel. You can also reassess keyword relevance, which will likely change over time.
The About and Contact pages of your website also demand periodic updates to ensure relevance. If you display contact details, search your number on PhoneHistory and check what information turns up. Also, search your name on Google and key social media platforms. All this publicly available information should be accurate and consistent with what you have published on your website.
5. Boost Website Speed
Site speed refers to how long it takes to load a web page, which is an important ranking factor for Google’s SEO algorithms. A site that takes longer to load signals a poor user experience. It will put off your site visitors and bring down your conversion rates. According to Google, the likelihood of bouncing can shoot up by as much as 32% when your site loading time increases from one second to three.
Heavy content, such as high-resolution images and large videos, unnecessary code, and slow servers can all affect your site’s speed. A speed testing tool and a website audit can provide more insights into this.
Some of the immediate actions you can take include compressing images, using a lighter image format, and removing unnecessary content.
You should also enable caching to minimize browser requests each time a user returns to your website. In addition, opt for a content delivery network (CDN) to increase geographical server presence and make your site closer to more users dispersed in different locations. You may need to consider another web hosting service, too.
To Wrap Up
A beautifully designed website will not serve you well if it fails to attract visitors. Without visitors, you cannot create engagement, and conversion rates will take a hit. This is why search engine optimization is crucial for any website to deliver on its goals. Getting your site to rank higher on search engines is the easiest way to boost your website’s visibility.
So, start by identifying the right keywords, designing a keyword strategy, and optimizing your content. Focus on adding value to your audience by creating unique, high-quality, engaging material. Keep your site up-to-date with regular reviews. And don’t forget to boost your site speed—an important SEO factor for ranking high on search engines.
Brittany
