When it comes to online presence, if you haven’t yet invested in SEO as a channel, you’re likely missing out on a big opportunity. You can bet that if you don’t do SEO in 2022, your competitors will.
You’re either first or last on Google. Most Google users never go past the first page of results, so if you don’t rank in the top ten for any of your relevant search criteria, you’re probably not there. So, how do you get into that prestigious ranking group in your industry?
The answer is to learn and apply SEO techniques that can increase your brand’s search appeal. With so many strategies available, we’ve distilled them down to the six best general practices you can start using today.
- Boost your loading time
- Matching of content with search intent
- Add authority to your backlinks
- Title tags and meta descriptions are vital
- Accept internal links
- Look into long-form content
Boost your loading time
In the age of superfast broadband and 5G, slow page speed can result in disgruntled users, low engagement or bounce rates, and a drop in rankings.
There are several tools available to monitor and improve page speed, including one from Google called PageSpeed Insights. This SEMRush article has some great tips on how to improve loading times and keep visitors happy.
Matching of content with search intent
While you’re busy creating unique and engaging content for your site that increases user appeal, you should also be aware of search intent and how to optimize your content to appeal to it.
Add authority to your backlinks
Backlinks, or external content links, are still a ranking factor in Google’s evolving algorithms. In order to help your ranking, your backlinks must be authoritative.
You can find authoritative backlinks by studying your competitors’ link building strategies. Once you’ve found the right backlinks for your content, work on building them naturally over time.
Title tags and meta descriptions are vital
This is one of the most important meta tags on your page. They’re not only eye candy for Google, but also a major opportunity for optimisation and search intent alignment.
Title tags are where you put your keywords, match search intent, and summarize your page’s content. While meta descriptions don’t directly affect Google rankings, they can help increase click-through rates by providing unique and engaging content with clear calls to action.
Accept internal links
Internal links are simple to implement across your content and help Google understand the interrelationship of content on your site. Aside from SEO, they help direct visitors to useful commercial and transactional areas of your site.
In terms of SEO best practices, make sure your website’s top navigation links to key pages. This will also help users find information quickly.
Look into long-form content
Longer content improves search performance. Recent research shows that longer pieces (over 3,000 words) significantly increase traffic, shares, and backlinks, so if you can afford it, invest in longer, more in-depth content.
A site should have a few of these longer-form pieces, with content that appeals to Google users. For the more labor-intensive content work, you may wish to seek professional help.
Building your SEO presence and brand awareness has never been more vital. Because Google’s algorithms change every year and virtually every e-commerce sector is competitive, your SEO efforts this year should be seen as mandatory. For 2022, that means engaging with the above ideas, but also being ready to pivot your strategy as needed.