The intimidating degree of complexity and volatile nature of SEO scares many when ranking a site to the top of the search engines. It is important to have a responsive website design, as it provides a good user experience.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of tailoring your website to meet the algorithms used by search engines when ranking websites. However, it keeps changing with time and if you want to claim the best possible rankings, then you need to be up to date with best practices.
An ideal SEO strategy is worth learning, and it looks less intimidating when broken down into its main components.
Here are 7 key components of a successful SEO strategy:
1. Have A Dynamic Website
Research shows that the majority of people use mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones to browse the Internet. They also use them to do several things online, like reserve hotels, book plane tickets, perform bank transactions, and even shop online.
Your website should be easily accessible on these devices and fit perfectly on the screens. An effective SEO strategy will be to have a responsive website across multiple devices.
2. Create High-Quality Content
Good content ranks well in the results regardless of the applied algorithm. The rules and algorithms of SEO change often to the elimination of websites with content that is poorly written.
Poorly written content also leads to a high bounce rate because readers get bored with your content and leave your site. Using authoritative and valuable material will help solve the problems of your customers while complying with the content marketing strategy.
3. Understand The Current SEO Landscape
The algorithm of how the search engine ranks websites changes frequently and is likely to affect every single indexed website. These changes can be applied discreetly or announced officially.
It is important to keep up with these algorithms if you want to maintain the rank of your website. This allows the content in your website to adapt to the new indexing style
4. Good Choice Of Keywords
The chosen keywords should be unique and describe the content you have posted on your website. The keywords you choose should be placed naturally within the content and be compatible with the searches carried out on mobile devices.
It is also important for the keywords to target the physical location normally served by your business. This goes a long way to increase your website’s ranking in the search engine because they are relevant to the consumer searches.
Familiarize yourself with SEO basics
Before you start imagining dollar signs, you need to learn the basics of SEO. These are things that will become second nature in your career. When aiming to get your client’s website ranking high on search engines is your driving factor, here are the basics that you should know.
Keyword Research
SEO involves the creation of content that is supposed to go hand in hand with what people want. Any photo, video, or article can be pared down into a number of words or phrases that gives it a chance of being found when searched; those are keywords. You will have to figure out which keyword combination will attract sufficient traffic.
Analysis
It will be on you to find out what the competition is doing differently to rank higher. Find out which keywords are lacking in your site and what can be done to be more unique and relevant at the same time.
The analysis is a two-pronged process, on-site and off-site. The former involves the optimization of page titles, content, photos, metadata and so on. The latter deals with SEO aspects that you can’t control; this will primarily be incoming links from other sites.
SEO Tools
When it comes down to getting a job done properly, fast, smart and easier is the way to go. That is the work of SEO tools. They come with a variety of uses and there is no limit as to which or how many you can use.
Get some SEO Training
Every career requires one to meet certain requirements in terms of education or skill level, and freelancing as an SEO expert is no different.
One of the best approaches is to enroll in online courses from reputable sources. Apart from these courses, you can learn SEO 101 through releases from a leading search engine like Google. You can also utilize expert blogs and case studies.
Here are a few of such resources;
- MOZ; cover theory on what SEO is all about
- NEILPATEL; learn how to get customers to your SEO business
- QUICKSPROUT; learn about emerging techniques in the business
5. Optimization Of URLs
The addresses that users frequently type into their web browsers when they want to navigate to a site are called Universal Resource Locators (URLs). The search engines crawlers also use these URLs when indexing websites.
If you want a better SEO performance, consider optimizing the URL of your website by making it more brief and descriptive. It is also important for them to have unique keywords that can be shared easily on the Internet.
6. Quality backlinks
It is all about who has the most quality links that point back to their website rather than a site with most links. To build backlinks, you can contact popular blogs in your niche or submit monthly press releases on an exciting company. You can also create newsworthy content or graphics that will influence news websites and bloggers to link that content
7. Secure Your Website
This is one of the most crucial components of a successful SEO strategy. The increase in malicious activities of hackers all over the Internet has made search engines be more cautious when it comes to ranking websites.
Use encryption protocols and other measures such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates to make your website safe for use by customers.
Bottom Line
SEO is essential for any website that wants to earn a good reputation in the search engines. High Google rankings differentiate between the growth and downfall of a website.
Meet the Author: Catherine Park
Catherine Park is a connector with Caffeinated who helps businesses find their audience online. She loves working in the ever-changing digital world and is fascinated by the role content plays in today’s marketing.
