Ah, SEO…
Of course, there’s always the possibility that you haven’t read any of my previous thoughts on this subject, so in the interest of keeping you completely up to speed, let me quickly make several relevant points about SEO.
First, SEO is a process. It involves many parts, and all those parts work together to improve page rankings. I’ll get into what several of those parts are in a minute and show you how to optimize them.
Second, good SEO takes time to develop. It isn’t something you apply to your page on Monday night and wake up to insane amounts of traffic by Tuesday morning. It just plain doesn’t work that way. Good rankings take time to achieve, and you have to stay on top of the game to get there. That means providing a steady stream of quality, optimized content that is consistent and relevant.
Finally, keywords are not the be-all, end-all of SEO, but they are very important.
Right then! With that said, here are a few things you can start doing today to increase your rankings and get solid, long-term results with SEO.
Check Your Timeline
Be honest: When was the last time you actually researched your keywords? Have you been riding on the coattails of search terms that were popular in 2005 but never explored to confirm their relevance to a 2016 audience? People’s search habits change all the time, even when searching for the same things.
As people develop more of an understanding of a certain subject, product, or service, their information needs change. With it comes the need to adjust keywords to reflect and cater to those changes. If you haven’t done any keyword research in a while, you will probably be amazed at the number of search terms that are missing in your content.
Maintain Strict Content Quality Standards
Keywords are not enough to get good rankings. There was a time when they were, but it was also more difficult to find specific, relevant information in a sea of poorly conceived websites that offered nothing more than keywords. Google and other search entities realized that if they wanted to present the best possible service to the people who use them, they had to start insisting on a higher level of accountability in the content. What this means today is that your page simply will not rank based solely on keywords. There are literally hundreds of criteria that sites like Google look for and assess before approving your page as a relevant, authoritative source.
As I’ve mentioned before, it boils down to several things: high-quality copy, good visuals, and content that is optimized for easy loading and viewing on any device. Spending some money on promoting doesn’t hurt either. In fact, running some paid traffic to your page or website can go a long way in building your reputation and increasing your rankings.
Commit to Delivering Brand-Specific Content
Another huge factor in how well your pages rank is the amount of unique content you offer. This is why I always say to invest in branded content, especially visuals. People don’t necessarily need to be bombarded by mentions of a brand name in the copy as much as they need to have a mental image in their heads of what your brand looks like. That, coupled with dynamic, engaging copy, will go a long way toward giving you high long-term rankings.
Split Test or Compare Per-Page Results
You need to narrow down precisely what content is getting the most engagement and duplicate those success strategies on every page. That doesn’t mean repeating the same things over and over (that will actually hurt your rankings), but it does mean recognizing the types of messages and the delivery style of those messages that really clicks with your audience. Remember, sites like Google love consistency, so figure out what elements of your content are speaking to your audience and be sure you are speaking their language consistently in all of your content.
Be Willing to Make Frequent Changes
The process of developing good SEO involves a willingness to put aside personal preferences and simply give the market what it wants when it wants it. This goes back to regularly re-researching keywords and putting a halt to marketing strategies that don’t work, even if you think they’re the best way to communicate your brand message. You have to adjust that message to meet the needs of your audience. Commit to doing that, and your rankings will only increase and stay high over time.
These five tweaks form the framework for a successful long-term SEO strategy. No, it isn’t easy, but the rewards will become self-evident over time. Need help putting all of that together? Talk to us. We offer comprehensive SEO writing services that will help you deliver copy that not only converts short term but will also help you keep your SEO rankings where they belong.