One of the most popular ways to grow your site’s visibility on the web is by optimizing it for search engines, also known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The idea behind this strategy is to make sure your site will come up in relevant search results when someone searches for your target keywords. Getting good at SEO can take time and practice, but you can use this comprehensive guide to develop your SEO skills in no time at all!
Keyword Research
The first step in improving your search rankings is to find relevant keywords that people are using when they look for what you offer. Find these words and phrases by using a keyword research tool like Google’s Keyword Planner, Semrush, or WordTracker. This can give you an idea of what terms people are searching for and how competitive those terms are. If you have trouble coming up with a list of good keywords, try brainstorming some ideas based on popular searches (Google Trends) or your own personal interests. Remember: it doesn’t matter if no one else is looking for something—if it matters to you, it matters! You should also think about how many times per month someone might search for each term. If there aren’t enough searches happening every month, then maybe it isn’t worth targeting after all.
On-Page SEO
On-page optimization is one of your most effective tools for ranking well in search results. To boost your page’s visibility, address each of these elements directly in your content. This includes using keywords and phrases throughout your copy (use a keyword tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to help you find long-tail keywords that are more likely to rank), as well as including links back to your site from reputable sources. You can also optimize images with alt text and titles, and make sure that you have an XML sitemap linked up so that Google can crawl all of your pages quickly and easily.
Link Building
To get your site ranking higher, you’ll need to generate high-quality links that point back to your site. In other words, create a snowball effect—get one link, which will help you get two more links, which will help you get even more. Building links is a skill in itself and can be extremely time-consuming; there are several software solutions available that take some of that load off your shoulders. The best way to start is by building relationships with other bloggers in your niche who might want to link back to you as well. Remember, it’s all about quality over quantity when it comes to links. So rather than obsessing over getting 1,000 backlinks from low-quality sites, focus on getting 100 quality ones from industry experts.
For an advanced guide to link-building strategies see Moz’s Link Building Bible or for an easy solution use Screaming Frog for a free crawl of any website. It’s very easy to set up and interpret data from but not much else (you have to export Excel data into other tools). You’ll probably find yourself using Ahrefs or Majestic SEO instead.
Monitoring & Testing
We begin with monitoring, which is keeping tabs on what’s happening in your industry and how well you’re doing. Keeping track of your progress will let you adjust your strategy as necessary and avoid any major pitfalls or issues. It’s important to remember that even if you set a clear goal for yourself, it can be easy to get distracted or lose focus; by monitoring keywords and keywords performance regularly, you can stay attuned to what works.