Hi all! I recall when I first got into SEO, I had no idea where to begin. I would just pick keywords at random, close my eyes, and then try to figure out why my site never appeared. It so happens that the right keywords can make your site shine or hide it completely in the crowd.
Keyword Research
One of the biggest mistakes I made was targeting really general terms such as “SEO tools” without considering how difficult they’d be to rank for. It was as if I was attempting to compete with the largest fish in the ocean when I had no authority whatsoever. I quickly realized that long-tail keywords—such as “best free SEO tools for beginners”—receive fewer searches, but they’re individuals who actually require exactly what you’re offering.
To determine the best-fit keywords, I began experimenting with such tools as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs (yes, I still get lost in all that data from time to time!). They tell me what keywords are feasible to rank for along with what keywords are relevant for the type of individuals that I’d want viewing my website. You can also increase your engagement from here.
On-Page Optimization
Something that I had overlooked before was creating absolutely phenomenal titles and meta descriptions. Seriously, a title that is well-written with my target keyword—and not jammed in there, either—is going to take you a long way. Meta descriptions aren’t always going to be a blatant ranking factor, but they definitely get people to want to click.
And clicks are traffic.
I learned header tags the hard way as well.
My pages were once one big block of text, pretty much the exact opposite of user-friendly. Breaking up my content with proper H1, H2, and H3 tags made my content more readable for both humans and search engines. And, images need to have alt text that naturally includes keywords. I used to title my images “image001,” and let’s just say that isn’t very SEO-friendly or friendly to people who are blind.
Creating High-Quality Content
Confession time: I used to stuff keywords in everywhere because I had read some old article that said that was good SEO practice. My content sounded like it was written by a robot—people would bounce right off the page. Today, I’m more worried about valuable, genuine content. People can tell if you actually care about what you are writing.
Scheduling is also clearly working. Whenever I slack off and don’t update my site for a few weeks, I can watch my rankings sort of melt away. Including links to other posts on my site also keeps users engaged longer, and linking out to authorities gets you trust (bonus: it’s nice to give credit where credit is due). If you want to improve your profile with Views4You, that’s a great place to start.
Technical SEO
I learned early on that a slow site is a surefire method of irritating guests. Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix were my best friends (and occasional arch-nemesis) in figuring out what was slowing me down. No one wishes to wait 10 seconds for a page to load—me least of all, I’m as impatient as they come on the web.
Mobile responsiveness is another biggie that I ignored until I saw how many individuals browse on their mobiles. If your website appears strange on a mobile, prepare for folks to leave in a hurry. And believe me, they don’t return. And setting up an XML sitemap was fairly painless once I actually got around to doing it. Submitting it to Google Search Console was a bit like doing homework—except the teacher was Google, naturally. Structured data also helps, as it helps Google to understand your site a bit better, which can lead to those nice rich snippets in search results.
User Experience (UX)
You can’t have good UX without good SEO (and the other way around). When your website is simple to use, individuals stick around longer and see more pages. Obvious calls to action also keep them from wandering—some users need a little nudge to do something, whether that’s subscribe to your newsletter or buy your product.
I used to not pay attention to bounce rates, and then it dawned on me that if they bounce immediately, something in my site is wrong—either it is slow, it is confusing, the content is just meh. Clean design and appealing content will cut down that bounce. Learn more here.
Link Building Strategies
Getting good backlinks is still enormous. Guest posting on niche blogs and contacting others within my niche was a great success for me. I once thought link building meant spamming forum links all over the place (big mistake!), but that sort of thing will do more harm than good.
These days, I am more interested in developing worthwhile relationships either on social media or at events so that I can get natural backlinks from individuals who truly enjoy my content.
Local SEO (If Relevant)
If you’re selling to a local customer base, getting your Google Business Profile set up is a total game changer. Get your business name, address, and phone number consistent everywhere—trust me, I once had two addresses that were a little bit different, and it created a whole world of confusion. And location-specific keywords can be really useful too. For example, “best pizza in Brooklyn” is much more specific than “best pizza.”
Analytics and Continuous Optimization
I’m somewhat of a data geek now, but it wasn’t always that way. I just used to look at how many people came by and call it a day. Then I found out Google Analytics and Google Search Console give you so much information about user behavior, your top keywords, and even odd errors you weren’t even aware were issues. Performing audits on a consistent basis might seem like a lot of effort, but it truly does save you a great deal of frustration down the road.
Keeping Up with Algorithmic Updates
Google’s always tweaking things. One month you’re fine, and the next your rankings tank for no apparent reason. That’s usually because an algorithm update went live. Keeping up with SEO news, trying out new things like optimizing for voice search (which is definitely gaining popularity), and being adaptable makes you adapt instead of freak out every time something changes.
Content Marketing and Promotion
I found out the hard way that simply pressing “publish” on a blog post is not sufficient. Unless you promote it or share it, it is like delivering a speech to an empty auditorium. Social media, email newsletters, and influencer collaborations have enabled me to get my content in front of additional eyeballs.
And if you can repurpose your content—like, take a blog post and make it into a short video or infographic—you’ll reach people who don’t necessarily read a whole piece but adore visual content.
FAQ
How do I select the most appropriate keywords for my site?
Consider utilizing tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush. They provide you with search volume data, keyword difficulty, and how well certain words align with your audience.
Why do long-tail keywords matter?
They’re also less competitive and draw more specific traffic. Honestly, you’re gonna convert someone who’s searching “best hiking boots for wide feet” much more frequently than “hiking boots.”
How often should I update my website’s content?
Recurring updates are priceless. Even refreshing and revisiting your articles every few months can help them stay current and preserve (or enhance) your rankings.
