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7 Tips to Stepping Up Your SEO Game

Wondering why your website is not doing as well as you think it should? 

In this article, we will go through step-by-step on seven tips you can take to step up your SEO game and increase your website's performance-- and search engine rankings. 

1. Target Smart Keywords

Keyword research is one Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactic that has not changed much throughout the years, and will likely continue to be one of the most important to get right. It is still a necessary prerequisite for success in link building, on-page SEO, and content marketing. 

Something to keep in mind with keyword research is that keywords decide the niche relevance and visibility of your site for specific search terms. But knowing how to pick the best keywords does take a bit of effort and practice. First, start with creating a short list of topics or products related to your business. Using UberSuggest is a great jumping board point for useful data. 

The secret to your success when it comes to targeting these smart keywords in SEO is striking a balance between competitiveness and demand. And, if you are still stuck trying to find keywords, pick keywords to use by looking for search terms that incite action (like “for sale”), include your location, or even be more specific when it comes to keywords targeting a more specific audience. 

2. Use of Analytical Tools to Evaluate Your Performance 

Using Google Analytics  will immensely help you when it comes to creating content, since it covers every aspect of a website. So start by researching the keywords you want to use, and do consider using keywords that are not used often in order to give you more user attention without intense competition. Also, Google analytics will help when it comes to seeing where you are going wrong with your SEO and Google rankings, such as the roadblocks your site is facing on the search engine display results (SERPS) 

Still scratching your head and wondering what you can do to improve how you use SEO and Google Analytics together? MOZ offers a simple beginner's guide how you can set yourself up for success in SEO

3. Understand Your Audience

Does your audience prefer graphics? Text? Audio?

Knowing what someone will find when they search a word or phrase is especially useful when you can provide them with an answer, or even information, so knowing searcher intent is crucial in optimizing your website's traffic.

According to the president of AJPR, Motoko Hunt, the interests of your audience is constantly changing, so keeping with the latest trends in your field is crucial for keeping and engaging audience. 

“Even if your website content is perfectly written and optimized, if it’s done for a wrong audience, it won’t grow the business,” Hunt said.

All high-ranking websites heavily consider the needs of their audience. Focusing on the journey a user takes through your website is crucial, and so is creating content with keywords that target your desired audience. You should also focus on creating comprehensive content that answers questions your audience is asking while they search the web. 

At the meat of all this is simply studying your target audience to understand what content they are consuming in their daily online diet. 

4. Build Quality Links 

Quality over quantity is the rule when it comes to creating attractive links that draw someone into looking at your site. But how do you create quality links? You can use software like Monitor Backlinks and Ahrefs, which can help you detect and recover lost or damaged links. Also, you can build quality links through contributing content to relevant outlets by posting, commenting, and engaging with viewers visiting your site. In the meantime, you can build a list of businesses to partner with, while also investing your time in creating quality content that is useful to your audience. 

5. Create Exceptional Content 

Google is intensifying its focus on evaluating quality content, and it does this through rewarding sites that provide the best in-depth experiences. So think about creating content that solves a problem for the user, whether that be content that makes the user take action, connecting them to the product you are trying to sell, or connecting them to the message your site is trying to convey. Something to keep in mind is keeping research at the core of creating content. 

Still wondering how you can create quality content? This article from Search Engine Journal gives tips for creating the most read, shared and valuable in 2019 and beyond. 

6. Increase Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness 

Establish and evolve your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness-- known as E-A-T in Google’s search quality rating guidelines. 

Steps to take in increasing your E-A-T rating:

  • Include Author Names & Biographie
  • For learning more about the elements to make your site an optimized page, see this article at Moz
  • Invest in Personal Branding 
  • Scrap or change low E-A-T content 
  • Invest in making your content secure 
  • Moderate User-Generated content 

For more information on how to increase your E-A-T score, read this article at Search Engine Journal

 

 

 

7. Win with On-page Optimization 

According to Tony Wright, CEO, and founder of WrightIMC, on-page optimization is slaying the game when it comes to creating wonderful SEO results. 

From Wright:

We are still seeing incredible results from nothing more than on-page SEO tactics for many companies that come in the door... Links are still very important, but the biggest bang for most companies’ SEO bucks is ongoing on-page optimization. Because on-page SEO isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it tactic.

But wait, how does one even create those key website optimizations?

Four ways to optimize on-page SEO: 

  1. Create content that answers common user questions
  2. Ensure relevant results are coming up in your site’s search engine
  3. Easy access for recurring customers to restock commonly purchased items conveniently
  4. Provide users with their stage in fulfillment funnel, by having a clear, visual process forms

Closing Thoughts

If you want your potential customers to find and engage with your website, SEO will always be important. You can dive much deeper than the seven tips we've outlined in this article, but you have to start somewhere. It's time to step up your SEO game. 

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