Considering the crowded state of the current online marketplace, digital marketing professionals are clamouring for more organic traffic. Of course, one of the most effective and efficient ways for them to do so is to have a strong SEO & Marketing strategy in place.
SEO (short for Search engine optimisation) is the process of optimising a website so that it ranks higher up in search engine result pages (SERPs). A higher ranking helps a business improve its website’s visibility and as a result, bring more customers to its front door.
Ranking on SERPs with SEO is not as hard as it may seem, but it is not all about defining what the most searchable keywords are. So what is it about then?
In today’s blog, we are listing five secrets that will help you get the most out of your SEO efforts. Incorporate these secrets into your SEO strategy and watch your business fly high!
1. Optimise for voice search
While it started as a small concept, voice search has now become the “go to” way of browsing the Internet — and for good reasons. Searching with voice is easier and more convenient than typing, and the results of voice queries are also significantly quicker. With an increasing number of people turning to smart speakers and voice assistants, you should consider optimising your site for voice search as well.
Optimising your site for voice search involves targeting long-tail keywords in your content and providing context with a schema markup, also known as structured data. Using conversational long-tail keywords (i.e. keywords that are longer than the typical search query) in your web page content makes it more likely for the said web page to rank for a voice query. And using the HTML add-on “schema” to mark up your web page content helps search engines understand what the page is all about, which in turn helps them determine your page’s relevance and rankings in their search results.
If voice search optimisation is not part of your SEO strategy yet, it is time to fix that ASAP.
2. Optimise for mobile users
Every online business is continuously striving for more conversions as they translate into more revenue, which is the ultimate goal, after all. To achieve the same, you should optimise your website to enhance the user experience (UX) of mobile users.
Having a mobile-first site design is not an option anymore; it is a necessity. One reason is that Google — understanding that most people use handheld devices to access the Internet — has started to prioritise mobile-friendly websites.
A few years ago, the search giant launched the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) programme, which helps deliver high-quality web pages with an almost instantaneous load time to improve the overall user experience for mobile users. This means that websites with an AMP markup are more likely to show up in mobile search results.
If you do not have a fast-loading mobile site yet, you will surely hurt your SEO efforts.
3. Focus on topic clusters instead of keywords
As much as keyword-centric content is important, it is just the tip of the iceberg. Instead of focusing on stand-alone keywords, organise them thematically and understand the “user intent.” Your content should follow the topic cluster model.
A topic cluster refers to a group of interlinked web pages wherein the “pillar” page is the central content hub, and multiple cluster pages link back to this pillar page. This way, search engines will better understand your area of expertise and the relationship between your web pages.
Check out this article from us 7 reasons why your websites not getting traffic – SEO
4. Write longer content
If you want to strengthen your website SEO, you ought to focus on producing more long-form content. Studies have shown that long-form content is more engaging and more shareable, but more importantly, it helps SEO. Useful and comprehensive, longer content is more likely to earn quality backlinks, which help improve search rankings and drive more traffic to your website. At the same time, in the case of queries that can be answered in limited words, try to aim for a minimum of 500-1000 words its not always necessary to write a 2,000+ word long blog.
If you feel the need to write long-form content and lack inspiration, you can refresh an old blog post. Since older blog posts already have established readership, simply revamping the information and adding a few extra points can quickly get the job done.
5. Target local searches with local SEO
If you have a traditional brick-and-mortar business, you need to focus on local SEO. To enhance your local SEO, you need to build and optimise local landing pages, targeting the keywords that your local audience uses. You can also double-check your directory listings and make sure that all information — especially your NAP (name, address and phone number — is up-to-date and the same across all your business listings.
Check out this article: Why getting google reviews is important for SEO
Conclusion
To stomp the online competition, you will have to up your SEO game. Incorporate the given SEO techniques into your current strategy, and you will see amazing changes!
If you are looking to hire a creative digital marketing agency in Leeds, Huddersfield or Halifax, get in touch with Fab Media today. From backlinks and website optimisation to creating keyword rich content and PPC advertising, we can help create a SEO strategy that will drive traffic to your website. Our SEO services can help your business be found on Google and other search engines, helping you rank above your competitors, increase traffic to your website, generate leads and more importantly be seen in the right place by your target audience