Introduction
In today’s rapidly changing world, SEO techniques can change on a dime – and the worst part is, that you might not even know it. Hacks that might have won you a front-page result as recently as 2018 are not only old-fashioned now, but they may even spoil your website’s rankings. Particularly if those so-called “hacks” land your site a Google penalty that’s hard to shift. That’s why you need to stay on top of the ball in SEO. If not, you’ll fall behind and see your competitors speed past you in the SERPs. It goes without saying that your goal, as an SEO expert, makes your website reach the top of this list. Higher rankings equal more organic traffic – people you can convert at a later stage, and boost the overall ROI of your SEO strategy.
Some Effective SEO Techniques to Improve Organic Traffic
- Improve User Experience Across your Entire Website:
Let’s kick things off with a short explanation of what Google is here to do. Just like any search engine, they want to display the best results for a user’s search, and if they’re greeting users with a list of inappropriate, low-quality results, they won’t use them over. Here are some SEO techniques that you can use to enhance user experience and give your present content a boost in search engines.- Make your Posts Easy to Read:
- Shorter paragraphs
- Mixed sentence lengths
- Sub-headers
- Bullet points
- White space and images
- Write quality content
- Use Bucket Brigades to Pique Interest: Originally, a “bucket brigade” was a chain of people who pass buckets of water from person to person to extinguish a fire. Fancy putting this into practice? Here are a few of bucket brigades you can spatter throughout your content.
- You might be wondering
- The answer is
- You’re probably thinking
- Here’s the deal
- It gets better
- Make your Posts Easy to Read:
- Optimize for Voice Search:
Did you know that 50% of all hunts will be directed by voice by next year? That’s right: Half of all the folks heading to Google aren’t typing their inquiries – they’re utilizing a voice-assisted device to do the job for them. But how one does that without renewing your entire website? Here’s the answer:- Write Content Around Long-Tail Keywords
- Use Structured Data
- Focus on Topic Clusters Instead of Keywords:
Google is developing – and so is its algorithm. Its aim now is to understand the purpose of its end users: what they expect, what they’re looking for and, more specifically, what search results would best help answer their query. Here are two things, in particular, you should consider:- Know Your Target Audience
- Organize Content into Clusters
- Research Keywords – and Use Them Sparingly
- Longer Content Equals Higher Ranking:
Writing 2,000+ words for each and every blog post is not easy for everyone. It’s an intensive and time-consuming process, but most of all, sometimes it’s not necessary. Remember what we said about satisfying user intent? Some search queries are by people who aren’t looking to digest a lengthy blog post. Their answer could be a matter of words or a few paragraphs, so the other 1,500+ words you’re pressuring yourself to create might be a total waste of time and energy. Concluded that 2,000+ words are necessary? Here is a tip on how you can create long-form content (without the stress):- Build and Repurpose What You’ve Already Got
Struggling to find the urge to write a long-form blog post? Rather than starting from nothing, take an existing page from 1,200 words to 2,000, instead of going from 0 words to 2,000 words. Existing content already has authority and a stable readership. So instead of writing something totally from scratch, it’s much simpler to find a post of yours that is already doing well on Google, revive it with updated information and extra content, and rely on existing signals to make it rank for phrases.
- Build and Repurpose What You’ve Already Got
- Conquer Video with Youtube SEO:
YouTube videos rank in the top 10 of Google search far more often than any other type of video. And, according to Forbes, YouTube is also the second most popular search engine with more than 3 billion searches per month – surpassing Bing, Yahoo, and AOL combined. Here’s how you can get in on the work (after making your video, of course):- Make Your Video SEO-Friendly
- Make Longer Videos
- Create Custom Thumbnails
- Build a Variety of Backlinks:
It won’t come as a wonder to learn that backlinks are vital in the SEO world. According to Google, links are still the #1 factor when it comes to determining search rank because without them “ranking without links is really, really hard.” However, don’t fall into the trap of believing “any link is a good link.” Low-quality links that are simply spammed blog comments, paid links, etc, don’t seem to run anymore and can actively wreck your site. Links that are gained through high-quality content, outreach and influencer marketing, on the other hand, are safe and extremely effective. - Get a Grip on Technical Optimization:
SEO and content tips aside, it’s completely essential to have a stable website, without bothering about any technical issues that may emerge. Why would Google rank your site in position #1 if users are welcomed with a ton of glitches? You’ll need to get a grasp on your technical SEO in order to rank well in 2019 and beyond using these tips:- Switch to HTTPS
- Enable AMP for Mobile
- Budget Money for Crawlers
- Correct Your Semantic Markups
- Fix “Page Not Found” 404 Errors by Redirecting URLs
- Know-How to Measure SEO Performance:
Reporting and analytics are two important components of SEO both of which are indispensable to improving your overall marketing strategies. Using some tools for analyzing your website’s ranking can keep you updated with the measures and steps to be taken further to increase its ranking. Here are three tools you can use to capture exactly that:- Data Studio
- Wayback Machine
- SEMrush
Keeping Up With SEO in 2019
SEO is swiftly changing from one year to the next, with new algorithms regularly emerging and Google periodically editing their webmaster guidelines. Business owners and marketers have to adjust quickly, but it’s still possible to give your business website the edge on your rival(s). Always keep in mind to focus on solid content work and copywriting principles, connect your viewers strongly, and stay up-to-date of technical trends like backlinks, SEO health, site speed, and schema. And don’t be afraid of using a handful of the AI-based tools we’ve recommended to welcome the emerging AI revolution that’s set to take over the marketing world in 2019.
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