Several business owners dread delving into SEO because of its intricacies. Yet, they want to improve their organic ranking in SERP (search engine result pages) at all costs. Some on-page and off-page SEO ranking factors carry more weight than the rest. Google algorithm is constantly updated and some changes are made without any announcement.
Here are the important elements that every brand must integrate into their SEO strategy this year.
1. Offer awesome content
Quality content often serves as the foundation of all other online marketing plans. Online visitors want brands to offer value first before they can earn their trust or make a purchase. Focus on meeting the varying needs of your target customers. Long-form content is usually around 2000 words and more. It’s gaining popularity and can help to boost your ranking.
Make sure that you format your content by using paragraphs, bullet points, and header tags. Incorporating videos and images into your content can lead to better conversion. The bottom line is that these visual elements must be optimized so that they won’t slow down your website.
2. Mobile optimization
Having a responsive website is the key to increasing the dwell time and conversion rate. Businesses that ignore Google’s Mobile First Indexing risk losing customers and revenue. This is because the number of smartphone users is not slowing down. Confirm that your website adapts seamlessly across different screen size and browsers.
3. Social media
Social media remains a handy tool for connecting with customers and promoting businesses. Most brands rely on it to boost user engagement and collect user-generated content. A social media strategy that aligns with a brand’s goals and SEO strategy works best.
4. Keywords
The first step to discovering the right keywords involves carrying out keyword research. Taking this step will also go a long way when designing your content marketing plan. Leverage long-tail keywords which are less competitive than short-tail keywords. Local customers and search engine bots will find it easier to find you with local keywords that describe your business. Your keywords should be relevant and appear natural on your web pages.
5. Backlinks
Creating content is one of the easiest ways to attract quality backlinks and boost organic traffic. Maintaining consistency will increase your authority over time. You can also collaborate with influencers and high-quality websites in your industry. Using too many backlinks may lead to distraction and make Google penalize your website.
6. URL optimization
Google uses URL to index websites. This is the reason why you should adopt the best practices and make yours brief and SEO friendly. Crawl your website to detect and fix any broken link that can hinder your SEO efforts. Include target keywords in your URLs and ensure that they show a glimpse of what each web page is about.
7. Security
Security is a major concern of online visitors, especially when visiting e-commerce stores. Despite the fact that webmasters take different measures to beef up security, hackers keep refining their strategies every day. The most important thing is to integrate SSL encryption technology into your website. This will increase your ranking and trust.
Designing an SEO strategy will complementwith your digital marketing efforts and assist you to reach your goals. It’s important to have a keen interest in SEO even if you want to hire a digital marketing agency. Inasmuch as you’re determined to optimize your website for SEO, remember to prioritize your users.