Good SEO Guidelines
While search engines and technology have evolved, some underlying foundational guidelines have remained constant since the beginning of SEO. For instance, targeting keywords solely to improve organic rankings no longer works with search engines, but selecting the right keywords is still important.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimisation, also known as SEO, is the process of optimising your page to appear higher on Google, Bing, and other search engines when people look for products or services related to your business. The more visible your pages are on search engines, the higher chances of attracting new and existing customers to your business website.
It can be challenging to know which to use and which to avoid with many SEO techniques. Is link building, for example, becoming obsolete? Should you concentrate on on-page SEO? How do you create a title tag to help your website rank higher in search engines? On top of it all, what are some good SEO guidelines that will produce positive results?
Here are some SEO guidelines which you can use to drive more organic traffic and improve your search rankings.
1. Avoid Overusing Keywords
Keywords are used to inform search engines about the content of your business’s page. Years ago, marketers would repeatedly use the same keyword to signal to Google that their business was relevant to that term.
The reasoning behind this was that if Google ranked you fourth for a keyword you used ten times, it would rank you first if you used it twenty times. However, that lasted only a short time, and now, those who overused keywords to manipulate search results received little to no traffic.
Currently, Google uses time spent on a website as a ranking signal. The longer a visitor stays on your website, the more Google considers it relevant. For instance, if someone cannot read your content because it is too densely packed with keywords, they would leave quickly. When Google notices people leaving quickly from your site, it knows your quality is not up to standard and will not rank your website.
2. Perform Keyword Research
Conduct your usual keyword research. However, remember that using the most popular keyword is not always the best strategy. For example, if over 70,000 people are already using the same keyword, you may not rank as high on search engines. Instead, look for keywords similar or unique to your message but are used by fewer people. It would help to focus on these keywords because they will help you rank higher with less effort. It would help if you also tried to arrange your keywords and synonyms so that they complement one another. As a result, your writers can create content that sounds natural to the reader.
3. Create Original Content
Original content is always a part of a great SEO strategy. It is just as important to create original content to ensure that your content is useful and well-written. For example, fewer people will interact with your content and read it if your content is not unique. Google sees fewer ranking signals when fewer people read it. The term “unique” refers to more than just “quality.” Hence, it is important to offer your readers something they have not seen or read before.
4. Importance of External Links
Many website owners are so focused on inbound links that they overlook the importance of external links. It is important to ensure that all of your external links lead to high-quality content and to avoid linking just for the sake of linking.
Bad or broken links may deter customers from your website and potentially harm your Google rankings. You may want to take your time and carefully select links that are relevant, impactful, and from well-established websites.
Conclusion
As you build relationships and expand your marketing strategy, the little things will make a big difference. It is critical to follow simple SEO guidelines like these to help your business rank higher in search results. Furthermore, even putting in the effort to set up some basic search-friendly elements can produce positive results.
