A strong online presence is vital for any business or individual looking to thrive. And at the heart of this digital ecosystem lies a crucial tool — Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO plays a pivotal role in determining your website’s ranking on search engines, ultimately impacting your visibility and organic traffic. While many are familiar with the basics of SEO, there are some lesser-known techniques that can take your SEO game to the next level. In this blog post, I will unveil the top 7 best-kept SEO secrets to help you skyrocket your website’s ranking and attract more visitors.
1. Don’t Over-Optimize or Under-Optimize
If your website is light on relevant keyword phrases your target audience is searching for, then it won’t rank very high organically — if at all. On the other extreme, if you overuse search keywords throughout your site — even if they’re relevant to you or your business — Google and the other search engines will likely penalize you. And, of course, search engine penalties will hinder your website’s ability to rank well. “Angering” Google’s algorithms never ends well.
2. Content Creation and Repurposing
Content is the most essential building block of effective SEO. Search engines love unique, relevant, and fresh content. But creating high-quality content is only the beginning of a successful SEO content strategy. Did you know that repurposing that content can also boost your SEO efforts? When you repurpose content into different formats, such as videos, infographics, podcasts, or social media posts, you extend its reach and appeal to a broader audience. Additionally, repurposing allows you to keep your website well-optimized without always starting from scratch. But, no matter what, remember that successful SEO is about the long game. In other words, be consistent with your content generation and optimization — month after month, year after year.
3. Relevant Long-Tail Keywords
While it is common to focus on the more competitive short-tail keywords, long-tail keywords are often overlooked gems. Long-tail keywords are more specific and have lower search volumes, but they are easier to rank for and typically have significantly higher conversion rates. Combined, long-tail keywords can comprise 40-50% of a website’s traffic. By incorporating long-tail keywords into your on-page content and metadata, you increase your chances of ranking higher for specific, relevant searches, and attract more qualified visitors to your website.
4. Optimization Timing and Cadence
How often you optimize your website is a science and art in and of itself. For example, should you optimize your website every day? No, that’s too frequent. Without a grasp on how often, what magnitude, and where to add-on or update your website, you could be inadvertently shooting your site in the foot. Learning the ideal optimization timing and cadence for your website requires ongoing analysis and advanced SEO expertise. If you’re not careful and rush it, you could very quickly ruin it.
5. Backlink Quality over Quantity
Backlinks remain a fundamental aspect of SEO, but it’s not just about the sheer number of links. Search engines prioritize the quality and relevance of the backlinks rather than the quantity. Focus on building high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites within your niche. A few valuable and relevant backlinks can have a more significant impact on your rankings than numerous low-quality ones.
6. Website Structure and Internal Linking
Website page naming, structure, and internal linking are often overlooked aspects of SEO. By strategically structuring, naming, organizing, and interlinking relevant pages within your website, you can distribute link authority, help search engines discover important pages, and improve the overall ability of your website to rank higher for more keywords over time. Create a coherent website URL structure, internal linking, and use natural and varied anchor text to maximize the SEO value.
7. Technical SEO and Page Experience
Although the various technical aspects of SEO are important, they are far less vital than Google would like us to believe. Unfortunately, many SEO agencies who’ve been drinking too much Google Kool-Aid may have told you otherwise. Sure, Google’s Page Experience and Core Web Vitals are important ranking factors. Page Experience encompasses several elements such as mobile-friendliness, site security (HTTPS), lack of intrusive interstitials, and more. Core Web Vitals measure aspects of web page speed and user interaction, including loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. These are important, no doubt. But no website will ever rank higher based on technical SEO alone. You need to devote most of your SEO efforts towards optimizing your site’s content and metadata (namely page titles and meta description tags) and getting quality backlinks.
In conclusion, mastering the science and art of SEO requires a combination of well-known techniques and best-kept secrets. By incorporating these top 7 best-kept SEO secrets into your strategy, you can boost your website’s visibility, attract targeted traffic, and stay ahead in today’s competitive digital landscape. Remember that SEO is an ongoing process. So, embrace these strategies, keep experimenting, and watch your website climb the search engine rankings!