SEO(search engine optimization) is a complicated process if you are unaware of it. Many factors are involved while optimizing a website. The uncertainty adds complexity as there is no specific answer etched in stone that dictates which factors affect your rankings. Most of the blogs and information is simply guesswork or advice. There is no one-stop solution to know what factors help you to please Google for better rankings.
On the other hand, Google does not ease things for a marketer as they do not shed much light on what factors to focus on. So, most of the SEO experts are not experts because they know everything there is to know, but they have tried and know what works and does not. Therefore, SEO is all about A/B testing.
In the game of SEO, focusing on the basics is a much better game plan than learning every new thing. Diving into SEO resources, algorithm information, news updates, and market speculation to know more about SEO is a never-ending rabbit hole that will not offer many results. Therefore, even an SEO company devotes more time optimizing the basics to implement SEO strategies effectively.
Focusing on the pillars of SEO is a better strategy that will likely yield much better results.
Pillars of SEO Strategy
- Technical SEO
Technical SEO may seem complex initially, but it is optimizing your website so that the search engine’s bot can crawl your website. You can address most of the technical aspects of your website through the Content Management System (CMS)that you opt to use. CMS such as Hubspot, WordPress, and Shopify are widely used and can help you identify and fix many technical aspects. These CMSs have different features and purposes, but most give off warning signs for various redirection errors, broken links, metadata errors, and much more. Using a good CMS automates the identification of these errors, and you do not have to manually audit and check each page for such problems.
Some Technical SEO factors that you must consider are
- Crawling – This refers to the searchability of your website by the search engine’s bot. It is the most crucial factor for ranking. If the bots do not crawl your website, it will never show up in the SERP (Search Engine Result Page). Therefore, to make your site explorable by a search engine, it is best to request indexing from Google using your Google Console.
- Mobile – Refers to the mobile-friendliness of your website. For example, a website that scales for mobiles has a better chance of ranking higher.
- Speed – The loading speed of your website is a crucial factor that determines your rankings.
- CMS – If you use an outdated CMS or other integrated tStrategyols, they might lower your rankings.
- Content – The hierarchy, structure, and quality of content matter when it comes to rankings.
It is relatively more straightforward for small businesses with a few hundred pages to manage the technical aspect of their website as most of it is now automated if you use a good quality CMS like WordPress. It is best to consider technical SEO from the initial stages of website development only as it will enable you to develop an SEO-friendly website.
- On-page optimization
In theory, on-page optimization sounds similar to Technical SEO because optimizing the technical aspects helps optimize the on-page factors. The only goal for on-page optimization is to plan and generate high-quality content that is well-structured and hierarchically. The flow of the content matters a lot. It matters to the users as it enhances their user experience and search engines’ bots since a well-structured site makes it easier to crawl.
An SEO company focuses on optimizing the on-page factors by focusing on various components like:
- Keyword Research – Keywords in the SEO industry are the phrases or words people use to search for a specific thing on a search engine. Keyword research helps you understand your audience’s language. Then, using these keywords, you generate your website’s content and other strategies.
- URLs – Each URL of every page must be distinct from one another and have a simple description
- Page title – The pages of a website must be well titled with keywords to make it easier for the bots to crawl the page and ensure better rankings.
- Meta descriptions – These descriptions on the SERP under the URL describe the page’s content in only 160 characters.
- User Experience – Ensuring that the website is simple to navigate through and it is easy to find any information on the website
- CTA( Call to action) – Well-placed CTAs tell the audience what they must do next. Marketers use these CTAs to entice the audience to click on the desired page.
If you strengthen your technical SEO, then implementing on-page optimization is a more straightforward process. First, however, the on-page factors must be implemented considering your target audience and where they are at the buying stage.
- Content
Content is everything, and it is everywhere on your website. Your content is the tea, and the website is a cup. Your purpose in creating a website is to serve your audience the content that describes what your company does, where, how you do it, customer reviews, and where to buy.
Marketers use testimonials, case studies, blog posts, videos, infographics, tables, E-books, and a lot more to establish a company’s credibility and educate the audience about your products or services. There are three broad categories of website content.
- Service Content – This introduces you to the customers by telling them the basic information about the business.
- Credibility Content – This type of content is used to establish credibility, enabling the audience to decide why they should engage with your company.
- Marketing Content – This is the type of content you publish for potential customers to promote your products or services
A company needs to optimize service content and marketing content to help them grow its customer base and potentially gain more customers. Optimizing each page ensures a greater chance of better rankings. Moreover, optimizing content serves you in the long run as it can reach a larger audience and has the highest ROI owing to lower investments in contrast to PPC or CPM.
These three pillars of SEO must be followed religiously. Following these basics of optimization will fetch you great results if you execute them well. Make sure that you consider your target audience and make your plans accordingly.