When we truly consider the competitive nature of SEO, it becomes hard to ignore that the reality is each site is competing against the value of others and not really against the search engine algorithm. As a result of this, understanding your competitors and the strategies they are using to increase traffic is essential in computing within the search results.
To do this, you would have to analyse the competitive tactics of websites that rank high in your target keywords. This would involve exploring link building strategies, content creation tactics and competitive keyword targeting strategies.
What is search engine optimization?
SEO is the process website owners use to get their content to rank high in search engine results. Please note that search engine optimisation is not the same as advertising. However, it still costs money and time. If you have the money but do not have the time to dedicate to SEO, you will be better served with hiring a consultant.However, if you are short on money, you can implement the SEO tips highlighted below to improve organic your website organic search rankings
Research the competition
A good place to start is searching for the most important services and products you offer and noting the most prominent website in the search results; note down the ones that are dissimilar to your business model as well as those which share your business model.● What are they doing right?
● Is their website structured differently to target more valuable keywords?
● What content are they using that you don't?
● Also study their reviews and social media activity to ascertain, how their customers think and compare it to the feedback you get from yours.
Conduct keyword research
Great SEO campaigns begin with keyword research. Keyword research basically involves finding out the most popular phrases or words your targets consumers use in the search queries regarding what you offer. As soon as you discover what these phrases or words are, you can begin to create content or web pages to target these searches.It typically goes something like this:
● Find a couple of valuable keywords.● Input any keyword research tool to generate ideas.
● Prioritize and evaluate them.
Provide great blog posts
You cannot game Google with bad content. Google makes algorithm changes in order to better its end user's experience. For example, when Google penalizes pop-ups for mobile searches, it was because pop-ups annoy its users. Longer posts run better on Google because users get valuable information from them. So take advantage of this.Build web pages that are optimized for search
Once you've found the keywords that you intend to target, you need to create web pages in order to rank well for these keywords. These webpages can be built in a couple of forms, depending on the target keyword - it could be a blog post, a landing page or a homepage.To get the most out of your web pages, they need to be optimised for search. This is also referred to as on-page SEO. It is the process of optimising a web page's on-page elements; for example, structure, content and so on to improve SEO ranking.
Great design
There are three elements and processes for creating websites that function well and look great. Some of them include; integrated SEO strategy, design consistency, content, and a well-thought-out architecture.Build your social media network
Join Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. This helps you connect more with your target audience and customers and provides you with the audience for your content. Not only would this relationship improve your SEO in the long run and increase your content exposure, but it will also increase the links from other website owners blogging about your service or product.Create a unique brand
Google places value on user retention -- if the bounce rate on your site is high, Google takes note and adjusts your ranking accordingly. Therefore, you want a brand that is unique so that web users interact with your website for prolonged periods of time.Understand Google analytics
The role of analytics in SEO work cannot be overemphasised. Simply put, if you do not understand how to read and use your website traffic and conversions, you will be unable to properly optimise your SEO.Google Analytics is a great place to start, this is because about 80% of web queries worldwide are entered on Google. With Google Analytics, you can track where your visitors come from, segment your customer base, set and track goals, create campaigns, learn which keywords bring the most organic traffic and so on.
