What Is SEO? Search Engine Optimization Best Practices
Many of the other good SEO practices in this guide are good for UX, too. You can typically add alt text via your word processor or website editor. First, resize and compress your image files so they’re as small as they can reasonably be to reduce load times.
- Use Google Search Console and other keyword-tracking tools to see how (or if) you’re appearing in search engine results.
- To rank in 2025, your content needs context, not just aimless keyword stuffing.
- You’ll see your estimated average organic monthly search traffic under the “Organic Search Traffic” widget.
- A site with many high-value backlinks will usually rank better than a similar site with fewer ones.
- Highlight and precisely detail where your location is specifically rather than providing vague directions and landmarks that are near.
Why Is an SEO Strategy Really Important?
SEOs tend to rely on the support of several different departments (e.g. developers, copywriters, business managers, etc.), usually with their own predetermined goals. A strategy is not constrained by size or application but promoted by planning and effectiveness. Let’s be honest, the word “strategy” is a term that isn’t always used the same way in the English lexicon (or our industry). When analyzing page content and keywords with Google Search Console, Semrush, or Ahrefs, you’ll inevitably discover new terms. Even if you know what page you plan to update, you’ll need to conduct keyword research for that specific URL. For site crawls and technical analysis, Scherner recommends using Screaming Frog.
From keyword research to technical SEO to link building, we’ll talk about how you can supercharge your SEO strategy across the board. By improving the on-page SEO for your content, you can increase your keyword rankings in Google because the search engine crawler will understand which queries to match your pages with. Here’s a list of the top SEO strategy templates you can use to improve your search engine optimization. Each SEO action plan is free to download and use for your own website. Learn how to boost Google search rankings by using first-party data, zero-party data, and automated audience insights in your content strategy. Keywords are phrases that are commonly searched for on Google, Bing, etc. and they are a crucial part of determining your website’s rankings.
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Because these pages exist for the sole purpose of linking out, they make PERFECT link building targets. There’s data to show that you can dodge Penguin by minimizing exact match anchor text (I say anchor text is part of the story…but it’s more about trust). That said, the easiest way to avoid Penguin is to avoid shady links (regardless of anchor text). That said, whether you’re a white hat or black hat search engine optimization, you do need to know the penalties that Google dishes out. As it turns out, certain types of content work best for link building.
Since these business directories generate a lot of traffic and rank high on SERPS, these citations are always a great starting point in local SEO. To make sure that your business is visible and gets priority on the first page of local search results, one of the main steps is to claim your Google Business Profile. Your Google listing is like the front-door entrance to your business on the internet, so make sure that it’s fully optimized and up-to-date. Include all the links, photos, and information that would be valuable to the searcher. You can update pages, but it’s best to keep the original URLs since the existing ones have already been crawled and indexed and may have even earned backlinks already.
Your business name and address should be written out the exact same way on your Google Business Profile. So if “Avenue” is spelled out fully in your GBP, make it consistent across all other citations. Google rolled out numerous algorithm updates to devalue and even penalize keyword stuffing. Google’s spam detection system has become incredibly advanced and unforgiving—it’s not something you want to risk crossing. On-page SEO is one of the top SEO strategies you can use to optimize individual pages on your website. This enterprise SEO business is offering a free SEO roadmap to help you keep all of your SEO-related activities on track, eliminate errors, and streamline the decision-making process.
Your customers won’t hate the extra product info BHS Links either—it might even help persuade them to buy. When optimizing your title tags and descriptions, note that these are Google-facing. The secondary goal is convincing searchers to click through to your site.