Creating content that uses the best practices for search engine optimization (SEO) is vital to ranking your site on Google and other search engines. However, this task can be daunting for writers and content creators alike. A lot goes into SEO. You can quickly get caught in the weeds of SEO jargon and how-to articles for even the most basic tasks. However, that doesn’t mean you need to be an expert to get started on your website rank improvement journey.

Keyword Research: The Number One SEO Best Practice

The most important thing to know about SEO is how to perform keyword (KW) research. Research is how you uncover the phrases the public searches for that also apply to your business. You will only see results in your SEO campaign if you do at least some KW research. 

Use Keywords to Match Content With Search Intent

The KW research goal is to find words and phrases your target audience is interested in so you can create content around them. However, determining the intent behind the phrases is the key. With a solid KW platform, you can mold your content to better resonate with your audience, move your site to the first page on Google and increase your sales.  

You can determine intent with various paid SEO tools such as Semrush, Moz or Ahrefs. But remember, one of the easiest ways to find top results is to plug your KW into Google and view the results. These are the results that most people have found helpful. Look at the type of content that made it in the top three to five results (not including the ads). Were these results informational, navigational, commercial or transactional? Learn from their success and apply it to your own strategy. 

• Informational: Content that focuses on teaching 
• Navigational: A specific page or website was being searched for
• Commercial: Research before making a purchase 
• Transactional: Content that leads to an action or purchase

The top results in Google generally align with the searcher’s intent for the KW.

Find Low Performing Content To Optimize 

Optimizing your website’s low-performing content is the second-best practice in keyword research. If you already have content that isn’t performing well, use KW research to determine which KWs best align with your target audience and their intent. Implementing these new words behind your piece will help it perform, ranking higher on a search engine’s results page. 

That said, looking at all your low-performing pieces can be daunting. It’s best to start with the content that has moved down from the first page to the top of the second page (generally, these are the keywords ranking between 10 -15) in Google. These will be easier to move back up than a piece of content ranking at 50. 

On-site Optimization Best Practices To Implement 

Once you have determined your focus KWs, it’s time to start optimizing the content on your website with these words and phrases. There are many ways to optimize your site. However, the most significant traffic boost comes from publishing helpful content, optimizing your pages with KWs and internal linking. 

Publish Useful Content 

Reeling in your reader to click on your page is only the first step. You must also publish useful content that aligns with their search intent. The content should resonate with your audience. If it doesn’t, they will click off the page within seconds, bringing down your SEO metrics. Ask yourself what people searching for this KW want and give it to them. 

Optimize Title Tags, Titles, Photos, Descriptions & Content

One of the best ways to include the KWs you have researched into your content is by adding the primary KWs to the title tags, title, subheadings, meta description and image descriptions, then sprinkling them into your content. Adding primary KWs to these areas will inform Google that your content aligns with the KW you want to rank for.

While adding KWs throughout your content is imperative to an effective SEO strategy, these additions mustn’t look spammy or off. You want to ensure your KWs don’t mess up the flow of the content. A page will do more harm than good if keywords are miscellaneously stuffed everywhere without first considering whether it makes sense.

Use Internal Linking

Internal linking is the next step to making sure your content ranks. When you link to other portions of your site, it tells Google you have other relevant content. It can also help your customers move through the sales funnel from informational to transactional content, which leads to more deals. 

That said, not all of your links should be internal. When appropriate, linking to authoritative websites in your industry will help build authority for your site and credibility with your readers. 

Backlink Building Best Practices For Ranking Websites 

Backlinking is when another site links to your content. It is how your website builds search engine authority. Websites with a high domain score (between 60 – 100) often have content other websites find helpful, which leads to backlinks. 

Earning Authoritative Backlinks

The trick with backlinking is attracting authoritative backlinks. There are several ways to do this, but the most effective way is to create content and infographics that answer industry-relevant what and why questions. 

The Easy Way to Gain Website Traction 

The truth is SEO is a time-consuming and ongoing project. There will always be another avenue or task to improve your website visibility and customer retention. However, if you don’t have the time to do this yourself, Avista PR can help. We have experienced professionals who know which SEO practices will give you the most bang for your buck. Reach out to us today to start your SEO journey the easy way.  

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