You’ve probably come across many success stories about SEO on LinkedIn and now you’re thinking about giving it a try.
But you’re unsure if it works for your business.
Well, let me tell you this:
Yes, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) does work. Because In this digital age, there are countless people searching for products and services online. To make sure these offerings are visible to people on a search engine, SEO will have to be eternal.
So, how does SEO work?
It involves utilizing strategies like keyword research, creating high-quality and relevant content, technical SEO, building inbound and outbound links, and improving user experience.
These strategies help search engine algorithms understand and index web pages accurately, thereby increasing the chances of ranking higher in search results.
Let’s start off with the most important strategy in SEO – Keyword Research.
What is keyword research for SEO
Keyword research involves identifying the words and phrases potential customers use when searching for information online.
To begin the keyword research process, creating a seed list of terms that reflect the intent of the target audience is essential. This can be done by brainstorming the main topics related to your website’s content and then expanding on those topics to find more specific keywords.
For example, if you have an online shoe store, your seed list could include terms like “running shoes,” “sports shoes,” or “footwear.”
Once the seed list is created, tools like the Surfer SEO extension and Keyword Everywhere extension can be used to research different types of keywords.
When going through other keywords, keep an eye on the search volume
Why?
Because Search volume indicates how often a particular keyword is being searched for, helping you understand its popularity and potential traffic to your website.
You would probably find many keywords with a high search volume and get you excited, thinking that you could rank them all easily. But, these keywords are often more competitive.
For example, “workout” is a shorter keyword. It would take you a lot of links from authoritative sites to rank for that.
If you are a business owner or a marketer without a budget for link building, you should try to rank for long-tail keywords.
Long-tail keywords are more specific and have a lower search volume. It can be discovered by adding additional words or phrases to the seed terms. For example, “easy workout routines for beginners” is a long-tail keyword.
I personally used Writerzen to find these long-tail search terms. But you can find these types of keywords on Google auto-suggest or a website like Answer Socrates.
How do I add SEO keywords to my content
Let’s say you are ready with the long-tail keyword (Focus Keyword) you want to rank for, But you don’t know how to use them on the page.
To use these keywords effectively, there are a few key areas you should focus on.
First and foremost, incorporating your focus keyword in headings, meta titles, and URLs is crucial. This helps search engines understand the context and relevance of your content.
Additionally, using frequently asked questions (FAQs) supporting your focus keyword can greatly enhance your content.
Below are some of the FAQs I was able to extract.
You can do the same by looking into the “People also Ask” section of Google.
By addressing these questions in your content, you can provide valuable information and attract potential customers.
To take things up a notch, utilize content optimization tools like Surfer SEO.
These tools analyze the top 10 search engine listings for your focus keyword and identify commonly used terms.
Don’t have the budget, don’t worry!
You can use a free tool like Text Optimizer to optimize your content. I personally haven’t used this tool, but I have heard that it can do a decent job for its free offering.
So, by incorporating these terms in your content using tools, you can optimize it to match search engine algorithms and improve your search engine ranking.
But remember, effective keyword insertions go beyond simply adding them to your content.
Don’t just insert terms here and there for the sake of increasing the score
Make sure to optimize keeping contextuality, value, and relevancy in mind.
After you’ve finished optimizing for consumers, you should work on optimizing content for Google Bots.
Enter – Technical SEO
Why is technical seo important
Technical SEO refers to the website and server optimizations that help search engine spiders crawl and index a website more effectively, ultimately improving its organic rankings.
Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on content and keywords, technical SEO deals with the technical aspects of a website that affect its visibility in search engine results.
It involves optimizing various elements, such as site speed, mobile-friendliness, website architecture, canonical tags, structured data, SSL certificates, and more.
Several tools, such as Screaming Frog, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console, play a crucial role in implementing and monitoring technical SEO strategies.
Lets talk more about them
How does Screaming Frog help with Technical SEO?
Screaming Frog is an incredibly powerful tool for analyzing technical SEO.
It’s like a website crawler that helps you identify and fix any technical issues that might be affecting your website’s search engine rankings.
I find Screaming Frog particularly useful for optimizing the metadata on my website. It allows me to analyze and optimize things like page titles, meta descriptions, and header tags. It makes sure that these elements are properly optimized with relevant keywords.
Another great feature of Screaming Frog is its ability to identify broken links. I’ve had websites with lots of broken links in the past, and it’s not a good experience for users. When someone clicks on a broken link, they see a 404 error page, which is frustrating and can also hurt your search engine rankings. But with Screaming Frog, finding and fixing these broken links is a breeze. Once you find them you can either 301 redirect or no-index them.
Last but not least, my favorite thing about Screaming Frog is how it examines the internal linking structure of my website. Internal links are really important for distributing link authority and helping search engines understand the hierarchy and relevance of your content.
Not only that, but it also helps the user understand the concepts discussed in the blog in greater depth. If I had a blog on internal linking, I would have linked it here. Unfortunately, I don’t. But you got the point. (LoL)
Another tool that helps you with technical SEO is the search console, and it is even more important than Screaming Frog.
How to use Google Search Console for Technical SEO?
Google Search Console is an incredibly useful tool for technical SEO. It’s a free service provided by Google that helps website owners and webmasters keep track of and optimize their site’s presence in Google search results.
One of the things I really appreciate about Google Search Console is its ability to submit a website’s sitemap.
So, what exactly is a sitemap?
Well, it’s a file that lists all the pages on your website and helps search engines understand its structure.
By submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console, you make sure that all your web pages are indexed by bots and easily discoverable by users.
But that’s not all!
Google Search Console also offers valuable insights into how your website is performing in search results.
These insights show the keywords that are driving traffic to your site, where your website typically ranks in search results for specific keywords, and the click-through rate for different search queries.
This information can help you identify opportunities to optimize your website’s content and improve its visibility in search results.
Now, let’s talk about another important feature that often gets overlooked: the ability to check for crawl errors.
Crawl errors occur when search engines can’t access certain pages on your website.
Accessibility is important or else it will have a negative impact on your website’s visibility in search results.
Therefore, by regularly monitoring crawl errors in Google Search Console, you can quickly identify and resolve any issues that might be preventing search engines from properly crawling and indexing your site.
As you can see, Google Search Console is a powerful tool that can greatly benefit your website’s technical SEO.
You can take it a step further, and help the bots understand more about your page structure using schema markup.
What is the purpose of Schema markup in Technical SEO?
In simple terms, schema markup is a code added to the HTML of a webpage that helps search engines understand the content’s context and meaning. It uses structured data vocabulary to categorize and label different elements on a webpage such as products, recipes, events, reviews, and more.
These specific details about your content can lead to rich snippets or enhanced search results.
For example, if you have a cooking blog and use schema markup for a recipe, search engines can display additional information like the cooking time, ratings, and even a thumbnail image directly in the search results.
To use schema markup, you need to add the appropriate schema.org vocabulary to your HTML code. There are various ways to implement schema markup, including JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa. JSON-LD is the recommended method by Google, as it allows you to add schema markup without cluttering your HTML code.
Too technical, isn’t it?
Use this link to generate Schema markup in no time : https://technicalseo.com/tools/schema-markup-generator/
Once you have added schema markup to your website, it’s crucial to test and validate it using tools like Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool. This ensures that your schema markup is correctly implemented and can be understood by search engines.
What are inbound and outbound links in SEO?
Inbound and outbound links play a crucial role in improving your website’s authority and rankings.
Inbound links, also known as backlinks, are incoming links from external websites. These links act as votes of confidence for your website, signaling to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy.
These links should come from highly authoritative sites. It helps in boosting your website’s credibility and visibility in search engine results pages.
On the other hand, outbound links are links from your website to other external websites. While outbound links may not directly impact your website’s authority, they contribute to the overall user experience.
By providing additional resources and linking to relevant content, outbound links enhance the value and usefulness of your website.
When it comes to inbound and outbound links, quality is key. These links should be naturally acquired and should come from websites that are related to your industry or niche.
In summary, inbound and outbound links are essential components of effective SEO strategies. Inbound links boost your website’s authority and rankings, while outbound links improve the user experience and provide additional resources to readers.
All this seems like a lot of work doesn’t it? This begs the next question
Is it really necessary to do SEO?
It may not be absolutely necessary for a business to invest in search engine optimization (SEO), but they would undoubtedly be missing out on a significant number of potential leads.
Without SEO, it becomes incredibly challenging for companies to gain visibility on search engines and reach their target audience effectively.
And it is essential. You’ll be missing out on a lot of potential customers at the bottom of the funnel.
Without optimizing their website for search engines, businesses risk sinking to the bottom of search rankings, where potential customers may not even discover them.
Moreover, SEO helps businesses attract the right customers – those who are actively searching for products or services related to their industry.
It is not hard as social media marketing where you have to persuade users who are not aware of the problem they have or the product they need. I am not saying social media marketing is useless, but it takes extra effort.
Read more about it in my other blog post. That’s a separate topic.
Can Social Media Marketing Really Help my Business
The bottom line is SEO may not be necessary per se, but it is an invaluable tool for businesses to enhance visibility, attract high-potential customers, and ultimately drive conversions.
Is SEO worth it in 2023
Yes, SEO is still worth investing in in 2023, despite the challenges posed by the advent of Generative Search Experience (GSE).
GSE is a new technology that aims to enhance the search experience by generating and summarizing information directly on search engine result pages.
While the impact of GSE on Google search is uncertain, it does not diminish the importance of SEO.
Search engine optimization remains crucial because search engines are still the primary source of online information.
Google cannot afford to lose its publishers and content creators, as they play a significant role in making Google a reliable and informational search engine.
SEO helps businesses and individuals get their content noticed by search engines
Read more: How much business is driven from organic traffic
To achieve success with SEO in 2023 and beyond, it is essential to focus on developing topical authority and obtaining links from reputable websites.
While acquiring links from these sites can be challenging, it is a necessary endeavor. One highly recommended starting point for link building is HARO (Help a Reporter Out).
HARO is a platform that connects journalists and reporters with reliable sources for their articles. By registering as a source on HARO, individuals and businesses can respond to queries from reporters in their industry, providing valuable insights and expertise.
When the reporter uses their response in an article, they often include a backlink to the source’s website, driving traffic and improving search engine rankings.
In conclusion, SEO remains worth the investment in 2023. Through building topical authority, obtaining links from reputable websites, and leveraging platforms like HARO, businesses, and individuals can enhance their online visibility, attract more organic traffic, and stay competitive in the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization.
Will SEO exist in 5 years
With the ever-growing reliance on online search tools, businesses need to optimize their digital presence to reach their target audience effectively.
While the digital landscape is constantly changing, it is unlikely that SEO will become irrelevant in the next 5 years.
SEO goes beyond just Google search.
It encompasses platforms like Pinterest, YouTube, app stores, and others, where users search for information or products. As such, the concept of SEO is not limited to a single search engine but applies to the entire online ecosystem.
Search engines continuously improve their algorithms to provide users with the most relevant and valuable content. This means that SEO strategies will also evolve to align with the changing algorithms. This includes practices such as optimizing for mobile search, improving user experience, and creating high-quality and relevant content.
Therefore, SEO is not likely to disappear in the next five years. Rather, it will continue to adapt and evolve.
Businesses that invest in SEO will be better positioned to reach their target audience, increase organic traffic, and stay ahead of the competition.
How long does SEO take to work 2023
Businesses with new domains often wonder how long it takes for SEO to work effectively.
The truth is, SEO is a long-term investment that requires patience and persistence.
Typically, it may take around 8 months to a year to start seeing significant results from SEO. This timeframe allows search engines to crawl and index the website, understand its relevance, and position it accordingly in search engine rankings.
While SEO can be a game-changer for businesses, the digital landscape is continuously evolving.
The rise of AI-generated content has flooded the online space, making it more challenging for search engines like Google to prioritize and rank websites accurately. The excess content may cause crawling issues, leading to delays in achieving SEO results.
To ensure a successful SEO campaign, it is essential to maintain a natural and gradual approach.
Publishing an excessive number of blog posts, such as 100 blogs a week, may raise concerns and not look organic.
Instead, businesses should focus on maintaining a decent blog velocity and producing high-quality, relevant content that appeals to their target audience.
