SEO is the foundation of organic growth.
After 12+ years in the industry and 3,000+ hours of website optimization I’ve compiled the best SEO tips for those who want to rank their website higher in search engines and grow their online presence.
1. SEO is 5% Technical and 95% Consistency
While it’s important to make sure your website is technically sound, the key to success is consistency. Publishing valuable content regularly helps your site build authority and trust with search engines like Google.
You'll never experience SEO success if you don't keep the consistency going with compounding results.
2. Put Main Keywords in H1, H2 and URL Slug
To rank higher in search, make sure your main keywords are in key places like your headers (H1 and H2) and the URL. This helps Google understand your content better and increases your chances of ranking.
3. Quality over Quantity: Publish Regularly
Publishing high quality content regularly will beat publishing lots of content sporadically. SEO is a long game and slow and steady wins the race.
Make sure that your content is the bridge that helps people understand the subject matter and answers their questions.
4. What You Put Into Content Matters
Content is king, but only if it’s good. Don’t put fluff and low quality filler. When your content provides value to your audience Google rewards you with better rankings.
5. Build a Strong Backlink Profile
High quality backlinks from authoritative sites can increase your site’s domain authority, credibility and ranking. Focus on getting backlinks from relevant and reputable sources.
6. Simplicity Scales; Complexity Fails
A simple site structure and a well executed content strategy makes it much easier to grow your site. Complex sites with confusing navigation fail to scale their SEO efforts.
7. Context and Relevance Beats Keywords
Keywords alone won’t get you to the top. Search engines prioritize content that provides context and relevance. Focus on answering users’ questions with well rounded and insightful content.
8. Understand User Intent
Ranking in SEO is about more than just keywords. Understanding user intent (what people are searching for and why) is key to making sure your content meets their needs.
Study the user intent and know that you might be right where you need to be in the SEO journey. Keep going!
9. Stop Chasing Vanity Metrics
It’s easy to get caught up in traffic numbers but conversions are what matter. A smaller engaged audience is far more valuable than a large uninterested one.
10. Mobile Optimization is a Requirement
Mobile friendly sites are a must. Most searches are happening on mobile devices so make sure your site is optimized for mobile to improve your search rankings and user experience.
11. Optimized Sites Convert Better
A well optimized site not only improves SEO rankings but also user engagement and conversion rates.
12. Have a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
SEO is not just about getting visitors; it’s about guiding them to take action. Make sure every page has a CTA to encourage users to engage with your content.
13. SEO Beats Paid Ads for Long Term Growth
While paid ads can give you short term boosts, SEO gives you more long term results for your business. Organic traffic is healthier for your brand’s growth.
14. Use Internal Links to Strengthen Your Site
Internal links help users navigate through your site, keep them engaged and reduce bounce rates. They also help search engines understand your content structure.
15. You Can Rank on a Shoestring
You can rank on Google even with a small budget by focusing on high quality content and smart link building. Consistency is more important than big spend.
16. Monitor Your Site Analytics Like a Hawk
Track your site’s performance regularly using tools like Google Analytics to understand user behavior and optimize for better results.
It's important to use helpful SEO tools, but make sure you put in the work before investing in new tools.
17. SEO Won’t Fix All Your Business Problems
While SEO is important for traffic, it’s not a magic pill. But it gives your business the opportunity to reach more customers organically and grow sustainably.
18. User Experience (UX) Impacts SEO
A bad user experience (slow page load times or hard navigation) will lead to higher bounce rates. Google notices this and may penalize your site in the rankings.
19. Broaden Your Keyword Strategy
Instead of focusing on highly competitive keywords, use long tail keywords, latent semantic indexing (LSI) terms and related phrases. These are often easier to rank for and bring targeted traffic.
20. Audit and Update Your Site Regularly
SEO is not a “set it and forget it” strategy. Audit your site regularly to make sure it’s up to date with the latest content, optimized for search engines and user experience.
21. Focus on Value as You Go
Many businesses start with SEO to get traffic but as they progress they realize the importance of delivering real value to their audience. SEO success is about building a brand not just getting traffic.
Focus on value instead of random distractions (and notifications)
22. Don’t Chase Keyword Density
While keywords are important, obsessing over keyword density is a waste of time. Create in-depth content that answers user queries and solves problems rather than keyword stuffing.
23. Update Your Content Regularly
Fresh content tells Google your site is active and relevant. Updating older content regularly can make it more relevant and increase its chances of ranking better over time.
24. You Probably Need More Content Than You Think
Many businesses underestimate the amount of content they need to rank well. If you think 10 pages will do, go for 20 to build a stronger foundation.
You're going to need MORE content, but make sure that it's great work and not lazy work.
25. Optimize More Than Just the Homepage
Many websites put too much effort into optimizing their homepage and neglect other pages. Make sure every page on your site is optimized with relevant content, keywords and headings.
26. Optimize Your Headings
Clear headings improve both SEO and user experience. H1, H2 and H3 tags guide users through your content and give search engines context about your content structure.
27. Make Your Meta Titles and Descriptions Count
Your meta titles and descriptions are often the first thing users see in search results. Make them compelling, keyword rich and enticing to improve CTR.
28. Focus on Long Term Growth in the First Year
SEO is a long term game. In your first year focus on building a strong foundation of consistent content and a solid link building strategy. Don’t chase quick wins.
While focusing on long-term growth, don't forget to focus in on your SEO copywriting to make it super interesting.
29. Build SEO Habits
By building SEO habits and systems for content creation and optimization you can get traffic to your site on autopilot. Treat SEO as a business growth strategy.
30. Run Your Website Like a Business
SEO should be a key driver of your business growth. Invest the time and resources into it to make sure you’re building a strong scalable system that delivers ongoing results.
By following these SEO tips, you can gradually increase your website visibility and search engine rankings, leading to more organic traffic and a stronger online presence. Implementing these strategies will help you build a robust foundation for your website, ensuring that it remains competitive in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Remember, SEO is not a quick fix but a long-term commitment that requires patience, consistency, and a focus on providing real value to your audience. By staying dedicated to these principles, you will not only improve your search engine rankings but also foster trust and credibility with your visitors, ultimately driving sustainable growth for your business.
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