Essential SEO Tips for Success
As we’ve stated many times in past articles, SEO is a complex endeavour with numerous aspects that must work seamlessly in tandem to capture the attention of Google (and other search engines) and compel the algorithm to rank a website highly in search engine results pages (SERPs).
These aspects include actions taken both on and off a website.
While there is never going to be an approach quite as effective as a comprehensive targeted SEO campaign implemented and delivered by a professional SEO company, there are certain things you can do yourself to improve your website both for the Google algorithm and human audiences at the same time.
8 Essential SEO Tips for Success
- Target Relevant Keywords
Every SEO strategy must begin with keyword analysis. You need to know which keywords you will ideally target, based upon the search terms your target audience will use to find you online. They must also be competitive, but not so common or generic that you are competing in an impossible pool – this requires that you identify your most relevant organic search competitors.
You will use these keywords to develop content to attract relevant visitors to your website. Primary keywords are the main search terms you seek to rank for, while secondary keywords are supportive, related terms that cover your niche and business in more depth.You’ll also need to optimise your Meta Titles and Descriptions for these and use keyword-rich H1 Tags.
- Optimise Your Website’s Architecture
How are your website’s pages designed, structured, and interlinked? Do these enhance the user experience and SEO outcomes?
Ideally, websites will be created with SEO built into their design from the outset – but it is never too late to optimise your site for better SEO results. If you have an existing website, undergoing a website audit is a great idea to understand just where you sit in terms of SEO optimisation and what needs to be done to achieve this.
- Use Concise, Descriptive URLs
The composition of your URL matters too. See our URL optimisation article to understand this aspect of SEO better.
- Compose Original, High Quality Written Content
Google needs content to be able to rank websites and landing pages crawl, and this requires relevant, high-quality, high-value, keyword-rich (but not stuffed) original written content on your Home page and Landing pages. Each page must be unique. Never be tempted to copy-paste content from other websites, or even between landing pages on your site. Google and other search engines strongly frown upon duplicate content – as do competitors and audiences when they identify it (as some will).
Formatting plays an important role as well – user experience (UX) and readability influence the engagement users have with your pages, and search engines consider them too. Use plenty of headings, use bullet points or numbered lists, compose content in short paragraphs with easy-to-read sentences, and incorporate images and graphics if and where appropriate.
- Backlink!
Backlinks are an important search engine ranking factor. They are links from other websites that direct users to yours, and not all are equal in terms of the authority and value they carry. Those of the highest value to your SEO efforts will be from reputable, well-known websites – such as this example.
- Make Sure Your Site is Dynamic
Dynamic websites are favoured by search engines – a static website appears to the ranking algorithm to be potentially abandoned and, after all, if you don’t care enough about your site to keep it updated and relevant, why should Google care enough to pay attention and rank it?
It’s crucial too for your human audience that your site is up-to-date and offers relevant, high-value information and other content. One of the simplest ways to achieve this across industries and sectors is to publish an onsite blog. This can be a “Blog” or “News” section and should – at a minimum – offer one original blog article per month. These can be about any topic relevant to your brand, business, industry, or niche, should be of at least 500 words apiece, and should incorporate one or two target keywords that are hyperlinked to relevant landing pages on your site. They can also have hyperlinks to relevant, high-authority external websites (but not your competitors!) – understand more about internal linking and external linking.
Other strategies include:
- making improvements to your site’s functionality and navigation
- leveraging calls-to-action throughout your site
- updating old content
- removing zombie pages and dead URL links
- improving your Core Web Vitals
- visual asset optimisation
- mobile optimisation
- and more.
Get in Touch with Us!
SEOcycle is a highly regarded SEO agency based in Sydney’s northwest. Operating for over ten years and with clients throughout Australia and internationally (particularly the USA), our services are primarily targeted towards small- and medium-sized businesses (including sole traders).
Our affordable comprehensive SEO solutions are customised to your unique needs and are of the highest quality while, at the same time being budget-friendly.
Unlike most other SEO providers, we are also web designers and developers. SEO-focused websitecontent writing blogging and social media for SEO round out our service offering. Distinctly specialised to our niche, we have the in-depth knowledge and insight to understand your brand, business, and online goals, and to take the appropriate actions both on and off your website to ensure you have the very best possibility of organically ranking as highly as possible on Page 1 in search engine results pages.
Whether you need SEO, writing services, or websites for business, eCommerce, or trades, contact us today.