With all the information out there regarding SEO in 2023, learning can be a little overwhelming. To make it less scary we’ve outlined some basic SEO tricks to help you get started.
1. Start by optimizing your website for mobile devices
Optimizing your site for mobile is critical. Google Analytics shows that mobile users account for 60.66% of our new user traffic. The remaining 39.34% comes from tablets and desktops.
Start the process by ensuring your site is responsive, meaning it has been designed to adapt based on the technology and type of computing device used by the visitor.
Then you need to test your site’s performance and load speed across all devices as each delay may cost you an opportunity to engage a new prospect.
2. Understand how your visitors search
Keyword testing is always a good idea. SEO best practices require an understanding of intent and the reasoning behind your visitors’ search. Successful optimization comes with a true understanding of how your target audience is using search engines.
Start testing how optimization affects your search traffic and apply more conversational queries to your keyword mix.
Keep in mind that ‘mobile consumers’ search habits differ compared to desktop users as we tend to look for a fast answer when we’re in a rush.
3. Write for humans, optimize for search engines
Don’t forget who you’re writing for when optimizing a website. You’re picking keywords to improve our site’s rankings but your content should be relevant and engaging, so they’ll want to read more about it. However, creating good content is a waste of time if you don’t get people to read it. That’s why you need to optimize your content to rank higher in the search engine result pages (SERPs).
Keep in mind, that in 2021, Google and other search engines are prioritizing user experience and have become way too sophisticated to reward keyword stuffing.
Over the years, Google’s algorithm has become smarter and the credit goes to artificial intelligence. This has given Google the ability to understand your language more than the customers. To be able to rank, you should have a good EAT score, where EAT refers to Expertise, Authority, and Trust. Keyword stuffing alone will not help.
You need to find the balance between quality content and optimization to help you increase your search traffic.
4. Analyze existing search traffic
Take a close look at your current search traffic. Which pages are performing best? Which keywords are your visitors using to find your content? Do your top 10 posts have anything in common? What length of post performs best?
Find the posts that work well over time and think of ways to update them to keep them fresh. Analyzing your search traffic and current performance can help you create a content calendar with topics that your target audience will appreciate.
5. Stay up-to-date with the latest changes in SEO
Dedicate time each month to catch up with the latest SEO updates and what they mean to your strategy. Learn as much as you can about algorithm updates and the ranking factors that affect your position in the SERPs. From keyword relevance to page speed, backlinks to reviews, understand how each ranking factor affects your optimization tactics.
6. Never underestimate User Experience (UX)
Search results are becoming more personalized as Google evolves making the user experience more important each year. Content quality and relevance are very significant, but a good post cannot be engaging if your page is not optimized for mobile or if it doesn’t help lead the reader to additional content.
Again, it’s important to find a good balance between great content and user experience. Start analyzing your current bounce rate (the time spent on site). Compare this against your site’s load speed. And be sure to test performance across various browsers and devices and improve any issues that may cause you to lose your readers.
7. Discover the link between social media and SEO
As social media takes on a larger role in our lives, Google has begun to integrate social results with search answers to present a more holistic idea of an online presence. By indexing more social content to the search results, users can find the right answers to their queries much faster.
Social networks have also developed their own search engines to help users answer questions. Keep this in mind as you strategize how to use your various channels to help your target audience find answers.
8. Understand how voice search works
Voice search has become one of the biggest trends to shape SEO with a rapidly growing adoption rate. As we gain a better understanding of search intent our search optimization strategies will need to change. With voice search, we tend to use longer questions and more conversational queries. The challenge is to understand which keywords are more relevant to your target and how to measure the success of your strategy.
Conclusion
Your SEO strategy doesn’t have to be over complicated. Take one step at a time to improve your site’s optimization. Understand that the best way to get started is to pay close attention to your website visitors’ online habits.
Paul Bies
President
MYSTIQUE BRAND COMMUNICATIONS
416-441-2666 Ext 14.
Are you looking to take your brand to the next level? Do you need a brand partner who’ll do the heavy lifting while inspiring you to achieve more? A team that not only helps you find your voice, but works with you to ensure that your voice is heard. Let Mystique’s branding pros provide you with scalable lead generation and retention solutions to make certain that you reach the right people with the right message at the right time. Not sure where you brand stands?
Schedule time to review your current situation with us and discuss possible ways to optimize your brand experience to overcome your business challenges and reach your goals. Even if you choose not to use us, you’ll walk away with some great ideas to implement in your business today.
