In the ever-changing world of digital marketing, the question that always comes up is, “Can we add a keyword to our website to get more traffic?” And the short answer is, “No, adding a keyword or two onto your site, won’t affect the websites rank”.
A keyword needs to be supported by content. Content can be either words, photos, video or even better, a combination of all of these. For example, when you do a search for something on Google, the results you see are what should be the best information about that keyword. If your website does not have the level of content or depth, then Google is not going to rank your website higher than those results.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a multi-step procedure using a wide range of strategies and techniques to drive organic traffic to your website. Keywords are the first starting point, but that is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you want to increase your website’s visibility and rank higher for a specific keyword, here are the top 10 essential steps that need to be done. Additionally, we’ll delve into the ongoing SEO tactics necessary to maintain and improve your website’s search engine rankings.
The Top 10 Website Enhancements for Better Keyword Ranking:
1. Keyword Research:
First, we will run a report on the keywords that are relevant to your industry and identify the low, medium and high competition words that your audience is using when searching for your products or services.
2. On-Page Optimization:
Next, we will inject those keywords naturally into your existing content, titles, descriptions, alt tags and headers. We also want to make sure your website is easily crawled by Google and is user-friendly.
3. Quality Content:
Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that resonates with your target audience. This not only attracts visitors but also encourages other websites to link to your content.
4. Mobile Optimization:
Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in its search results so we will need to make sure the website looks great on a phone and is easy to navigate.
5. Page Speed Optimization:
A fast-loading website is essential for user experience and SEO. Compress images, leverage browser caching, and optimize your website’s code to reduce load times.
6. Internal Linking:
Link relevant pages within your website to improve user navigation and help search engines understand the structure of your site.
7. External Link Building:
Acquire high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites in your niche. When other quality websites link to your website, that tells Google that your site is trustworthy, or an authority on the subject matter.
8. Technical SEO:
Optimize your website’s technical aspects, including sitemaps, robots.txt files, and schema markup to enhance search engine visibility.
9. User Experience (UX):
Focus on delivering an exceptional user experience. A user-friendly website that keeps visitors engaged can lead to lower bounce rates and higher rankings.
10. Regular Monitoring and Analysis:
Use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to monitor your website’s performance. With Google Analytics you can review traffic, patterns and make informed changes to your website content to better your overall rank.
Ongoing SEO Tactics for Monthly Maintenance:
1. Content Updates:
Your website is mainly ranked by its content depth and its relationship to the keywords you are trying to rank for on Google. Add new blog posts, update outdated information, and ensure your content remains relevant and valuable.
2. Backlink Building:
Continue to acquire high-quality backlinks through guest posting, outreach, and partnerships to boost your website’s authority. Backlinking is a manual process of acquiring these links. Paying for low-quality, or bulk backlinks is a sure-fire way to get in hot water with Google.
3. Social Media Engagement:
Maintain an active social media presence to promote your content, connect with your audience, and potentially attract more visitors.
4. Keyword Tracking:
Keeping tabs on your keywords is a must for staying relevant and catching new keywords or variations that could yield more traffic. Adjust your content and strategy accordingly.
5. Website Speed Optimization:
Regularly check and optimize your website’s load times to ensure fast and responsive performance.
6. Security Updates:
Keep your website secure by updating plugins, themes, and regularly checking for vulnerabilities.
7. Mobile-Friendly Updates:
Stay attuned to mobile trends and optimize your site for new devices and technologies.
8. Local SEO:
If applicable, continue to optimize your website for local search by maintaining accurate business listings and reviews.
9. Community Engagement:
Participate in forums and discussions related to your industry to establish your website as a valuable resource.
10. Competitor Analysis:
Regularly assess the strategies of your top competitors to identify gaps and opportunities in your own SEO efforts.
SEO is not as simple as adding a keyword to your website. While keywords are crucial, effective SEO encompasses a comprehensive strategy that combines various elements to enhance your website’s visibility and ranking. Implementing the top 10 website enhancements and following the ongoing monthly SEO tactics will help you rank on Google and stay ahead of your competition. Remember that SEO is a continuous effort, search results change all the time due to new and ever-changing content on a website. These changes mean you need keep your site updated to stay ahead.
