The terms of SEO have constantly evolved through these years. Search engines like Google update their search algorithms now and then. That is why digital marketers and web developers must always be on par with what search engines require when ranking websites in SERPs.
In the game of SEO ranking, knowing the basics and being on the loop of the latest metrics of Google can get your website to where you want to be. Of course, considering the efforts you must put in to give what Google requires of your website to be ranked in.
Google alone has over 200 ranking factors. While many still think that mobile experience and overall usability are the more important elements that matter in SEO, the ABCs of SEO have changed through the years which put content as one of the major factors that affect the ranking of websites. As they say, “Content is King.” — and it will always will. According to Google, even poorly designed sites can still rank as long as it has superb content. This must be the reason why we still see some crappy-looking websites outranking some better-looking websites.
A good SEO strategy involves many things, so SEO is really a bit complicated at times. So aside from high-quality organic content, you need to take into account other important factors such as UX, Core Web Vitals (such as CLS), bounce rate, and more.
When it comes to long-term SEO strategies, there are so many tactics to consider which can help your business get on your competition today and keep you ahead of your game tomorrow. Here’s how you can establish a tenable long-term SEO strategy that works for you.
Create a good website.
Forget about Google saying it’s okay to have a crappy-looking website as long as you have high-quality content. Remember the goal of why you want your website to rank. The ultimate goal is to rank high up on the first page of SERPs so that your website can be seen by your audience. Having a high ranking in search engines improves the value of your website.
There is no good SEO without a good website.
This only means that no matter how good your SEO is if your visitors are appalled by your website, it still won’t keep your visitors from leaving.
Here’s how you can create a good working website:
1. Optimize your website speed so it loads quickly.
2. Index your site by creating a Google Webmasters account.
3. Design your pages accordingly and make sure they are mobile-friendly and responsive.
4. Add an SSL certificate to your website.
5. Fix any broken links and audit any inbound links on your website
Aside from giving your audience high-quality content, a good working website will provide your audience a good user experience that can attract more leads and visitors to check out your brand which eventually increases conversions.
User experience is now an imperative ranking factor for Google. How your visitors are able to use your website actually matters a lot not only for ranking but as well as for your visitors. After all, nobody wants to stay on a website with web pages that take too long to load. As a result, your visitors will leave right away to find a better loading website. This increases your bounce rate which will have an impact on your search engine ranking.
Create good quality content
Google’s goal is always this— provide its user with the best results for their searches. The more satisfied its users are with their searches, the more people will use it. Simple as that. This is why Google regularly updates its algorithm and SERPs. People usually search in Google for content, this is why you should be able to know how to create quality content worthy of getting ranked by Google. Quality content will always be an important factor for ranking by search engines.
Create content such as blogs or articles that are well-researched and as in-depth as possible. The trick is to research well on your topic and make it long but well-composed as much as possible. Overall, put a priority on making quality content so that it can be worth displaying in search results and most importantly worth reading and sharing.
Guest posting on other blogs especially those with an established following is another way to give your website more value. This allows you to publish content that links back to your website or blog. This creates traffic to your website since people can be redirected from the site they are reading from back to you. You just need to make sure that the content is authentic, original, and worth the read.
Work on your keywords
Select the less competitive keyphrases or keywords and then work your way up. With SEO, it is better to start with the less competitive phrases and lock-in traffic first before going for those long-tail or longer multi-word phrases. The goal here is to establish your site to your users in the short term then eventually get creative with working with your keywords. Tools such as SEMrush and Wordtracker, can help with long-tail and normal keyword research.
Perform Competitive Analysis
SEO that not totally guarantee your placement in SERPs. Rather, your SEO is your guide to make your website better to beat Google’s algorithm. There is actually no absolute placement in SERPs. However, what you can do is to check up on your competitors and see what they do to gain a competitive advantage. What topics do they usually make the content of? Where are they getting the links? What you can do is to compare what you do for your website and take advantage of what you know to use it to be better than your competitors. This does not only happen in websites tho but also in businesses in general.
By following technical SEO best practices, you create a strong foundation for your website that can provide long-term value. Remember to always try to improve your overall website not just for ranking but as well as for you to provide your visitor the best user experience. Keep yourself on the loop of the latest SEO updates so you can optimize your website and impress Google. With other marketing tactics on top of you good SEO will ensure that your site can rank higher and show up more frequently in search results.
