Here to learn about all of the aspects of SEO?
It can be complicated, but I’ve been in the game for 6 years, so I know a thing or two.
But before I get into the meat and potatoes, I want to give you an overview of what is SEO marketing, how it works, and why you should care in the first place.
It’s going to be a long one, so here are some quick links if you’re hear to fill your knowledge gaps:
Got your coffee ready?
Let’s jump in.
What is SEO?
What is SEO in digital marketing?: SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.
In its simple form, SEO is the process of improving your site to help increase its visibility so that it can be found by more of your intended target audience.
Typically, these would be the people who are looking for information in your niche and are using a search engine such as Google.
In essence, the more visibility your site’s pages have in Google, the more likely your website is to gain attention and clicks, and eventually, this new traffic can turn into paying customers.
You can use this marketing strategy (SEO) to boost your visibility on Google in different ways.
These ‘ways’ are what I’m going to cover in this very article on SEO, so stay tuned.
How Does SEO Work?
Search engines, like the popular Google or Bing, use bots to crawl web pages.
These bots continuously collect information on almost all sites and compile it into an index—a big digital library.
The algorithms analyse these pages and consider specific ranking factors to determine which pages should appear at the top and which at the bottom.
This ranking depends on the search query entered into the search engine.
For example, if someone searches for “how many legs does a horse have,” all pages containing this information will be ranked against each other.
The search engine, like Google, will display the page it determines to be the best first.
Google and other search engines aim to provide the best user experience possible, so they always rank the best page first to ensure users get the information they are looking for quickly.
This is crucial to consider when creating content for your site. You want to use their ranking system to your advantage by adhering to their guidelines so that you can rank high for your desired search terms.
This strategy ensures your website becomes a success, generating the clicks, views, and revenue you hope for.
The Core Elements of SEO: On-Page SEO and Off-Page SEO
How Many Types Of SEO Are There: There are two core types of SEO: on-page SEO and off-page SEO.
On-Page SEO
Content is the most crucial aspect of on-page SEO because it helps you rank higher on SERPs and can be done for free!
To optimise on-page SEO, incorporate keywords into your content and pages, consistently write high-quality content for your readers, and make metatags and titles as keyword-rich as possible.
Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO involves optimising outside of your website, such as earning backlinks.
This aspect takes time and cannot be shortcut by buying links, as building genuine relationships is challenging, especially for new webmasters.
You can achieve off-page SEO by creating shareable content, which is essential for your success.
In this article, I will dig deeper into both aspects of SEO—on-page and off-page.
SEO Strategies of Note: Black Hat vs. White Hat
Just like the two core elements of SEO, there are two different strategies you can use for SEO: black hat and white hat SEO.
Black Hat
Using black hat SEO tactics to rank quickly is often described as aiming for quick gains.
People who practice black hat SEO employ tactics such as keyword stuffing and link scraping.
White Hat
To build a sustainable online business, you should use white hat SEO as your strategy of choice.
When you implement white hat SEO, you focus on your human audience, providing the best user experience while still meeting the requirements of the Google algorithm.
Why Should You Care About SEO?
You’re probably here, on this site, reading this article because you run a website of your own.
Whether your site primarily monetises by selling products through e-commerce or you turn leads into real clients for your brick and mortar business,
You need real people to visit your page to achieve financial success.
One of the best ways to do this—essentially a free way—is through SEO.
So yes, you should absolutely care about SEO and use it to your advantage.
If you’re not tailoring your site and its content to your target niche by finding search queries your audience is looking for
And addressing these through informative articles (like this one),
You’re practically leaving free money on the table.
The alternative to getting traffic from organic SEO is paid traffic, but that’s a topic for another day.
This article will provide all the information you need to start generating long-term income with your website and help you achieve your financial dreams through SEO.
Complete Guide To SEO Marketing
Okay, enough of the introductions to the SEO fundamentals; let’s get into the meat and potatoes part of this post, for real, this time.
Let’s begin talking about one of the most important things, content:
Content is King of the SEO Digital Marketing World
You’ve no doubt heard it before: “Content is King.” Although it’s repeated by me and every other SEO marketing expert online, it’s completely true.
The content you produce can significantly affect whether or not your small money-making site will be successful.
Because of this, I want to cover this aspect of search engine marketing first.
Whenever you search for something on Google, it tries to give you the best results possible.
For example, if you enter “How to make tuna pasta bake?” into Google, it will present the best results. It won’t show you generic recipes or websites offering frozen alternatives.
It will show you precisely what you’re looking for.
This is because Google aims to deliver the best possible results to provide you with the best experience, ensuring you’re satisfied with their service and won’t switch to another search engine.
From an SEO perspective, this means you need to put a lot of effort into your content, creating assets that Google will actively want to show its users as it helps with their search query.
This effort can earn you that glorious top spot on Google and an endless stream of clicks.
Here are some tips to creating good quality content;
Don’t Skimp on Quality
Once upon a time, you could post a piece of content, stuff it with SEO keywords, and voilà—you’d get the number one spot.
Here’s a little SEO joke that sums up those times:
“An SEO consultant walks into a bar, a restaurant, a pub, a café, a table, a chair, and a stool.”
Jokes aside, you’ll need to come up with much better copywriting and SEO content if you want to top Google’s search engine results pages.
But don’t worry about creating this content all on your own—you can piggyback off other people’s hard work by just increasing the quality by 1%.
I’m piggybacking off a certain SEO expert whose name rhymes with ‘steal’ with this very post. ;)
The bottom line of being an SEO blog writer is that your content needs to solve the problem the user came to your website for, all the while delivering a great UX (user experience).
If it doesn’t, you might get one more view, but the user will leave quickly, signalling to Google that your website isn’t up to scratch.
This will negatively impact your SERP result.
Make Sure You Fit the Search Intent
Using a particular keyword in your content is a good start, but if your content doesn’t match the intent behind the search, it won’t be effective.
Users and search engines won’t appreciate it, and your efforts will be wasted.
For successful SEO content marketing, you need to understand the intention behind each keyword search.
By grasping this, you can create content that directly addresses the user’s query.
This not only provides users with the information they want and need but also improves your chances of achieving a high ranking in search results.
Keep Your Content Fresh
Posting new content is the best way to signal to Google that your blog is active and up-to-date.
However, there are several strategies to keep your existing content fresh without hurting your current rankings.
Generally, it’s risky to modify content that is already performing well in terms of SEO. But there are exceptions to this rule.
If you have new statistics to add or broken links to fix, it’s essential to make those updates.
Doing so not only improves the user experience but also tells Google that your content is still relevant and valuable. This can help you maintain or even improve your rankings on SERPs.
Tips for Producing Quality Blog Content
With all this new information, here are some digestible points on how to produce quality content for your blog:
Produce a Customer Avatar: Even if you’re not an eCommerce brand, it’s useful to know who your audience is. This helps you tailor your content to better meet their needs and interests.
Understand User Intent: Figure out why people are coming to your blog in the first place. By understanding their intent, you can create content they will love and find valuable.
Break Up Your Text: People have short attention spans, so break up your text to make it more digestible. Use headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs, much like you see on this page.
Talk Like They Talk: Position yourself in a way that makes your audience feel understood. Write as if you are one of them. If your niche uses certain phrases or has a specific style of speaking, mirror that in your writing.
Keyword Research
I’ve briefly touched on keyword research, and it will ultimately dictate the entire direction of your website, including the type of content you’ll be creating.
Keyword research involves identifying the terms and phrases that people use when searching for information online.
These keywords are essential because they help you understand what your target audience is looking for
On Google and other search engines
And how you can address their needs with the assets you create.
Let it be known that keyword research never ends. From the moment your website is born, you’ll be conducting research right up until its final breath.
This is because you need to keep up with industry trends and always stay on top of your keyword profile to prevent competitors from stealing your placements.
Consistent keyword research will help you with your SEO ranking on Google SERPs by ensuring you’re always producing relevant SEO copywriting content that you can actually rank for.
Whether you’re focusing on local SEO or targeting a broader audience, maintaining an up-to-date keyword strategy is crucial for staying competitive and visible in search engine results.
Understanding Keyword Selection
There is much more to determining what your SEO writing content will look like than simply using a keyword research tool and dumping every keyword you see into your content.
You need to understand factors like keyword competitiveness and the intent behind each keyword.
This knowledge allows you to produce the right content that effectively includes the keywords for SEO you’ve identified.
Competitiveness refers to how difficult it is to rank for a particular keyword.
High-competition keywords are harder to rank for, especially for newer or smaller websites, while low-competition keywords offer better opportunities for visibility.
Intent refers to the reason behind a user’s search.
Understanding whether a user is looking for information, wanting to make a purchase, or seeking a specific service will help you tailor your content to meet their needs.
Not sure where to start? Here is how to do keyword research:
How to Choose the Right Keywords
Let’s say you run an SEO company and offer consulting services that could cost someone $20,000 over one year.
You probably don’t want to put your effort into ranking for keywords like ‘free keyword consulting’ because you’ll attract an audience looking for free services.
Sure, your Google Analytics numbers might go brrrrr like a government money printer
But it’s all for nothing because they are not the right audience for your content.
So, focus on ranking for keywords that make sense for your business.
Go to a keyword research tool, such as Semrush, and search the service you provide;
I’ve used “PPC (pay per click) service”:
As I’ve highlighted, search volume is important
And this keyword has a pretty good one
(720 per month for the UK)
So it’s definitely going to be worth your time to rank for it.
The intent is informative and commercial, so it fits your desire to rank for a keyword that could bring in new customers to your hypothetical SEO company’s PPC services.
Finally, the keyword difficulty isn’t too high. While the number (33%) isn’t the whole picture, it is a good sign
Although, I suggest you check the SERPs yourself to see what the completion looks like.
What are you looking for when analysing the competition?
If you search for one of your keywords and the top-ranking websites are popular, established sites like news outlets, large eCommerce stores (think Shein and Boohoo), or well-established sites in your niche
Then you’ll struggle to even hit the first page.
Let alone the top spot.
However, if you see newer blogs that don’t appear to have been around for long, you have a great chance of snagging the top rank.
If you think you stand a chance, add the keyword to your spreadsheet. This will be handy when you optimise your pages (or theoretical ones) later.
And yes, you’ll have to perform this analysis for every keyword.
It can be a long process, but there’s no point in wasting time creating content and implementing keywords that you have no chance of ranking for.
So its definitely worth it and WILL pay off for you.
Tips for Selecting the Right Keywords for Your Blog
Here are my tips on how you can better conduct keyword research:
Use Tools to Help: You can’t effectively do keyword research on your own, so don’t. Use keyword tools to help—there are plenty out there. Tools like Ubersuggest and Ahrefs (if you have the budget) will provide you with valuable insights.
Understand Semantic Keywords: You don’t need every variation of a keyword to get ranked. Google’s algorithm has advanced significantly and can now rank you for words that are similar to your main keyword.
Learn the Intent: I’ve mentioned this many times already, but it’s worth reiterating. Ensure you understand the search’s intent before incorporating the keyword into your content. Understanding this will allow you to better tailor your content and be favored by Google.
Don’t Forget to Spy on Your Competition: One of the best ways to do keyword research is to see what your competitors are targeting and then do the same—but better.
Leverage Natural Language Processing (NLP): Google uses NLP to understand the context and relevance of content better. Incorporate natural language and conversational keywords into your content to align with how people naturally search and how Google interprets those searches.
Don’t Overthink It: Keywords are important, but if you get too caught up in keyword research, you’ll never get to the part that actually matters: producing the content so your website can get ranked.
Let's Talk: Essential HTML Elements to Master for SEO
“Oh no, coding,” you might think, and while HTML is exactly that, you do not need any coding knowledge to do the HTML part of SEO.
That said, you need tags, headers, and descriptions done correctly if you want Google to know exactly what you’re talking about; otherwise, they won’t consider you when ranking websites on SERPs.
And this part will make you smile: changing HTML from an SEO perspective is a simple copy-and-paste job.
Let’s break down the aspects of HTML from an SEO specialist’s point of view.
Meta Title Tags
The meta title tag is what displays at the top of your browser and appears when your webpage shows up in Google search results.
You get about 60 characters of space, so use it wisely.
This is your opportunity to not only tell Google what the page is about but also to convince users to click on your page over someone else’s.
Construct the meta title tag based on user intent to maximise its effectiveness.
Crafting the perfect meta title involves a lot of nuances, which you’ll uncover through continuous testing.
However, as a rule of thumb, always include your primary keyword.
This helps search engines understand your content and attracts users who are looking for specific information.
Remember, a well-crafted meta title tag can significantly improve your click-through rate and overall SEO performance.
So, focus on making it clear, relevant, and enticing to your target audience.
Meta Descriptions
The meta description appears just below the title tag in search results.
This is your second and final chance to tell the searcher what your content is all about.
You get 160 characters of space, so use it wisely.
Keyword optimisation in this section is a must. And just like your title, you need to be concise and compelling.
Schema Markup
Schema is a collaboration among several search engines, designed to enhance the way your results appear on SERPs.
Essentially, it’s a collection of specific HTML tags that help search engines better understand the content of your pages.
For example, if you look at the screenshot below, the webmaster has used Schema to display the Google rating of their services.
This might seem minor, but it makes the result stand out from the rest and provides additional information to the searcher—something Google values highly.
Using Schema can significantly improve your click-through rates by making your listings more informative and eye-catching.
Tip: Implementing Schema can be tricky, and improper use can do more harm than good. Make sure to test, test, test.
Subheadings
Subheadings are essential, especially your H1, for the same reasons your title and meta descriptions are. They provide an opportunity to add your keywords and clearly indicate what the following content will cover.
Utilising H2, H3, and H4 tags is equally important.
These subheadings offer more chances to include your keywords and enhance your content’s readability.
They allow readers to navigate through your page easily, improving the whole UX of the site and allowing them to jump directly to the sections that interest them.
Alt Text
Alt text is attached to every image on a webpage, and using it effectively will put you ahead of the competition, as many neglect this simple step.
You get a small amount of space to describe the image, so use it wisely.
The primary purpose of alt text is to help search engines describe the image to visually impaired people.
By providing clear, descriptive alt text, you enhance the accessibility of your site, ensuring that all users can understand your content.
This is also your opportunity to tell search engines what the image is about, improving your site’s visibility in search results. Including relevant keywords in your alt text can further boost your SEO efforts.
It’s a small effort that can do plenty for your site.
URL Slug
Referring back to our helpful image from the SERPs, you’ll notice the URL, also known as the URL slug.
This is a crucial element that Google uses to understand the content of your page.
The URL slug is another prime location to insert your keyword.
Including relevant keywords in your URL slug helps search engines quickly identify the topic of your page, improving your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Moreover, a well-crafted URL slug not only aids in SEO but also provides users with a clear idea of what to expect from your page, making it more likely they will click on your link.
5 Tips on the essential HTML elements to master for SEO
- Tools are your friend: I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating—SEO tools are invaluable for identifying problems you might miss, especially when working solo. These tools can help you make small but crucial HTML edits that can significantly impact your SEO performance. I recommend Rank Math for the previous improvements.
- Look at your competition: While you shouldn’t copy your competitor’s content, examining how they word their HTML tags can provide valuable inspiration. This can be particularly helpful if you’re struggling to find the right wording for your own tags.
- Clear writing over keyword stuffing: Keywords are important because they tell search engines what your webpage is about. However, if your content doesn’t read well, Google won’t favor it. If you have to choose between keyword density and a better user experience, always opt for clarity and readability.
- Don’t get lazy: The initial excitement of optimising your site may fade, and you might get tired of dealing with HTML tags. However, sticking with it is crucial. Consistent effort will pay off in improved rankings over time.
- Always be updating: SEO is not a set-it-and-forget-it task. Keywords that are effective today may not be tomorrow. Continually experiment with and update your keywords to stay on top of current trends in your niche.
Site Structure and SEO
Site structure is another crucial aspect of SEO.
If your visitors don’t enjoy their time on your website, Google will notice, and your rankings will suffer.
Focus on aspects like fast loading times, secure connections, intuitive design, and, increasingly important: mobile-friendliness.
Ideally, you would consider all these factors before purchasing your domain.
However, if that wasn’t the case, it’s never too late to reorganise your website for the better.
In addition to reading the next few headings to see what you should be doing, examine your competitors’ websites.
Reverse engineer what makes their sites successful, and emulate it!
Site must be easy to Crawl
You’ve likely come across the term “crawl” frequently since diving into SEO.
To put it simply, crawling refers to Google bots navigating through your site to understand its content.
This involves identifying keywords, diagnosing site issues, and determining your website’s identity and ranking.
The key to successful crawling is how easily these bots can index your content.
If they can index your pages efficiently, it significantly improves your chances of achieving a higher ranking on SERPs.
Well-indexed content ensures that Google understands your site and matches it to relevant search queries.
Create a sitemap
One effective way to make Google’s bots’ job easier is by creating a sitemap.
A sitemap lists all the pages you want crawled, providing a clear roadmap for Google to follow.
By offering a comprehensive sitemap, you ensure that Google’s bots can efficiently navigate and index your site.
Duplicate Content and Canonical Issues
There are plenty of arguments about duplicate content and how it can affect your website’s overall rankings.
Here’s the gist: duplicate content is not completely bad—in most cases.
If you need to copy statistics, thoughts, or opinions from another website to support your claims in an article (and you link back to the original sources), this is considered duplicate content.
However, you won’t be penalised for it since you did it with good intentions.
On the other hand, if you take a post from another website and simply paste it on your own, you will be penalised.
Content syndication, where the original content is posted elsewhere as part of a broader SEO strategy, is another scenario. As long as this is done correctly, you won’t be penalised.
However, duplicate content can also lead to canonical issues.
Canonical issues arise when search engines are unsure which version of a page to index and rank.
To prevent this, use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page.
This helps consolidate link equity and avoid potential penalties for duplicate content.
Mobile Friendliness
Mobile usage is ever-increasing, so much so that Google now indexes a website’s mobile design first.
This mobile-first indexing has become a key factor in how Google ranks your website.
Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure your website performs well on mobile devices.
You can monitor this through your Google Search Console, where you’ll find detailed insights and potential issues related to your mobile site.
If you identify any issues, prioritise fixing them immediately.
A well-optimised mobile site not only improves user experience but also boosts your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Page Speed
Whether you’re an SEO veteran or just a regular web user, understanding the importance of page speed and usability is crucial.
Google emphasises these factors heavily; if your website runs too slowly or certain elements don’t load immediately, you’ll be penalised in the search rankings.
Use Google Search Console to monitor and improve your website’s performance.
It’s an excellent tool for checking your website’s performance, not just in terms of speed but also for other technical SEO aspects.
Run your website through Google’s PageSpeed Insights for a more detailed analysis.
This tool provides an in-depth look at how your site loads from a user’s perspective, offering actionable insights to enhance both speed and usability.
Improving these areas will help ensure a better user experience and a higher ranking in search engine results.
HTTPS and SSL
Use Google Search Console to monitor and improve your website’s performance.
It’s an excellent tool for checking your website’s performance, not just in terms of speed but also for other technical SEO aspects.
Run your website through Google’s PageSpeed Insights for a more detailed analysis.
This tool provides an in-depth look at how your site loads from a user’s perspective, offering actionable insights to enhance both speed and usability.
Improving these areas will help ensure a better user experience and a higher ranking in search engine results.
4 Tips to help improve your site’s architecture
As always, I want to give you some tips that you can keep at the front of your mind when it comes to thinking about site architecture.
- Understanding the Core Web Vitals: Although I haven’t touched on this as a whole, I have done so partly – Core Web Vitals is the largest piece of the puzzle you’re going to need to figure out first. Knowing what they are and how they affect your rankings will be the difference between sinking or swimming in the SEO ocean.
- Set up your sitemap: Sitemaps allow you to place all of your pages into categories so the crawlers have an easier time scanning your site, without you need to put much effort in – if you’re using a WordPress site, then get the plugin! If you’ve built it from the ground up, there are plenty of sitemap generators you can use.
- Fix those canonicalisation issues: I’ve already mentioned this, but I want to reiterate its importance here; fix your duplicate content issues! It could be as simple as removing a line of code or rebuilding your entire site, whatever it is, do it – it’s going to play a huge part in how your SEO blog is perceived by Google.
- Always be thinking about the mobile user: The fact is since you’re building your website from your desktop/laptop, it is easy to see things from this viewpoint only – but as we already know, mobile usage is getting more and more popular which means it becoming more and more important for you to have a website that functions crisply for a mobile user.
Trust
PageRank, developed by the brilliant minds at Google, is just one aspect of how Google evaluates your website.
Increasingly important is the concept of trust.
With each algorithm update, Google places more emphasis on trust to determine your site’s credibility.
TrustRank is one of the methods Google uses to assess whether your site is trustworthy and valuable or just another spammy site attempting to manipulate SEO rankings.
To build trust, focus on creating high-quality, reliable content and establishing a reputable online presence.
This means earning backlinks from respected sites, maintaining transparency, and consistently providing value to your users.
By doing so, you signal to Google that your site is trustworthy, which can significantly improve your search rankings and overall visibility.
Authority
There are two SEO types of authority you should concern yourself with; Domain authority and Page authority.
Here is a better description of both of these aspects:
- Domain Authority: This is based on the widespread domain of your name (brand). For example, a website like Facebook.com is authoritative because the entire world has heard of it.
- Page Authority: Relating to how authoritative a particular page is, this is based on things like; incoming links, outgoing links, visitors, quality of content, IF said content is written by an expert.
Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is simple: it measures the number of people who view only one page on your website before leaving.
From Google’s perspective, if your website is right for its audience, people will stick around to explore more pages.
A low bounce rate indicates that visitors find your site valuable and engaging, which builds trust with Google.
This trust can positively impact your search rankings.
However, your content does not affect bounce rate alone.
Factors like loading times and usability also play a crucial role.
Slow-loading pages or poor user experience can quickly drive visitors away.
Therefore, ensure that your website loads quickly and is easy to navigate, along with providing high-quality content.
By optimising for both content and user experience, you can reduce your bounce rate, build trust with Google, and improve your site’s overall performance in search results.
Domain Age
People naturally tend to trust older individuals more, and this same principle applies to how Google’s algorithm evaluates websites.
A website that has been around for a while and consistently produces quality content is viewed as more trustworthy.
This longevity and steady content output contribute to its domain authority, a critical factor in Google’s ranking algorithm.
When a site has maintained top SERP rankings for an extended period, it signals to Google that the site is reliable and authoritative.
This accumulated trust means that older domains often have an advantage over newer ones in search rankings, making domain age and authority crucial elements in SEO success.
Additonal Tips to Help Build Trust
- Patience is a virtue in SEO: Unfortunately, you can’t speed up the age of your website unless you have a time machine. The fact is, Google isn’t in any hurry to rank your site, so do what you need to do and then sit tight.
- Give your audience what they want: Don’t just aim for easy rankings to bring in an audience. Make sure you’re creating content that keeps them engaged, giving you good bounce rate numbers and encouraging them to consume more of your brilliant content.
Let’s talk Links
The importance of link profiles is a hotly debated topic in every SEO corner of the internet.
Some believe they are the most critical factor, while others think they’re not as important as content.
However, understanding the value of both backlinks and internal links is crucial for a successful SEO strategy.
Why Links Matter
Backlinks: These are links from other websites to your site. Backlinks are essential because they act as endorsements, signaling to search engines that your content is credible and valuable. High-quality backlinks from reputable sites can significantly boost your site’s authority and improve its ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Internal Links: These are links within your own website that connect different pages. Internal links help search engines understand the structure of your site and establish a hierarchy of importance. They also improve user experience by guiding visitors to related content, increasing their time on your site, and reducing bounce rates.
The Right Approach to Link Building
When it comes to link building, there’s definitely a right and a wrong way to go about it.
A long-term plan should be your go-to choice.
Although it will take longer, it will be much more beneficial in the long run.
Quality should always trump quantity.
Focus on obtaining backlinks from reputable sites relevant to your niche.
Benefits of a Long-Term Strategy
- Sustainable Growth: Building links gradually ensures steady and sustainable growth, which is more effective and safer than sudden spikes that might appear suspicious to search engines.
- Avoiding Penalties: Search engines like Google have strict guidelines against manipulative link-building practices. A long-term, organic approach helps you avoid penalties that can severely impact your site’s ranking.
- Enhanced Credibility: A robust link profile, with both quality backlinks and well-structured internal links, enhances your site’s credibility and authority, making it more attractive to both search engines and users.
Let’s talk more about the elements of link building;
Link quality
While links might not be everything, their quality is definitely the most important factor.
High-quality links matter far more than the sheer number of links pointing to your website.
Building these links involves reaching out to the right people in your niche and offering value in exchange for a high-quality link.
Understanding how to build quality links is crucial because Google rewards you for it.
So, how do you identify a good link?
First, the website providing the link must be relevant to your niche or related to it.
This relevance helps Google understand the connection and value of the link.
Additionally, the website should have high authority and substantial traffic.
Links from such sites carry more weight and can significantly boost your SEO.
You can acquire most of your links naturally by producing excellent content.
However, you can also write for other blogs to get them.
By offering valuable content to other sites, you earn those precious SEO links in return.
Summary: focus on quality over quantity when building links.
Anchor Text
Anchor text is the clickable text used to advertise a link, as you’ve seen throughout this article and others on the internet.
The goal is to make this text feel as natural as possible while being relevant to what you’re linking to.
It’s important to vary your anchor text to avoid over-optimisation.
Anchor text matters because it tells Google what the linked page is about, helping it rank your content more accurately.
Additionally, clear and relevant anchor text improves user experience by making it obvious what the link leads to.
This way, both Google and your readers can easily understand the purpose of the link.
Number of Links
I’ve already mentioned this, but the number of links to your site matters significantly.
It’s important to build these links gradually over time—Google pays attention to your link growth, and if you suddenly jump from 0 to 100 links too quickly, it will raise red flags.
Additionally, you want these links to point to the right places.
Ideally, they should direct users to a hot-selling product or to popular and engaging content.
If you’re unsure where to link, directing them to your home page or blog page is always a safe bet.
Remember, a steady and strategic increase in the number of links will help improve your site’s credibility and ranking on Google.
A Few Tips to Help Improve Your Link Profile
Let’s condense what you’ve just learned…
- Don’t cut corners: The link-building strategy is simple: create great content, and you’ll naturally attract links. Avoid methods that go against Google’s terms, as they can lead to penalties. Be patient, focus on creating excellent content, and always be networking.
- Link building never ends: Like SEO, link building is an ongoing process. There’s always a better link to obtain or a broken link to fix. Your link-building profile should continuously grow to take advantage of new opportunities and maintain your competitive edge.
- Don’t forget about internal linking: While backlinks are crucial, internal linking is just as important. Ensure you’re linking to your own content to direct traffic around your website, helping to keep visitors engaged and on your blog longer.
- Remove bad links: As you add links to your website, make sure to remove those that negatively affect your link profile. Irrelevant links or those pointing to malicious sites should be removed immediately to maintain a healthy link profile.
Personal Factors in SEO
Personal factors are an essential off-page SEO element to consider.
These include demographics and location, which significantly affect how people respond to your content.
Your SEO strategies may need to adapt depending on these factors.
Although you can’t control demographics and location, you can take specific actions to better reach your target audience.
Understanding your audience’s demographics—such as age, gender, and interests—and tailoring your content to their needs can enhance engagement.
Additionally, optimising for local SEO is crucial for reaching users in particular geographic areas.
Targeting SEO by Country
The word “can” has different meanings in different countries.
For example, someone searching for “can” in the U.K. might see a can of pop (or soda, as it’s known elsewhere), while someone in the U.S. may just see a plain can.
To address this issue, include country-specific keywords in your writing naturally.
Before doing so, consider whether it’s worth going multinational.
Competition levels vary from country to country.
Keyword selection depends significantly on the existing competition.
Google UK faces different competition compared to Google USA, Google Canada, or Google Brazil.
Focusing on these specific language differences might open your website to ranking in other languages, broadening your reach.
Creating multilingual content is one of the easiest, quickest wins in SEO.
However, doing it well is challenging.
Most translation plugins on WordPress promise natural translations but often fail to deliver.
A better alternative is to hire a professional translator.
While this involves an upfront cost, it opens your content to a larger audience within your niche, potentially increasing your traffic and profit significantly.
Targeting Cities and Towns
Using city names as keywords can be beneficial, but be careful not to limit your website’s reach.
If you focus too much on city-level geo-targeting, Google might see your site as only relevant locally, which can restrict your potential audience.
However, if your business primarily serves a local market and you are a recognised authority in your area, leveraging local SEO by using city-specific keywords can be a powerful strategy.
Just ensure this aligns with your overall goals to avoid limiting your website’s scope.
3 Tips to Improve the Personal Factors of Your Content
Understand Your Customer: Personal SEO is about knowing your customer so you can target them effectively. Use avatar spreadsheets or ask yourself these questions to build a clear picture of your ideal audience:
- What does your customer want?
- Why are they looking for you?
- Why should they choose you over a competitor?
- What do they expect from you?
Create Multilingual Content: Expand your reach by producing content in multiple languages. Don’t rely on mediocre translation plugins. Instead, hire native speakers to ensure high-quality translations.
Conduct Thorough Research: Having a multilingual website is beneficial, but only if you’ve done your homework. Ensure that it’s worth your time and money by confirming you can effectively reach and engage the intended audience.
Social Media & SEO
Last but not least, let’s discuss the social aspects of off-page SEO.
Social media performance can significantly impact your SEO rankings.
When your content performs well on social media, it generates social signals that search engines recognise, helping your site rank higher.
Additionally, strong social media presence can drive more traffic to your website, further boosting your SEO efforts.
Number of Shares
The more shares your content gets, the better it is for your website’s rankings.
Social media can significantly boost your visibility and drive traffic to your site.
Seeing one of your posts go viral is a dream for any marketer, regardless of the niche.
However, it’s somewhat overrated.
Don’t get obsessed with going viral. Instead, focus on producing content that your audience will love, and your social shares will grow naturally.
High-quality content that resonates with your audience will be shared more, increasing your reach and improving your SEO.
Remember, it’s not just about the numbers. Posting content solely to gain traction can backfire.
For example, promising free money might give you a short-term traffic boost, but it will cause long-term pain when people realise your website isn’t about that.
This can lead to a sharp drop in traffic and damage your reputation.
It’s all about balance.
Though, Quality of Shares Matter More Than Numbers
Continuing from our last point, it’s crucial to ensure that your shares are of high quality.
Marketing for SEO and social media are intertwined because the goal is to signal to Google that your content is valuable.
When people share your content widely, they are essentially telling Google that you have something worthwhile to offer. This can lead to higher rankings in search results.
However, the quality of these shares matters more than the quantity.
Shares from authoritative accounts (those with a large and genuine following) carry more weight.
These high-quality shares indicate to Google that respected sources find your content valuable, boosting your credibility and visibility.
3 Tips to Improve Your Social Sharing
Here are a few tips on how to get more shares on social media:
Remember: Content is King: If you create great content, people will have no other option but to share what you’re posting on your social accounts. Make sure it fits the audience’s needs and gives them a reason to explore more of your work (your main website in this case).
Always Be Posting: Fresh content is King when it comes to SEO, and social media is no different. Regular posting, say once every day, will eventually make the algorithm love you and increase your chances of finding the audience you’re targeting. And, of course, there’s a greater chance of this audience sharing your content as well.
Make It Easy for Your Reader: Not only should you be posting on your social channels, but you should also make it as easy as possible for your readers to share your content. They might know how to retweet on Twitter, but they may not know how to repost content from your website. Simplify this by installing a social share plugin on your site.
Google’s E-E-A-T Guidelines
Understanding your SEO practices allows you to identify what Google uses in training its human content evaluators.
In addition to numerous algorithms, Google employs Quality Raters to provide users with a better search engine experience.
According to Google’s guidelines, a high-quality page should possess the following qualities:
- Experience
- Expertise
- Authority
- Trust
Remember these qualities in this order, as they are commonly known as E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) by SEO professionals and webmasters alike.
Why E-E-A-T Matters
The concept of E-E-A-T is crucial because it helps Google determine which content provides the best user experience.
Here’s why each component is important:
- Experience: Content created by someone with real-life experience in the topic adds credibility and relatability. It shows that the author has first-hand knowledge and practical insights.
- Expertise: High-quality content should demonstrate a deep understanding of the subject matter. This is especially important for topics that require specialised knowledge.
- Authority: The content should come from a source recognised as an authority in the field. This can be established through credentials, citations, and recognition from other experts.
- Trust: The content and the website should be trustworthy. This involves accuracy, transparency, and integrity, ensuring users feel confident in the information provided.
The display of E-E-A-T in content depends on the topic, the background of the posting, a website’s reputation, and more.
Even if you don’t have control over all factors from the start, keeping E-E-A-T in mind can help guide your content creation process in the right direction.
By focusing on E-E-A-T, you can improve your content’s quality and increase its chances of ranking higher on Google’s search engine results pages.
This will ultimately lead to a better user experience and more trust from your audience, which is essential for long-term success.
How to improve your EAT score: 4 tips for success
Research, Research, Research: The best way to share accurate information is to do thorough research. Having experience in the field you’re writing about will also make it easier for you, as you’ll have a deeper understanding of the topic.
Cover Every Aspect: Simply dismissing a question with minimal information can leave your audience feeling underwhelmed and doubting your expertise. Be thorough and provide all the information and evidence needed to convince your audience that this is the best content for them. Remember, you’re the expert.
Keep It On Brand: Ensure that Google and your visitors have a clear understanding of your brand. This means producing content relevant to your brand, not just because it seems easy to rank for.
Give Them What They Want: Your audience comes to you to solve a problem, whether it’s fixing their car engine or learning how to cook potatoes. Provide accurate and actionable information that directly addresses their needs.
Touching on SEO and Google Algorithm Updates
Because of the term “algorithm,” SEO can seem unreachable or impossible.
An algorithm refers to the series of steps a search engine uses to rank websites based on a search query.
Google makes “core updates” multiple times a year to better serve users.
You may have heard that algorithms are constantly changing, and that is true to some degree.
However, despite these ever-changing updates, your full focus should not be on “gaming the system” regarding Google’s search algorithms.
Focus on creating excellent content, finding the right keywords, and building reputable backlinks for your link profile.
If you focus too much on the algorithm, you risk hurting your rankings. Something that works well now might not work in the future.
From what we know about Google, high-quality content is always something they look for, so always put 90% of your attention into this.
SEO Marketing Guide: Conclusion
Phew, that was a long one, wasn’t it?
SEO is a complex and detailed topic, but now you have everything you need in one place to revisit whenever you need a refresher or want to dive deeper.
Remember, there are no shortcuts!
Don’t cheat the system.
If you do, you and your website will regret it when Google updates its algorithm and penalises your site.
Learning SEO takes time—it’s not a one-time task.
To stay ahead of the competition and become a true SEO expert in your niche, you must continuously update and refine your content.
Stay committed, follow SEO best practices, and your efforts will pay off in the long run.