If you’ve ever worked with anyone in SEO you’ll no doubt have heard the words “It depends” on a regular basis. This is because SEO isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. So it's time to break free from the cookie-cutter approach and embrace a more strategic, user-centric strategy.
We sat down with Conduit’s SEO wizard Dr. Jay Mcleod to hear what his big three winning strategies are for SEO.
winning-strategies-for-seo-ditch-the-cookie-cutter-approach
1. Optimize for Mobile
Let's face it, the mobile revolution is over and the smartphones won. If your website isn't mobile-friendly, you're missing out on a massive chunk of potential customers. Google's mobile-first indexing means that your site's mobile performance is now a major ranking factor.
So, how do you optimize for mobile?
Responsive Design: Ensure your website adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes.
Fast Loading Speeds: A slow-loading site is a death sentence for mobile users. Compress images, minimize HTTP requests, and leverage browser caching.
User-Friendly Navigation: Make it easy for users to find what they're looking for, even on smaller screens.
Mobile-Specific Content: Tailor your content to the mobile experience. Consider using shorter paragraphs, bullet points, and clear calls to action.
2. Ditch the Keyword Stuffing, Embrace the Pain Points
Writing solely for keywords is a relic of the past. Google's algorithms are smarter than ever, and they can easily detect and penalize this tactic. Instead of focusing solely on keywords, shift your attention to addressing your clients' pain points and write for humans.
How do you identify and address pain points?
User Research: Conduct surveys, interviews, and analyze user behavior to understand their challenges and desires.
Keyword Research with Intent: While writing for keywords alone isn’t good, keyword research is still a vital way of assessing how many people are looking for specific information.
Create High-Quality Content: Develop informative, engaging, and valuable content that solves problems and answers questions.
Optimize for Semantic Search: Use synonyms, related terms, and natural language to improve your content's relevance.
3. Content Size: Quality Over Quantity
There's no magic number for the ideal content length and bigger isn’t always better. The focus should be on creating high-quality, informative content that provides value to your audience.
So, how long should your content be?
In-Depth Content: For complex topics, longer-form content can be beneficial.
Concise Content: For simple topics, shorter, more concise content can be just as effective.
Data-Driven Approach: Use analytics tools to track user engagement and optimize your content length accordingly.
SEO: A Continuous Evolution
SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. To stay ahead of the curve, you need to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of search algorithms and user behavior. Here are some additional SEO tips to keep in mind:
Build High-Quality Backlinks: Earn natural backlinks from reputable websites to boost your domain authority.
Optimize Your Images: Compress images, use descriptive file names, and add alt text.
Leverage Social Media: Promote your content on social media platforms to increase visibility and drive traffic.
Track and Analyze Your Performance: Use Google Analytics and other tools to monitor your website's performance and make data-driven decisions.
Don’t neglect Google Search Console: It doesn’t get talked about enough and is probably the most valuable tool any SEO can use.
By adopting a more holistic approach to SEO, you can achieve sustainable, long-term results. Remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint and both the approach and results will be different for every client. After all, it depends.
Next steps
If you haven't already, check out Dr. Jay McCleod's insights and strategies from our latest episode of Expert Expertise and see how you can dominate your clients' search results.
Already watched the video? Great! Dive into our blog post Why Do Agencies Need White Label SEO to understand how outsourcing SEO can supercharge your agency's efficiency and profitability.
