Must Know SEO Secrets

By Ed MacDonald | July 24, 2017

Did you know that one of the biggest SEO secrets is no secret at all? If you find that surprising, you shouldn't. After all, SEO or Search Engine Optimization, is based on one thing - audience search intent. If you want to rank in the first page of results, you must know what your audience is seeking. Though we are going to share additional SEO secrets below, begin by knowing that content based on audience intent is key.

Why does this rate as the top among SEO secrets? Basically it is due to the fact that many website and blog owners forget this fact. They over think all of the possible keywords, both longtail and short, their readers might want. They use lists of keywords based on competitiveness and price. This blurs the lines and allows you to optimize in a less effective way.

So, as we start to look at several must know SEO secrets try to remember these key tactics:

  • Have fantastic content
  • Make sure the content answers your readers' search intent
  • Don't over think keywords

What else can you do to win at the SEO game? There are several other, less obvious steps that yield impressive results. Just consider this: optimize the entire site from a "technology perspective". This means consider your user's experience. How easy is navigation? SEO actually takes that into consideration. If your site is full of Flash animation, requires multiple clicks for simple steps and is confusing - it costs.

Fresh Is Best

The usability of the site (including being adaptive to mobile users) is huge. So too is the freshness of content. Not only does that make it competitive, but the more recent your material, the better the SEO. Dated content does not rank well. So, create a publishing or updating schedule and stick with it.

Forget Links

While one of the oldest SEO secrets had to do with links, the process of getting them has changed. You need to have "credibility", and search engines want to see that through better relationships. Irrelevant links opposed to links from related industries or sites make a big difference. Position yourself as an authority, build a relationship with readers, and those links give you SEO.

Think Long Tail

Though we warned about getting too caught up in keywords, don't ignore long tail keywords. They are a form of ultimate personalization. If you emphasize location based and/or long tail keywords, you can enjoy better SEO. As a simple example - "New York doctor" may sound great, but is not specific enough. On the other hand "Upper East Side New York plastic surgeon" is long tail, geographic and effective.

Don't forget to put your keywords where it counts, too. It is easy to overlook page titles, image titles, and page descriptions. Keywords belong in the body and headers, but in those unseen spots too.

With these simple tips, you should find your SEO improving quickly and your blog or site getting more traffic.

Posted in Search Engine Optimization