{"id":39270,"date":"2018-05-15T07:30:12","date_gmt":"2018-05-15T12:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crazyeggblog.wpengine.com\/?p=39270"},"modified":"2025-04-17T18:06:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T22:06:48","slug":"seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/seo\/","title":{"rendered":"What is SEO and How to Convert Your Traffic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Whether you\u2019re a business owner, marketer, or simply someone who wants to learn more about digital marketing, you\u2019ve likely come across the term \u201cSEO\u201d at least a handful of times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s because while it used to be a fairly niche technique used by only the most tech-savvy site owners, it\u2019s now considered a standard marketing practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As consumers spend an increasing amount of time online, having a strong digital presence is essential for any business to succeed \u2014 and SEO a cornerstone in accomplishing this goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But <strong>what is SEO and how it works<\/strong>? How can you use it to reach your company\u2019s goals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The short answer is that SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it\u2019s a set of tactics focused on improving a site\u2019s rankings and visibility in the results of search engines like Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as you may have guessed, it\u2019s not quite as simple of a process as purchasing some advertising space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Search engines like Google take many factors into consideration as they rank pages. These factors include both the elements on each page, as well as how other sites reference and link to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, optimizing a site requires a clear, well-planned strategy and regular maintenance. It\u2019s an ongoing process, and often a complex one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But with the right SEO strategy, you\u2019ll be able to<strong>&nbsp;improve your rankings in search results<\/strong>&nbsp;for keywords related to your business, attract qualified traffic, and convert that traffic into leads and customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And this guide is intended to help you accomplish each of these steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep reading to learn more about what SEO is, why it matters, and how to create a strategy that will improve your online visibility and help you reach your marketing goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is&nbsp;SEO?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we jump into the technical aspects of creating a strategy, it\u2019s important to have a strong understanding of what, exactly, SEO is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we mentioned above, it stands for search engine optimization, and it\u2019s the process of improving a site in ways that will help it rank well in search engine results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When users search for specific words and phrases related to your business on Google, you want your site to appear in the results they see \u2014 and SEO is how you make that happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are organic rankings?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As you optimize your site for search, it\u2019s important to understand the different types of results that appear when a user looks for information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first, and arguably most important, type of results are organic. These are the pages that Google\u2019s algorithm determines to be the best match for the user\u2019s search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They earn their spots on the results page based on relevance, quality, and a number of other factors that we\u2019ll get into later in this guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But these aren\u2019t the <em>only <\/em>results that appear in search. In many cases, you\u2019ll also see advertisements. These listings look extremely similar to the organic results but are denoted by a small \u201cAd\u201d tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are pay-per-click, or PPC, ads run on Google\u2019s AdWords network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"852\" height=\"541\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114631\/YjhFtHWUHML4LPBkyH9agN9XPYa6IivUTUcSGnL_rAA4I7JGwrq5x74wlFG4apqRNaWl4BhNholrmg-dSDC_qFYnd7H99Ts508gUOCg-r0gERG1azk4kXSeas9Bo80_Cwi0FGFxT.png\" alt=\"YjhFtHWUHML4LPBkyH9agN9XPYa6IivUTUcSGnL rAA4I7JGwrq5x74wlFG4apqRNaWl4BhNholrmg dSDC qFYnd7H99Ts508gUOCg r0gERG1azk4kXSeas9Bo80 Cwi0FGFxT\" class=\"wp-image-39233\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114631\/YjhFtHWUHML4LPBkyH9agN9XPYa6IivUTUcSGnL_rAA4I7JGwrq5x74wlFG4apqRNaWl4BhNholrmg-dSDC_qFYnd7H99Ts508gUOCg-r0gERG1azk4kXSeas9Bo80_Cwi0FGFxT.png 852w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114631\/YjhFtHWUHML4LPBkyH9agN9XPYa6IivUTUcSGnL_rAA4I7JGwrq5x74wlFG4apqRNaWl4BhNholrmg-dSDC_qFYnd7H99Ts508gUOCg-r0gERG1azk4kXSeas9Bo80_Cwi0FGFxT-300x190.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114631\/YjhFtHWUHML4LPBkyH9agN9XPYa6IivUTUcSGnL_rAA4I7JGwrq5x74wlFG4apqRNaWl4BhNholrmg-dSDC_qFYnd7H99Ts508gUOCg-r0gERG1azk4kXSeas9Bo80_Cwi0FGFxT-768x488.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 852px) 100vw, 852px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every results page will have ads. But when ads <em>do <\/em>appear, they\u2019ll show up above the organic listings on the page \u2014 regardless of how relevant or high in quality the organic results might be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you optimize your site, you\u2019ll focus solely on organic rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while you may choose to run PPC campaigns simultaneously, the goal of SEO is to get to the top of the results that Google\u2019s algorithm selects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits of SEO<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As you may have guessed, there\u2019s a lot to gain with SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But to make things a little clearer, here are just three of the biggest benefits of optimizing your site for search:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Attract qualified traffic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As an<a href=\"https:\/\/inbound.org\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-whats-the-difference-if-you-dont-know-your-customer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/inbound.org\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-whats-the-difference-if-you-dont-know-your-customer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">inbound marketing strategy<\/a><\/u>, SEO is an excellent way to attract qualified traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"307\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114705\/1VSsrULy943hmSaEiqwLW6ilvmF_8-Ql8_vCc63mT6uPRs2gHljqw2rLuejRTdBiJQC3nnomm8gr_r320rJfg79Tr1Ikomy_TflSgpNxdVr137kZAYmVfOYurMapZsQyrGr-0KN.png\" alt=\"1VSsrULy943hmSaEiqwLW6ilvmF 8 Ql8 vCc63mT6uPRs2gHljqw2rLuejRTdBiJQC3nnomm8gr r320rJfg79Tr1Ikomy TflSgpNxdVr137kZAYmVfOYurMapZsQyrGr 0KN\" class=\"wp-image-39251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114705\/1VSsrULy943hmSaEiqwLW6ilvmF_8-Ql8_vCc63mT6uPRs2gHljqw2rLuejRTdBiJQC3nnomm8gr_r320rJfg79Tr1Ikomy_TflSgpNxdVr137kZAYmVfOYurMapZsQyrGr-0KN.png 600w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114705\/1VSsrULy943hmSaEiqwLW6ilvmF_8-Ql8_vCc63mT6uPRs2gHljqw2rLuejRTdBiJQC3nnomm8gr_r320rJfg79Tr1Ikomy_TflSgpNxdVr137kZAYmVfOYurMapZsQyrGr-0KN-300x154.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While traditional \u201coutbound\u201d marketing activities, like radio and TV ads, involve interrupting consumers, inbound tactics focus on making it easy for your target audience to find you as they\u2019re actively searching for information related to your industry, products, or services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not only much less annoying for consumers but will also help you focus your marketing budget on people who actually <em>want <\/em>to hear from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And with this approach, the people who see your marketing messages will be much more likely to become leads and customers for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Earn a high return on investment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we mentioned above, organic results are determined by Google\u2019s algorithm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means that once you\u2019ve created a page that ranks well, it can continue to attract traffic to your site for as long as Google considers it one of the best results for its target keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And there\u2019s no additional cost involved in attracting that traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a huge advantage over PPC ads, which cost your business money <em>every single time <\/em>a user clicks one and visits your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To give you an idea of how much more cost-effective an organic ranking can be over time, consider that the average cost per click (CPC) across&nbsp;<u>all industries is $2.32<\/u>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"594\" height=\"644\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114650\/l0mvXvGWvHI3TPbEpBHG0Q4ChsbxhQjPGwRJXBVgnm0nPViCURGL6Qh_-DIHcww6s7CWy-g3FOd3ItQ4pYcBkhhO54YwsKjz5gqlC561TIDPmG_c3poXGZF2ldl2OZN00Z4EyoLe.png\" alt=\"l0mvXvGWvHI3TPbEpBHG0Q4ChsbxhQjPGwRJXBVgnm0nPViCURGL6Qh DIHcww6s7CWy g3FOd3ItQ4pYcBkhhO54YwsKjz5gqlC561TIDPmG c3poXGZF2ldl2OZN00Z4EyoLe\" class=\"wp-image-39244\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114650\/l0mvXvGWvHI3TPbEpBHG0Q4ChsbxhQjPGwRJXBVgnm0nPViCURGL6Qh_-DIHcww6s7CWy-g3FOd3ItQ4pYcBkhhO54YwsKjz5gqlC561TIDPmG_c3poXGZF2ldl2OZN00Z4EyoLe.png 594w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114650\/l0mvXvGWvHI3TPbEpBHG0Q4ChsbxhQjPGwRJXBVgnm0nPViCURGL6Qh_-DIHcww6s7CWy-g3FOd3ItQ4pYcBkhhO54YwsKjz5gqlC561TIDPmG_c3poXGZF2ldl2OZN00Z4EyoLe-277x300.png 277w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s over two dollars for <em>each click <\/em>to an advertiser\u2019s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, let\u2019s say you invest $2,000 in creating a great piece of content for your site that ranks on the first page of results for one of your target keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the price of less than one thousand paid visits, you\u2019ve created a resource that can potentially attract qualified traffic to your site for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And considering the returns you stand to gain, that\u2019s an extremely high-value investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Achieve a high clickthrough rate (CTR)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what if money is no object?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What if you want to attract as many users who are searching your target keywords as possible, and you don\u2019t mind investing whatever it takes in PPC ads to do so?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO is still worth it \u2014 because<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zerolimitweb.com\/organic-vs-ppc-2018-ctr-results-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zerolimitweb.com\/organic-vs-ppc-2018-ctr-results-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">71.33% of searches<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;result in a click on an organic<em>&nbsp;<\/em>result on the first page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So even though PPC ads appear above organic rankings, they only earn a fraction of the clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And without strong organic rankings, you could miss out a <em>ton <\/em>of traffic for your most important keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Does Google Search Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not absolutely necessary to have in-depth technical knowledge about how search engines operate, but a basic understanding can make optimizing a site a more straightforward process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So with that in mind, we\u2019ll go over the basics of how Google search operates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, you might be wondering why this guide, and why virtually <em>every <\/em>article you\u2019ll read about SEO seems to focus specifically on Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, there are tons of other search engines out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And to be clear, SEO is important for ranking in their results, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So \u2014 why the huge emphasis on Google?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest reason is that as of 2017, Google has a global market search engine share of<u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartinsights.com\/search-engine-marketing\/search-engine-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;just under 75%<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"232\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114712\/ojl1JhUAyipnnl2Xzc6SYFy4sj9wzVcuCJ3GxnKmi_0qie-bhVhcBThnAQdQaTPtEUS7oH-aDJ7mKSbbR3q9QxdEedkYMDG8tiOGa0TNgE3tpILBKngskqTfoMKeCaRzcirrH77R.png\" alt=\"ojl1JhUAyipnnl2Xzc6SYFy4sj9wzVcuCJ3GxnKmi 0qie bhVhcBThnAQdQaTPtEUS7oH aDJ7mKSbbR3q9QxdEedkYMDG8tiOGa0TNgE3tpILBKngskqTfoMKeCaRzcirrH77R\" class=\"wp-image-39255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114712\/ojl1JhUAyipnnl2Xzc6SYFy4sj9wzVcuCJ3GxnKmi_0qie-bhVhcBThnAQdQaTPtEUS7oH-aDJ7mKSbbR3q9QxdEedkYMDG8tiOGa0TNgE3tpILBKngskqTfoMKeCaRzcirrH77R.png 700w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114712\/ojl1JhUAyipnnl2Xzc6SYFy4sj9wzVcuCJ3GxnKmi_0qie-bhVhcBThnAQdQaTPtEUS7oH-aDJ7mKSbbR3q9QxdEedkYMDG8tiOGa0TNgE3tpILBKngskqTfoMKeCaRzcirrH77R-300x99.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means that three out of every four searches <em>in the entire world <\/em>take place on Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In case you were wondering, that\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartinsights.com\/search-engine-marketing\/search-engine-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartinsights.com\/search-engine-marketing\/search-engine-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3.5 billion searches per day<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;and 1.2 trillion per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That scope alone is reason enough for most marketers to focus their efforts on ranking in Google. After all, if you\u2019re going to base your strategy on one particular search engine, it makes sense to choose the largest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Brief SEO History<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we jump into how SEO works today, it\u2019s helpful to start with a basic understanding of how search engines began, and how they\u2019ve evolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The earliest search engine, Architext (later Excite), was<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/a-brief-history-of-search-seo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/a-brief-history-of-search-seo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">created by six Stanford students in 1993<\/a><\/u>. Its results were primarily based on matching the keyword a user searched with pages that contained that keyword within their content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the next year, several other search engines were developed and launched. The most notable of these, and the only one still widely used,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wordstream.com\/articles\/internet-search-engines-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wordstream.com\/articles\/internet-search-engines-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">was Yahoo! Search<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like Architext, the earliest iteration of Yahoo! utilized keywords to match searches with relevant content. But it also used manually-written descriptions of each page within its index to more accurately classify content \u2014 a step that would be virtually impossible today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, in 1996, Sergey Brin and Larry Page started building a search engine called Backrub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was the first the search engine that ranked sites not only based on the keywords they contained, but also on inbound links.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/about\/our-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/about\/our-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In August 1998<\/a><\/u>, they officially founded a company for their product \u2014 and changed its name to Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By this point, tech-savvy site owners were already looking for ways to rank more prominently in search engine results. But given that much of these efforts were done solo, and with a trial-and-error process, it\u2019s difficult to pinpoint the exact beginning of SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of large-scale discussion, however, SEO officially became a prominent topic with the launch of Search Engine Watch<a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/happy-10th-birthday-search-engine-watch-a-history-of-the-site-11427\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/happy-10th-birthday-search-engine-watch-a-history-of-the-site-11427\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in 1997<\/a><\/u>. This was the first news site focused on the search industry, and still covers major updates and changes today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SEO Today<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the earliest ranking factors, like keywords and backlinks, still play a major role in search engine results today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But while those core elements haven\u2019t changed, Google has added dozens of other factors over the years. Today, the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/infographic-googles-200-ranking-factors\/64316\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/infographic-googles-200-ranking-factors\/64316\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">total number is over 200<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naturally, some of these hold more weight than others. And while it\u2019s difficult to say exactly how important each factor is, and studies like SEMrush\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/ranking-factors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/ranking-factors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ranking Factors research<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;provide helpful insight into which metrics most closely correlate with high rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"639\" height=\"615\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114624\/wMN7QvszRLV844WiD1RA0C9GWPPNkIDnYg5t7O1QNLPJm26Pc884AUIbgl2-_pqJ5_wHI-erzKYXUxcMqPEnNHo9DTDsRhLLBUldQcgG6rbwIK76Hx-SkfDhfT2Hy0RilYcfxs25.png\" alt=\"wMN7QvszRLV844WiD1RA0C9GWPPNkIDnYg5t7O1QNLPJm26Pc884AUIbgl2 pqJ5 wHI erzKYXUxcMqPEnNHo9DTDsRhLLBUldQcgG6rbwIK76Hx SkfDhfT2Hy0RilYcfxs25\" class=\"wp-image-39230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114624\/wMN7QvszRLV844WiD1RA0C9GWPPNkIDnYg5t7O1QNLPJm26Pc884AUIbgl2-_pqJ5_wHI-erzKYXUxcMqPEnNHo9DTDsRhLLBUldQcgG6rbwIK76Hx-SkfDhfT2Hy0RilYcfxs25.png 639w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114624\/wMN7QvszRLV844WiD1RA0C9GWPPNkIDnYg5t7O1QNLPJm26Pc884AUIbgl2-_pqJ5_wHI-erzKYXUxcMqPEnNHo9DTDsRhLLBUldQcgG6rbwIK76Hx-SkfDhfT2Hy0RilYcfxs25-300x289.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, 639px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As you optimize your site, studies like these can guide how you prioritize different SEO strategies, and where you focus the bulk of your efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s important to recognize that Google is constantly improving and updating its algorithm to deliver the best results to its users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t to say that it\u2019s a waste of time to optimize your pages based on current best practices, though. It simply means that as you create your SEO strategy, it\u2019s in your best interest to also keep your users in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of spending your time making insignificant edits in the hopes that they\u2019ll boost your rankings, focus on identifying ways to provide an even better experience for your site visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This way, when the next update rolls out, you won\u2019t have to worry about any lost impact from your minor optimization efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, when you look for ways to prioritize users, you\u2019re essentially working towards the same goal as Google \u2014 which can only help you in your goal to improve your rankings in their results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reasons Why Your Website Needs Search Engine Optimization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By this point, you probably have a general idea of what you stand to gain by optimizing your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With SEO, you can improve your online visibility, increase your rankings in search, and attract more traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what if you\u2019re not concerned about achieving those goals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What if it sounds like <em>way <\/em>too much work for something as insignificant as search engine results?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, rankings are somewhat intangible. You could get a more concrete return on your marketing budget by investing it into a direct mail campaign or a magazine advertisement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those are all valid objections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But ultimately, SEO matters because it\u2019s the only way to match how today\u2019s consumers look for businesses, products, and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The majority of us rely heavily on the Internet for information regarding the products we\u2019re considering buying and the businesses we\u2019re considering hiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just consider that<a href=\"https:\/\/www.adweek.com\/digital\/81-shoppers-conduct-online-research-making-purchase-infographic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adweek.com\/digital\/81-shoppers-conduct-online-research-making-purchase-infographic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">81% of shoppers<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;conduct online research before buying a product. Whether you\u2019re running an eCommerce store or a physical shop, it\u2019s almost guaranteed that your customers look for information about your products and their alternatives before buying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And although you might think that local consumers have a different buying process, that\u2019s not the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightlocal.com\/learn\/local-consumer-review-survey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightlocal.com\/learn\/local-consumer-review-survey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">97% of consumers<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;looked for a local business online in 2017 \u2014 meaning that even when it comes to local shops and retailers, they\u2019re looking up information online before visiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that regardless of your industry or business model, your audience is searching for information related to your products or services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the majority of them are using search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You could likely make this assumption based on your own online browsing habits, but today,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imforza.com\/blog\/8-seo-stats-that-are-hard-to-ignore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imforza.com\/blog\/8-seo-stats-that-are-hard-to-ignore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">93% of online experiences<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;begin with a search engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that an <em>extremely <\/em>large portion of online traffic is driven by search engines. And if you want a chunk of that traffic to come to your site, you need to be optimizing your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a vast amount of information available online about virtually everything your target audience wants to know. And the only way to make sure that your potential customers find <em>your <\/em>site to answer their questions is SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SEO is essential to every website<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>So, it\u2019s clear that it\u2019s in your best interest to rank well in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But can\u2019t you leave it up to search engines and their algorithms to find your content and rank it accordingly?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s algorithm is advanced, but it still needs a bit of help to find and understand content. And SEO plays a big role in that process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, showing up in search results isn\u2019t enough. To attract traffic, your site needs to appear on the first page for searches related to your business, products, or services \u2014 ideally, within the first few results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your position on a results page has a major impact on how much traffic you\u2019ll attract from search. In fact, the first result alone for any given search gets an average of<a href=\"https:\/\/ignitevisibility.com\/ctr-google-2017\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/ignitevisibility.com\/ctr-google-2017\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">20.5% of the clicks<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;on the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That number drops to 13.32% for the second result, and 13.14% for the third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"713\" height=\"646\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114700\/g7MnBPwwMonDqYGLyuOhEH5v8IHgubMtK9avY6zYqzvr-4RgapVaTqh8RENlZYIaSl4-H_QTo80f2SzlbEwCc7kjnz1Tpb60e_yUd_mR4Sxpp49gZQuzY73RSRYZ7MCey-yOw8eK.jpg\" alt=\"g7MnBPwwMonDqYGLyuOhEH5v8IHgubMtK9avY6zYqzvr 4RgapVaTqh8RENlZYIaSl4 H QTo80f2SzlbEwCc7kjnz1Tpb60e yUd mR4Sxpp49gZQuzY73RSRYZ7MCey yOw8eK\" class=\"wp-image-39249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114700\/g7MnBPwwMonDqYGLyuOhEH5v8IHgubMtK9avY6zYqzvr-4RgapVaTqh8RENlZYIaSl4-H_QTo80f2SzlbEwCc7kjnz1Tpb60e_yUd_mR4Sxpp49gZQuzY73RSRYZ7MCey-yOw8eK.jpg 713w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114700\/g7MnBPwwMonDqYGLyuOhEH5v8IHgubMtK9avY6zYqzvr-4RgapVaTqh8RENlZYIaSl4-H_QTo80f2SzlbEwCc7kjnz1Tpb60e_yUd_mR4Sxpp49gZQuzY73RSRYZ7MCey-yOw8eK-300x272.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Add these numbers together, and you\u2019ll realize that the top three results get an average of over 47% of the clicks on a results page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if your site isn\u2019t ranking within the top three, the chances of a user clicking through and visiting it are less than half \u2014 and SEO is the only way to climb up in the results and bring more searchers to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SEO helps to solve your persona&#8217;s problems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve likely already developed marketing personas that represent different parts of your target audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might use them to write ad copy, guide your campaign placement, and even shape which benefits you choose to highlight in marketing new products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These personas should also play a role in the<strong>&nbsp;planning stages of your SEO strategy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And when they do, the content you create won\u2019t just improve your rankings in search results \u2014 it will also help you solve your personas\u2019 problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s because when you choose topics based on what your target audience searches online, you\u2019ll be able to create content that directly addresses their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is especially true if you\u2019re willing to spend the time it takes to identify the intent behind their searches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, just take a look at this example of what the process might look like for a site targeting the keyword \u201csemantic SEO\u201d from<a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/user-intent-future-seo\/184217\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/user-intent-future-seo\/184217\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Journal<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"691\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114738\/TqR78odrhI70sxgnznq38PFFy-eVnMj6Hh-TqEFHtdohqP8ogi_FaJiEz3sFYDJYtktAgY3gzApIM09xLlANfVF4lQAq7qmZS45DlD7to4-GA6iW1s1m6niJ_nyR2Gzqx4ln-z-.png\" alt=\"TqR78odrhI70sxgnznq38PFFy eVnMj6Hh TqEFHtdohqP8ogi FaJiEz3sFYDJYtktAgY3gzApIM09xLlANfVF4lQAq7qmZS45DlD7to4 GA6iW1s1m6niJ nyR2Gzqx4ln z \" class=\"wp-image-39266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114738\/TqR78odrhI70sxgnznq38PFFy-eVnMj6Hh-TqEFHtdohqP8ogi_FaJiEz3sFYDJYtktAgY3gzApIM09xLlANfVF4lQAq7qmZS45DlD7to4-GA6iW1s1m6niJ_nyR2Gzqx4ln-z-.png 691w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114738\/TqR78odrhI70sxgnznq38PFFy-eVnMj6Hh-TqEFHtdohqP8ogi_FaJiEz3sFYDJYtktAgY3gzApIM09xLlANfVF4lQAq7qmZS45DlD7to4-GA6iW1s1m6niJ_nyR2Gzqx4ln-z--300x178.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In this case, they identified a few general concepts within the broader topic of semantic SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, they broke those individual concepts down into individual keywords that have clearer search intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using this information, a site would be far more effective in providing the information that their audience wants about semantic SEO than they would by simply targeting that broad keyword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It\u2019s a long-term strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO is not a one-and-done tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It involves ongoing research, regular maintenance, and long-term consistency to achieve results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while this might sound discouraging if you\u2019re new to SEO, the corresponding benefit is that it can earn long-term results for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike advertising campaigns, which involve paying for space on another website or platform, much of SEO is based on improving your own website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that the content you create can live on your site and attract traffic, customers, and leads for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, just take a look at the search results for the phrase \u201chow to yoyo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"657\" height=\"346\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114655\/6c7QjbIWDDOcdfQAuEPed3lLYk9bbuK8VYcLjN1qId6ZKw2Zr90YvhTohou05TTTVBnIZiQzEYZGa6O-uRgteurWzZQ0KFgQs2MKYD137zWU9OGJcz2D8XgFgipulbrwe13EFR61.png\" alt=\"6c7QjbIWDDOcdfQAuEPed3lLYk9bbuK8VYcLjN1qId6ZKw2Zr90YvhTohou05TTTVBnIZiQzEYZGa6O uRgteurWzZQ0KFgQs2MKYD137zWU9OGJcz2D8XgFgipulbrwe13EFR61\" class=\"wp-image-39246\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114655\/6c7QjbIWDDOcdfQAuEPed3lLYk9bbuK8VYcLjN1qId6ZKw2Zr90YvhTohou05TTTVBnIZiQzEYZGa6O-uRgteurWzZQ0KFgQs2MKYD137zWU9OGJcz2D8XgFgipulbrwe13EFR61.png 657w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114655\/6c7QjbIWDDOcdfQAuEPed3lLYk9bbuK8VYcLjN1qId6ZKw2Zr90YvhTohou05TTTVBnIZiQzEYZGa6O-uRgteurWzZQ0KFgQs2MKYD137zWU9OGJcz2D8XgFgipulbrwe13EFR61-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114655\/6c7QjbIWDDOcdfQAuEPed3lLYk9bbuK8VYcLjN1qId6ZKw2Zr90YvhTohou05TTTVBnIZiQzEYZGa6O-uRgteurWzZQ0KFgQs2MKYD137zWU9OGJcz2D8XgFgipulbrwe13EFR61-600x315.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 657px) 100vw, 657px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In this case, the top results are for content from 2010, 2009, and 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The art of yoyoing has apparently not changed much over the past few years. Google\u2019s algorithm still considers these pages and videos to be the most authoritative on the subject, even though they\u2019re not the newest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So even though the creators of these pieces of content likely haven\u2019t had to make too much of an effort to improve or maintain them since their original publication, they continue to reap the rewards of their<strong>&nbsp;first page rankings<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 making them a valuable long-term investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It can help establish trust and credibility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ranking well in search engine results for keywords related to your business is also a great way to establish trust in your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s because when it comes to the research process, many consumers turn to search engines to find the information they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact,<a href=\"https:\/\/research.hubspot.com\/buyers-speak-out-how-sales-needs-to-evolve?_ga=2.40030946.1191951053.1522863797-1423357884.1513654433\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/research.hubspot.com\/buyers-speak-out-how-sales-needs-to-evolve?_ga=2.40030946.1191951053.1522863797-1423357884.1513654433\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">62% of consumers<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;use search engines to learn more about products and services, and 48% prefer to visit business\u2019s official websites to learn about what they offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"696\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114717\/lJso8lQ5j_sEBDbqVUre77SMF6vvCEJjggZNUMgaOa5hQzZ8278JoBSFbPFnTBYEF6xjUjhah-UKnYBUvC15-9ym4Avvy9fjRAi_uKHINljpiWjsh2KlBZwktrIQHndRSW97VdEA.jpg\" alt=\"lJso8lQ5j sEBDbqVUre77SMF6vvCEJjggZNUMgaOa5hQzZ8278JoBSFbPFnTBYEF6xjUjhah UKnYBUvC15 9ym4Avvy9fjRAi uKHINljpiWjsh2KlBZwktrIQHndRSW97VdEA\" class=\"wp-image-39257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114717\/lJso8lQ5j_sEBDbqVUre77SMF6vvCEJjggZNUMgaOa5hQzZ8278JoBSFbPFnTBYEF6xjUjhah-UKnYBUvC15-9ym4Avvy9fjRAi_uKHINljpiWjsh2KlBZwktrIQHndRSW97VdEA.jpg 696w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114717\/lJso8lQ5j_sEBDbqVUre77SMF6vvCEJjggZNUMgaOa5hQzZ8278JoBSFbPFnTBYEF6xjUjhah-UKnYBUvC15-9ym4Avvy9fjRAi_uKHINljpiWjsh2KlBZwktrIQHndRSW97VdEA-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that when a user finds your site in search results, you have a prime opportunity to make a great first impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike traditional advertising methods, which involve attempting to generate a sale as quickly as possible, you can start by helping them solve a problem or accomplish a goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So even if they\u2019re not ready to make a purchase immediately, you\u2019ll establish your brand as a helpful, trustworthy resource. And considering that trust is one of the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.customerthermometer.com\/customer-retention-ideas\/brand-loyalty-statistics-2017\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.customerthermometer.com\/customer-retention-ideas\/brand-loyalty-statistics-2017\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">most important factors<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;in establishing a connection and brand loyalty with a customer, this is a valuable step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, when a visitor <em>is <\/em>ready to make a purchase, they\u2019ll already have positive associations with your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This<a href=\"https:\/\/www.convinceandconvert.com\/content-marketing\/does-your-inbound-marketing-funnel-have-enough-room-for-trust\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.convinceandconvert.com\/content-marketing\/does-your-inbound-marketing-funnel-have-enough-room-for-trust\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">graphic from CoSchedule<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;does a nice job of illustrating how this process translates into sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"595\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114637\/aUfvpM4yWKN634eXC4qKV8AqjGFHpLM9A8zZPLeQN234k5pQdP8qwGfV2GiOqoQhbs8DgltHHZstE_c1j5IQlEYRDwg2CKdSHN9XFHGFrTHTJo2uFNWPN_0ZJd-LaQ1WzObp9DGj.png\" alt=\"aUfvpM4yWKN634eXC4qKV8AqjGFHpLM9A8zZPLeQN234k5pQdP8qwGfV2GiOqoQhbs8DgltHHZstE c1j5IQlEYRDwg2CKdSHN9XFHGFrTHTJo2uFNWPN 0ZJd LaQ1WzObp9DGj\" class=\"wp-image-39236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114637\/aUfvpM4yWKN634eXC4qKV8AqjGFHpLM9A8zZPLeQN234k5pQdP8qwGfV2GiOqoQhbs8DgltHHZstE_c1j5IQlEYRDwg2CKdSHN9XFHGFrTHTJo2uFNWPN_0ZJd-LaQ1WzObp9DGj.png 595w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114637\/aUfvpM4yWKN634eXC4qKV8AqjGFHpLM9A8zZPLeQN234k5pQdP8qwGfV2GiOqoQhbs8DgltHHZstE_c1j5IQlEYRDwg2CKdSHN9XFHGFrTHTJo2uFNWPN_0ZJd-LaQ1WzObp9DGj-300x182.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 595px) 100vw, 595px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not quite as direct as the traditional concept of sales and relies more heavily on establishing trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when you create pages based on the information-based keywords that your audience is searching, then provide the content that they need, your site can do a large part of the heavy lifting when it comes to building trust \u2014 making it a passive part of your sales process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It\u2019s essential for lead generation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Given that SEO is largely focused on attracting visitors that are actively searching for information about products and services, it should come as no surprise that it\u2019s a great way to generate leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what\u2019s more important is that <strong>SEO is a great way to generate <\/strong><strong>qualified <\/strong><strong>leads<\/strong>, or leads who are likely to become customers and clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leads from SEO have an<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartbugmedia.com\/blog\/what-percentage-of-organic-search-traffic-should-be-converting-into-leads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartbugmedia.com\/blog\/what-percentage-of-organic-search-traffic-should-be-converting-into-leads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">average conversion rate of 14.6%<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while this might not seem so impressive at first glance, just consider that outbound leads from traditional strategies like direct mail and print advertising have an average conversion rate of 1.7%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that the leads you earn from SEO are over <em>eight times <\/em>more likely to become customers than the leads you earn from traditional ad campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you\u2019re looking for a way to boost your total number of sales, SEO should be an essential part of your lead generation strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Crawling in SEO?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve spent any time reading into how, exactly, Google operates, you\u2019ve likely come across the term \u201ccrawling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In its most basic sense, this is the process by which the search engine finds new information online to serve to its users as results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while it\u2019s not necessary to have extensive technical knowledge of how crawling works, having a basic understanding can help you approach your site\u2019s optimization more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Crawling, Indexing, and Ranking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When a user performs a search, Google\u2019s algorithm doesn\u2019t actually sort through every page on the Internet to pull and rank results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, it pulls from its own database of pages, called its index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each search engine has its own index that it uses to select and deliver pages as results. Crawling, then, is the process by which search engines find new content online and adds that content to their index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.springboardseo.com\/resources\/glossary\/s.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0<\/a>a basic overview\u00a0of how that process works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"672\" height=\"247\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114729\/T9QvfdErtlRUpgKNu1vEBt9Eu25bxKlAfTITmTBTz-lSDG-yoThxFUAgL6_F4jZ7GX90di7lDNW3xkl1JxopNMTP-XjspM6M76C7xzQ2JakVv-eriy1HURW0JsB1AKkJuSXsrSy2.png\" alt=\"T9QvfdErtlRUpgKNu1vEBt9Eu25bxKlAfTITmTBTz lSDG yoThxFUAgL6 F4jZ7GX90di7lDNW3xkl1JxopNMTP XjspM6M76C7xzQ2JakVv eriy1HURW0JsB1AKkJuSXsrSy2\" class=\"wp-image-39264\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114729\/T9QvfdErtlRUpgKNu1vEBt9Eu25bxKlAfTITmTBTz-lSDG-yoThxFUAgL6_F4jZ7GX90di7lDNW3xkl1JxopNMTP-XjspM6M76C7xzQ2JakVv-eriy1HURW0JsB1AKkJuSXsrSy2.png 672w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114729\/T9QvfdErtlRUpgKNu1vEBt9Eu25bxKlAfTITmTBTz-lSDG-yoThxFUAgL6_F4jZ7GX90di7lDNW3xkl1JxopNMTP-XjspM6M76C7xzQ2JakVv-eriy1HURW0JsB1AKkJuSXsrSy2-300x110.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s crawlers, also sometimes referred to as \u201cspiders,\u201d are automated bots that view web pages and find new content. Then, the content that the crawlers find is added to the index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When a user performs a search, Google\u2019s algorithm sorts through their database of indexed pages to find the most relevant content for that user\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that if Google hasn\u2019t indexed your site, it can\u2019t show up in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while a lot of the crawling process takes place automatically, you need to make sure that Google\u2019s crawlers can properly access your pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your site\u2019s architecture is set up improperly, or your code prevents crawlers from accessing your content, your pages won\u2019t get indexed. And if that\u2019s the case, they\u2019ll never show up in search results \u2014 regardless of how relevant they might be to a user\u2019s search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO: What is the Difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As you read industry blogs and various optimization guides, you\u2019ll likely see references to \u201cwhite hat\u201d and \u201cblack hat\u201d SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be clear, these aren\u2019t true subsets of SEO. Instead, they\u2019re more of a distinction between the right way to optimize a site and the wrong way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>White hat SEO is the process of optimizing a site in a way that\u2019s in line with Google\u2019s guidelines and helps users find content that\u2019s relevant to their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Black hat SEO, on the other hand, focuses on finding ways to game the system and achieve high (but often short-lived) rankings. It\u2019s done with the goal of manipulating rankings, regardless of how it impacts user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It should go without saying, then, that this guide will focus solely on white hat methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But to give you a general idea of the differences between the two, this graphic from<a href=\"https:\/\/www.inboundmarketinginc.com\/blog\/black-hat-vs-white-hat-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inboundmarketinginc.com\/blog\/black-hat-vs-white-hat-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Inbound Marketing Inc.<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;breaks down what each one involves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"797\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114714\/6hVw2NDZCwkMj9VGhi29msBmdkpKVW_5EOGp2-4GqpZZmpzPHo1D3UIOS2OV2hbRk4AuxagsdUjKfu-5vWbViw2CRp1AXM4hm0tiAnBpT_Px3-cOXIszwHB_HKWa7xTlrhfiScAm.jpg\" alt=\"6hVw2NDZCwkMj9VGhi29msBmdkpKVW 5EOGp2 4GqpZZmpzPHo1D3UIOS2OV2hbRk4AuxagsdUjKfu 5vWbViw2CRp1AXM4hm0tiAnBpT Px3 cOXIszwHB HKWa7xTlrhfiScAm\" class=\"wp-image-39256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114714\/6hVw2NDZCwkMj9VGhi29msBmdkpKVW_5EOGp2-4GqpZZmpzPHo1D3UIOS2OV2hbRk4AuxagsdUjKfu-5vWbViw2CRp1AXM4hm0tiAnBpT_Px3-cOXIszwHB_HKWa7xTlrhfiScAm.jpg 797w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114714\/6hVw2NDZCwkMj9VGhi29msBmdkpKVW_5EOGp2-4GqpZZmpzPHo1D3UIOS2OV2hbRk4AuxagsdUjKfu-5vWbViw2CRp1AXM4hm0tiAnBpT_Px3-cOXIszwHB_HKWa7xTlrhfiScAm-300x151.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114714\/6hVw2NDZCwkMj9VGhi29msBmdkpKVW_5EOGp2-4GqpZZmpzPHo1D3UIOS2OV2hbRk4AuxagsdUjKfu-5vWbViw2CRp1AXM4hm0tiAnBpT_Px3-cOXIszwHB_HKWa7xTlrhfiScAm-768x385.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 797px) 100vw, 797px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">White hat SEO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To put it simply, white hat SEO involves optimizing a site in a way that Google would approve of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the benefit of this approach isn\u2019t <em>just <\/em>getting on the search engine\u2019s good side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>White hat SEO is the best way to build sustainable rankings and results, provide a great user experience, and see a positive long-term impact on your online visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Black hat SEO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Black hat SEO refers to any tactic that breaks Google\u2019s rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And to be honest with you, it <em>can <\/em>boost rankings. But in most cases, these boosts are short-lived, and the results are not typically sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s because Google is constantly updating its algorithm, and many of these updates are designed to close the loopholes that black hat methods exploit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that when you center your strategy on black hat tactics, you may need to completely change your approach every time a new update is released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, if Google catches you using these practice, they can hit your site with a<a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/webmasters\/answer\/2604824?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/webmasters\/answer\/2604824?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">manual penalty<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;that will prevent you from showing up in search results at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So although these methods might help you achieve short-term results, the risks simply aren\u2019t worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">On-Page SEO &amp; Off-Page SEO<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve gone over the general idea behind SEO, it\u2019s time to start looking at the factors you\u2019ll need to consider <strong>when optimizing your site<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These factors fall into<a href=\"https:\/\/www.danielskaftouros.co.za\/local-seo-diy-tips-to-rank-higher-on-google-search\/on-page-seo-vs-off-page-seo-local-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danielskaftouros.co.za\/local-seo-diy-tips-to-rank-higher-on-google-search\/on-page-seo-vs-off-page-seo-local-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">two main categories<\/a><\/u>: on-page and off-page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"701\" height=\"701\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114626\/n4Iv3HMulqUE5BY-sTZJtdHAug81i5hxdAnTwiZeYowGjC1wKTAb3ZB_LDpdfoeII1nN4Psr5-lpS7n0w9hpnNEWzAl8XXj1IE3_I1Veu5_QCrBnkT6qPJ5Mt9Bzj_ZErgC3BHx0.png\" alt=\"n4Iv3HMulqUE5BY sTZJtdHAug81i5hxdAnTwiZeYowGjC1wKTAb3ZB LDpdfoeII1nN4Psr5 lpS7n0w9hpnNEWzAl8XXj1IE3 I1Veu5 QCrBnkT6qPJ5Mt9Bzj ZErgC3BHx0\" class=\"wp-image-39231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114626\/n4Iv3HMulqUE5BY-sTZJtdHAug81i5hxdAnTwiZeYowGjC1wKTAb3ZB_LDpdfoeII1nN4Psr5-lpS7n0w9hpnNEWzAl8XXj1IE3_I1Veu5_QCrBnkT6qPJ5Mt9Bzj_ZErgC3BHx0.png 701w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114626\/n4Iv3HMulqUE5BY-sTZJtdHAug81i5hxdAnTwiZeYowGjC1wKTAb3ZB_LDpdfoeII1nN4Psr5-lpS7n0w9hpnNEWzAl8XXj1IE3_I1Veu5_QCrBnkT6qPJ5Mt9Bzj_ZErgC3BHx0-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114626\/n4Iv3HMulqUE5BY-sTZJtdHAug81i5hxdAnTwiZeYowGjC1wKTAb3ZB_LDpdfoeII1nN4Psr5-lpS7n0w9hpnNEWzAl8XXj1IE3_I1Veu5_QCrBnkT6qPJ5Mt9Bzj_ZErgC3BHx0-300x300.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 701px) 100vw, 701px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">On-page factors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As the name implies, these factors are the elements that make up each of your pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll go into more detail about the on-page ranking factors you\u2019ll need to consider later in this guide. But for the sake of this distinction, what you need to know is that on-page optimization involves your content, page structure, and keyword usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Off-page factors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Off-page factors, then, are the ranking signals that take place elsewhere online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most important of these are backlinks, or links from other websites pointing to your pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Search engines use these signals from other sites to determine your site\u2019s credibility. After all, if a trustworthy, authoritative site is willing to link to one of your pages, Google can logically determine that your page contains valuable, high-quality content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as you<strong>&nbsp;optimize your site for search engines<\/strong>, don\u2019t forget that the elements on your pages aren\u2019t the only things they take into consideration. You also need to work towards improving the references to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keyword Research: What it Is and How to Do It<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Keyword research is an essential step in the SEO process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s how you determine which keywords you want your pages to rank for, and will shape a large part of your on-page optimization efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And effective keyword research centers on identifying the keywords your target audience searches when they\u2019re looking for information about your industry, products, and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, ranking in the top spot for a keyword related to your industry is certainly a great ego boost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if none of your target audience is searching for that keyword, that ranking won\u2019t have an impact on your business goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So with that in mind, here are the five basic steps you\u2019ll need to take to identify the best keywords for your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Identify relevant topics for your business<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step of effective keyword research is simply to make a list of the general topics you want your site to rank for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This might seem like an unnecessary step since you\u2019re likely well aware of the most relevant topics to your business. Maybe you can even list them off without much thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as you get farther into the research process, you\u2019ll dig into each of these topics to identify specific words and phrases \u2014 so this list is more of a starting point than a stand-alone document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So with that in mind, create a list of your core products and services, any topics that are important to your business, and subjects that your site already contains content about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Create a list of phrases you believe potential customers search for<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, expand your list with the phrases your target audience would logically search for to find information related to your most important topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These phrases can come largely from your own understanding of your target audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re a jewelry retailer that sells watches. Searchers who are looking for these products would logically use the phrase \u201cbest women\u2019s watches,\u201d so you\u2019d want to add this to your list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From there, you can use Google\u2019s suggested search feature to expand your list. Simply type one of your keyword ideas into the search bar, then scroll to the bottom of the page to see related search queries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, here\u2019s what shows up for the search, \u201cbest womens watches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"502\" height=\"171\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114724\/0rRyX2yzWBWilPJI_v4COi3NW76qTwMOmqaYGGbxxleXOJoxRNh359f7YQ3pzF4JlEoWZRAc1wUKJPDT6aLW0oI9UlQQfPsJ-BT7x-cxEjZMmDsTtwoM0cl7tdou-TT0tEqt4JYQ.png\" alt=\"0rRyX2yzWBWilPJI v4COi3NW76qTwMOmqaYGGbxxleXOJoxRNh359f7YQ3pzF4JlEoWZRAc1wUKJPDT6aLW0oI9UlQQfPsJ BT7x cxEjZMmDsTtwoM0cl7tdou TT0tEqt4JYQ\" class=\"wp-image-39261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114724\/0rRyX2yzWBWilPJI_v4COi3NW76qTwMOmqaYGGbxxleXOJoxRNh359f7YQ3pzF4JlEoWZRAc1wUKJPDT6aLW0oI9UlQQfPsJ-BT7x-cxEjZMmDsTtwoM0cl7tdou-TT0tEqt4JYQ.png 502w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114724\/0rRyX2yzWBWilPJI_v4COi3NW76qTwMOmqaYGGbxxleXOJoxRNh359f7YQ3pzF4JlEoWZRAc1wUKJPDT6aLW0oI9UlQQfPsJ-BT7x-cxEjZMmDsTtwoM0cl7tdou-TT0tEqt4JYQ-300x102.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 502px) 100vw, 502px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These suggestions are based on what other users frequently search for \u2014 meaning that if you were trying to reach people as they search for information about women\u2019s watches online, they\u2019d be valuable additions to your list of keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Mix main terms and long-tail<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As you create your list, aim for a mix of short and long keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a variety of keywords is the best way to strike a balance between targeting extremely competitive, but highly rewarding queries, and achieving spots in less competitive, but lower volume, results pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shorter keywords are often referred to as \u201cbroad\u201d keywords, while longer phrases are referred to as \u201clong-tail\u201d keywords. Some SEOs also refer to a middle category of \u201cmiddle-tail\u201d keywords \u2014 but in this guide, we\u2019ll stick to two main types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see the main differences between each of these types in<a href=\"https:\/\/seopressor.com\/blog\/short-tail-or-long-tail-keywords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/seopressor.com\/blog\/short-tail-or-long-tail-keywords\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the following graph<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114610\/T65aVgySQz1v0NcaS9aQm7ID4lW0sZw1asHP7qpX8EXMuGoxOEsDOYPH8764wqsF7fIUzfUZ0q0N_1e512AU77nZ8hurgdvwLnBMiYQeC6pEChVeaw1i7U6Z8zQJTXhcIyHlMMOw.png\" alt=\"T65aVgySQz1v0NcaS9aQm7ID4lW0sZw1asHP7qpX8EXMuGoxOEsDOYPH8764wqsF7fIUzfUZ0q0N 1e512AU77nZ8hurgdvwLnBMiYQeC6pEChVeaw1i7U6Z8zQJTXhcIyHlMMOw\" class=\"wp-image-39224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114610\/T65aVgySQz1v0NcaS9aQm7ID4lW0sZw1asHP7qpX8EXMuGoxOEsDOYPH8764wqsF7fIUzfUZ0q0N_1e512AU77nZ8hurgdvwLnBMiYQeC6pEChVeaw1i7U6Z8zQJTXhcIyHlMMOw.png 800w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114610\/T65aVgySQz1v0NcaS9aQm7ID4lW0sZw1asHP7qpX8EXMuGoxOEsDOYPH8764wqsF7fIUzfUZ0q0N_1e512AU77nZ8hurgdvwLnBMiYQeC6pEChVeaw1i7U6Z8zQJTXhcIyHlMMOw-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114610\/T65aVgySQz1v0NcaS9aQm7ID4lW0sZw1asHP7qpX8EXMuGoxOEsDOYPH8764wqsF7fIUzfUZ0q0N_1e512AU77nZ8hurgdvwLnBMiYQeC6pEChVeaw1i7U6Z8zQJTXhcIyHlMMOw-768x576.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The main distinction you need to know is that shorter, broader keywords typically have extremely high search volumes. This means that if you\u2019re able<strong>&nbsp;to rank well for a broad keyword <\/strong>that\u2019s relevant to your business, you can expect lots of traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as a result, lots of sites want to rank for these keywords \u2014 so they\u2019re also highly competitive and difficult to rank for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, are much more specific. Technically, any phrase with three or more words can be considered a long-tail keyword, but they can also be much longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the graph above, for example, \u201cfree responsive wordpress themes for blog\u201d is a highly specific phrase. And while this keyword likely gets searched far less often than \u201cwordpress themes,\u201d the intent behind it is a lot clearer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when you target long tail keywords, you\u2019ll have an easier time achieving the rankings you want and providing the content that users searching those keywords are looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: &nbsp;Use SEO tools to see how competitors are ranking for keywords<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019re likely not the only site in your industry attempting to rank for keywords related to your products and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while this means SEO can be a competitive undertaking, it also means that you can gain valuable insight based on what others are already doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best ways to do this is simply to look at <strong>which keywords your competitors are ranking <\/strong>for using a tool like <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEMrush<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enter a competitor\u2019s domain, and you\u2019ll see a full report of all of the keywords they\u2019re ranking for organically, as well as each keyword\u2019s search volume and competition level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"687\" height=\"447\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114726\/Gx6EVS-72Iy_42s5UDNJAshoKS3w-ccrUwZMlButSUFFK0lMcYhQuT9co7Z4819PiaaEH26A975pNISirvZ6RgaAa284euBIeZm74EeR0MR22Fw7Nze77pbB5wSPhvTuKpUNYjmq.png\" alt=\"Gx6EVS 72Iy 42s5UDNJAshoKS3w ccrUwZMlButSUFFK0lMcYhQuT9co7Z4819PiaaEH26A975pNISirvZ6RgaAa284euBIeZm74EeR0MR22Fw7Nze77pbB5wSPhvTuKpUNYjmq\" class=\"wp-image-39262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114726\/Gx6EVS-72Iy_42s5UDNJAshoKS3w-ccrUwZMlButSUFFK0lMcYhQuT9co7Z4819PiaaEH26A975pNISirvZ6RgaAa284euBIeZm74EeR0MR22Fw7Nze77pbB5wSPhvTuKpUNYjmq.png 687w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114726\/Gx6EVS-72Iy_42s5UDNJAshoKS3w-ccrUwZMlButSUFFK0lMcYhQuT9co7Z4819PiaaEH26A975pNISirvZ6RgaAa284euBIeZm74EeR0MR22Fw7Nze77pbB5wSPhvTuKpUNYjmq-300x195.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 687px) 100vw, 687px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you notice any keywords that are relevant to your business but aren\u2019t yet on your list, add them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, repeat this process for each of your main competitors, so that you can be sure you\u2019re not missing any valuable opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Use SEO tools to identify the priorities and opportunities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>By this point, you should have a fairly extensive list of potential keyword ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while each of them likely has potential to help your site, you\u2019ll need to determine which present the biggest opportunities and how to prioritize them accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can do this by using tools to find out how frequently each keyword is searched, as well as how difficult it will be for your site to rank for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re already<strong>&nbsp;running PPC campaigns with Google AdWords<\/strong>, you can use their <u><a href=\"https:\/\/adwords.google.com\/intl\/en\/home\/tools\/keyword-planner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keyword Planner<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;tool to easily access this information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1048\" height=\"634\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114736\/S-1gcdd9QCa_OJUYH4_B2JMPy_vNhQwAYJBexwnO8VMHD0C02BvieqgnzspQxlJo811G8Ejtj1Lpi5qbzidlLIqb9N-y2FEG2Ch5VFveaGPwRBP_9-5PTHATLwbhx_Iyqa6-VMbv.png\" alt=\"S 1gcdd9QCa OJUYH4 B2JMPy vNhQwAYJBexwnO8VMHD0C02BvieqgnzspQxlJo811G8Ejtj1Lpi5qbzidlLIqb9N y2FEG2Ch5VFveaGPwRBP 9 5PTHATLwbhx Iyqa6 VMbv\" class=\"wp-image-39265\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114736\/S-1gcdd9QCa_OJUYH4_B2JMPy_vNhQwAYJBexwnO8VMHD0C02BvieqgnzspQxlJo811G8Ejtj1Lpi5qbzidlLIqb9N-y2FEG2Ch5VFveaGPwRBP_9-5PTHATLwbhx_Iyqa6-VMbv.png 1048w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114736\/S-1gcdd9QCa_OJUYH4_B2JMPy_vNhQwAYJBexwnO8VMHD0C02BvieqgnzspQxlJo811G8Ejtj1Lpi5qbzidlLIqb9N-y2FEG2Ch5VFveaGPwRBP_9-5PTHATLwbhx_Iyqa6-VMbv-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114736\/S-1gcdd9QCa_OJUYH4_B2JMPy_vNhQwAYJBexwnO8VMHD0C02BvieqgnzspQxlJo811G8Ejtj1Lpi5qbzidlLIqb9N-y2FEG2Ch5VFveaGPwRBP_9-5PTHATLwbhx_Iyqa6-VMbv-768x465.png 768w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114736\/S-1gcdd9QCa_OJUYH4_B2JMPy_vNhQwAYJBexwnO8VMHD0C02BvieqgnzspQxlJo811G8Ejtj1Lpi5qbzidlLIqb9N-y2FEG2Ch5VFveaGPwRBP_9-5PTHATLwbhx_Iyqa6-VMbv-1024x619.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1048px) 100vw, 1048px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although this tool is designed to help advertisers evaluate keywords for their PPC campaigns, the information it provides is also extremely helpful for SEO purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you <em>aren\u2019t <\/em>running campaigns with AdWords, a great alternative is the <u><a href=\"https:\/\/keywordseverywhere.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keywords Everywhere<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;extension for Chrome or Firefox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After installing this extension, you can use its Bulk Upload feature to evaluate lists of potential keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"509\" height=\"275\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114645\/iY9NyYIJZmm204JsLZeo22K7uu9vbchoLtpQdpyz-M97z0Ybi6DSTdXRDvAZneFpCeXn5NjyUA5tlr5kLPhWRjl3Bw6ZjVTa7hA68eu-bUcvxCFsp97oGFWw2McrvGDsdckIc9Hq.png\" alt=\"iY9NyYIJZmm204JsLZeo22K7uu9vbchoLtpQdpyz M97z0Ybi6DSTdXRDvAZneFpCeXn5NjyUA5tlr5kLPhWRjl3Bw6ZjVTa7hA68eu bUcvxCFsp97oGFWw2McrvGDsdckIc9Hq\" class=\"wp-image-39241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114645\/iY9NyYIJZmm204JsLZeo22K7uu9vbchoLtpQdpyz-M97z0Ybi6DSTdXRDvAZneFpCeXn5NjyUA5tlr5kLPhWRjl3Bw6ZjVTa7hA68eu-bUcvxCFsp97oGFWw2McrvGDsdckIc9Hq.png 509w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114645\/iY9NyYIJZmm204JsLZeo22K7uu9vbchoLtpQdpyz-M97z0Ybi6DSTdXRDvAZneFpCeXn5NjyUA5tlr5kLPhWRjl3Bw6ZjVTa7hA68eu-bUcvxCFsp97oGFWw2McrvGDsdckIc9Hq-300x162.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 509px) 100vw, 509px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have this information, you can accurately assess how much potential each keyword holds for your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, the best opportunities are those with relatively high monthly search volume and relatively low competition levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How To Do SEO to Rank And Convert Better<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many factors to consider when optimizing a site for search. Here are 18 of the most important:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Domain name<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Having an important keyword in your domain used to be a major ranking factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, it\u2019s not quite as important. In fact,<a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/google-ranking-factors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/google-ranking-factors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Matt Cutts announced via tweet<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;in 2012 that Google released an algorithm update that was designed to reduce low-quality exact-match domains in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"413\" height=\"172\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114728\/Q_VDDITfwmp_D4DVrYxCSctbEwfJpVIoTYsK_ua7MCQ_4R5DZ3OQptSHBHf9oeiQPTJsF1r0QABz1s7T8CFO6y7NAb9Xo6HLl_YUdWkZh2Pb119JU3rnHLErdhgV6k7trwSIoPyJ.png\" alt=\"Q VDDITfwmp D4DVrYxCSctbEwfJpVIoTYsK ua7MCQ 4R5DZ3OQptSHBHf9oeiQPTJsF1r0QABz1s7T8CFO6y7NAb9Xo6HLl YUdWkZh2Pb119JU3rnHLErdhgV6k7trwSIoPyJ\" class=\"wp-image-39263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114728\/Q_VDDITfwmp_D4DVrYxCSctbEwfJpVIoTYsK_ua7MCQ_4R5DZ3OQptSHBHf9oeiQPTJsF1r0QABz1s7T8CFO6y7NAb9Xo6HLl_YUdWkZh2Pb119JU3rnHLErdhgV6k7trwSIoPyJ.png 413w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114728\/Q_VDDITfwmp_D4DVrYxCSctbEwfJpVIoTYsK_ua7MCQ_4R5DZ3OQptSHBHf9oeiQPTJsF1r0QABz1s7T8CFO6y7NAb9Xo6HLl_YUdWkZh2Pb119JU3rnHLErdhgV6k7trwSIoPyJ-300x125.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 413px) 100vw, 413px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, your domain name can still act as a relevancy signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, since searched keywords appear in bold on the results page, having one of your target keywords in your domain name can help your site stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">URL<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond your site\u2019s main domain, your individual page URLs also play a role in those pages\u2019 ability to rank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First and foremost, your URLs should contain real words that are relevant to the content on the page &#8211; not random strings of letters and numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s also in your best interest to keep your URLs short and simple. In fact, one study showed that short URLs <u><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/search-engine-ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">correlate with higher rankings<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"529\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114709\/nVPkjjlAyQiJEaSHIrX_owhF89LnUgQTmVxOwS1uPuTkGhVSUGEyIaw__XPZokN8JLR58kEM3sb432CYHza-1sdeUXKfhImarCuC2uEAaMmFunR3-2DAQK9p11Z2vmRnJUX3SgLw.png\" alt=\"nVPkjjlAyQiJEaSHIrX owhF89LnUgQTmVxOwS1uPuTkGhVSUGEyIaw XPZokN8JLR58kEM3sb432CYHza 1sdeUXKfhImarCuC2uEAaMmFunR3 2DAQK9p11Z2vmRnJUX3SgLw\" class=\"wp-image-39253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114709\/nVPkjjlAyQiJEaSHIrX_owhF89LnUgQTmVxOwS1uPuTkGhVSUGEyIaw__XPZokN8JLR58kEM3sb432CYHza-1sdeUXKfhImarCuC2uEAaMmFunR3-2DAQK9p11Z2vmRnJUX3SgLw.png 768w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114709\/nVPkjjlAyQiJEaSHIrX_owhF89LnUgQTmVxOwS1uPuTkGhVSUGEyIaw__XPZokN8JLR58kEM3sb432CYHza-1sdeUXKfhImarCuC2uEAaMmFunR3-2DAQK9p11Z2vmRnJUX3SgLw-300x207.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So as you add new pages to your site, make sure that each one has a brief, descriptive URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Title tags<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As the name implies, a title tag defines a page\u2019s title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It defines what that page is about, and is the first thing to appear in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"623\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114600\/OUATzAm-DVQ2rdAN5IAqHR7XMNg8PCRle98O5NAL17CLJYZMLFq1Nk4RcfCFxXkTi_JD_x7ZZd-Ubpzhwy8nswm5ZHTvTlILc9l6N_wD3bOgsxaFJltEuHuJhCrbHPhjbatAkrV.png\" alt=\"OUATzAm DVQ2rdAN5IAqHR7XMNg8PCRle98O5NAL17CLJYZMLFq1Nk4RcfCFxXkTi JD x7ZZd Ubpzhwy8nswm5ZHTvTlILc9l6N wD3bOgsxaFJltEuHuJhCrbHPhjbatAkrV\" class=\"wp-image-39220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114600\/OUATzAm-DVQ2rdAN5IAqHR7XMNg8PCRle98O5NAL17CLJYZMLFq1Nk4RcfCFxXkTi_JD_x7ZZd-Ubpzhwy8nswm5ZHTvTlILc9l6N_wD3bOgsxaFJltEuHuJhCrbHPhjbatAkrV.png 623w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114600\/OUATzAm-DVQ2rdAN5IAqHR7XMNg8PCRle98O5NAL17CLJYZMLFq1Nk4RcfCFxXkTi_JD_x7ZZd-Ubpzhwy8nswm5ZHTvTlILc9l6N_wD3bOgsxaFJltEuHuJhCrbHPhjbatAkrV-300x54.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 623px) 100vw, 623px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as you optimize the pages on your site, make sure that each one has a unique, descriptive title tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This not only helps search engines determine whether one of your pages is relevant to a user\u2019s search but can also help searchers decide whether they want to click on your page in the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meta descriptions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A meta description is a brief summary of a page\u2019s content, and it\u2019s what appears below the page\u2019s title tag in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"623\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114719\/fRSQ-ZKFOHHAw1y2vSWgLNKAP4dKeGSlB20eNpZUT8pDqFbQ1pY10tUSKUosdGA0qeQeYbaN1d2ruJtnZaMbCRBdixoY7DPe-d1R1gNI7KJb1hMHfah0gX2PwnCsMhUEtK-j88ea.png\" alt=\"fRSQ ZKFOHHAw1y2vSWgLNKAP4dKeGSlB20eNpZUT8pDqFbQ1pY10tUSKUosdGA0qeQeYbaN1d2ruJtnZaMbCRBdixoY7DPe d1R1gNI7KJb1hMHfah0gX2PwnCsMhUEtK j88ea\" class=\"wp-image-39258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114719\/fRSQ-ZKFOHHAw1y2vSWgLNKAP4dKeGSlB20eNpZUT8pDqFbQ1pY10tUSKUosdGA0qeQeYbaN1d2ruJtnZaMbCRBdixoY7DPe-d1R1gNI7KJb1hMHfah0gX2PwnCsMhUEtK-j88ea.png 623w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114719\/fRSQ-ZKFOHHAw1y2vSWgLNKAP4dKeGSlB20eNpZUT8pDqFbQ1pY10tUSKUosdGA0qeQeYbaN1d2ruJtnZaMbCRBdixoY7DPe-d1R1gNI7KJb1hMHfah0gX2PwnCsMhUEtK-j88ea-300x54.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 623px) 100vw, 623px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Although meta descriptions don\u2019t play a direct role in rankings, they can help users get a better idea of what to expect when they click on your page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that <strong>well-written meta descriptions can increase your click through rates<\/strong>&nbsp;and help you attract more traffic from each of your pages that rank in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Headings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Headings are HTML tags used to break pages into subsections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They make it easier for readers to scan for specific information, and can also help search engines better understand the content on a page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, one study showed that<a href=\"https:\/\/cbutterworth.com\/do-h1-tags-still-help-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/cbutterworth.com\/do-h1-tags-still-help-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pages with styled H1 tags<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;ranked slightly higher than those without.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"304\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114659\/q3H82WbJsfe4MPH0QzV6BKtZ0CUjG2Ch0zVS1jvY-btcGEQ9ltc45soW-HgkBUmnuQsliDiRgm7x009hNGD_7P7fuT4c_t_w9yLsVrEall4hbuprSCu7Mo4S0bizVCYr1KYOkES3.png\" alt=\"q3H82WbJsfe4MPH0QzV6BKtZ0CUjG2Ch0zVS1jvY btcGEQ9ltc45soW HgkBUmnuQsliDiRgm7x009hNGD 7P7fuT4c t w9yLsVrEall4hbuprSCu7Mo4S0bizVCYr1KYOkES3\" class=\"wp-image-39248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114659\/q3H82WbJsfe4MPH0QzV6BKtZ0CUjG2Ch0zVS1jvY-btcGEQ9ltc45soW-HgkBUmnuQsliDiRgm7x009hNGD_7P7fuT4c_t_w9yLsVrEall4hbuprSCu7Mo4S0bizVCYr1KYOkES3.png 584w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114659\/q3H82WbJsfe4MPH0QzV6BKtZ0CUjG2Ch0zVS1jvY-btcGEQ9ltc45soW-HgkBUmnuQsliDiRgm7x009hNGD_7P7fuT4c_t_w9yLsVrEall4hbuprSCu7Mo4S0bizVCYr1KYOkES3-300x156.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the difference in this study was minimal, every effort you can make to improve your rankings counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Images&#8217; Alt Text<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Alt tags are used to <u><a href=\"https:\/\/yoast.com\/image-seo-alt-tag-and-title-tag-optimization\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">describe what\u2019s displayed<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;in&nbsp;an image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"332\" height=\"45\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114649\/zvyw8mHSnfK6ZwRFz342OL0MPxNXtyq4EuHfOuHbfhGIRTnRUBDzf9ea172rWCqujLvg4xH3vKCh1Tu7yXKOO0GSf_q6P2vklDPPeqYolwkskERTBHthCuPVb1hydbWuEu5yFgiT.png\" alt=\"zvyw8mHSnfK6ZwRFz342OL0MPxNXtyq4EuHfOuHbfhGIRTnRUBDzf9ea172rWCqujLvg4xH3vKCh1Tu7yXKOO0GSf q6P2vklDPPeqYolwkskERTBHthCuPVb1hydbWuEu5yFgiT\" class=\"wp-image-39243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114649\/zvyw8mHSnfK6ZwRFz342OL0MPxNXtyq4EuHfOuHbfhGIRTnRUBDzf9ea172rWCqujLvg4xH3vKCh1Tu7yXKOO0GSf_q6P2vklDPPeqYolwkskERTBHthCuPVb1hydbWuEu5yFgiT.png 332w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114649\/zvyw8mHSnfK6ZwRFz342OL0MPxNXtyq4EuHfOuHbfhGIRTnRUBDzf9ea172rWCqujLvg4xH3vKCh1Tu7yXKOO0GSf_q6P2vklDPPeqYolwkskERTBHthCuPVb1hydbWuEu5yFgiT-300x41.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 332px) 100vw, 332px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since search engines can\u2019t \u201csee\u201d images like human users, these tags help them understand what visual files contain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alt tags are also important for accessibility since they\u2019re how blind and visually impaired users access image files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Content is what makes up the bulk of each page on your site. And while there are many different ways to improve your content for SEO purposes, there are three major aspects you\u2019ll want to keep in mind: quality, relevance, and length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Quality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Google wants to deliver high-quality results to its users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a relatively straightforward concept, but if you\u2019re not sure if your content could be considered \u201cquality,\u201d you can also think of it in terms of clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As <u><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/sew\/news\/2331473\/matt-cutts-write-clear-understandable-content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google\u2019s Matt Cutts<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;explained, \u201cIf you\u2019re erring on the side of clarity, and on the side of something that\u2019s going to be understandable, you\u2019ll be in much better shape.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Relevance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is another straightforward, but important, consideration when writing and publishing copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The content on each of your pages should be in line with what a user expects after clicking your page in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while this will often happen naturally, as the result of creating a page around a specific keyword, it\u2019s also helpful to consider the intent behind each keyword in your strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The clearer an idea you have of what a user wants when they search for one of your target keywords, the more relevant your content will be to their needs \u2014 and the higher Google will rank your page as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Length<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Considering that Google\u2019s goal is to direct users to helpful resources, it\u2019s not too surprising that <strong>lengthy pages tend to rank well<\/strong>&nbsp;in their results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, the average length of a first page Google result is<a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/search-engine-ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/search-engine-ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1,890 words.<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"529\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114722\/tMKP2PleFpIxM1TOk9a3in4cGRkxMmi-W6T83K8B25jOWTyVM9hxvNsAjIJl6jBEeZs7VpyOZGOEl8NMpAgcpW-SwN81bzoLjlYFjihHd1HQ3K_JuvmDDF1fTqkSE9o-7JfqWw5Z.png\" alt=\"tMKP2PleFpIxM1TOk9a3in4cGRkxMmi W6T83K8B25jOWTyVM9hxvNsAjIJl6jBEeZs7VpyOZGOEl8NMpAgcpW SwN81bzoLjlYFjihHd1HQ3K JuvmDDF1fTqkSE9o 7JfqWw5Z\" class=\"wp-image-39260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114722\/tMKP2PleFpIxM1TOk9a3in4cGRkxMmi-W6T83K8B25jOWTyVM9hxvNsAjIJl6jBEeZs7VpyOZGOEl8NMpAgcpW-SwN81bzoLjlYFjihHd1HQ3K_JuvmDDF1fTqkSE9o-7JfqWw5Z.png 768w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114722\/tMKP2PleFpIxM1TOk9a3in4cGRkxMmi-W6T83K8B25jOWTyVM9hxvNsAjIJl6jBEeZs7VpyOZGOEl8NMpAgcpW-SwN81bzoLjlYFjihHd1HQ3K_JuvmDDF1fTqkSE9o-7JfqWw5Z-300x207.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And while this doesn\u2019t mean you should arbitrarily \u201cfluff up\u201d your pages to hit a specific word count, it <em>does <\/em>mean that achieving high rankings often requires creating in-depth resources for your visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sitemap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A sitemap is essentially exactly what it sounds like: a map of your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This map isn\u2019t intended for users, but helps search engines more effectively crawl your pages \u2014 so creating one can help ensure that your site is properly indexed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Links from other sites signal to Google that other site owners believe that your content is worthy of citing as a source or directing users to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an extremely important ranking signal, and pages with a high total number of links<a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/search-engine-ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/search-engine-ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tend to rank highest<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;in Google\u2019s search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"529\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114640\/6Q0JTktm-Bb8OBqY0aAHONda3CbHZwCj3Andvdy4moVU3UcRHZycZasR-X6x6wK7ok4VABm8btjhUxxtEqrk_Q5i_r6zQD9U7hb4-_k40iTnmQ9zeaTGkxOAA3WT-tFj4vljEUWW.png\" alt=\"6Q0JTktm Bb8OBqY0aAHONda3CbHZwCj3Andvdy4moVU3UcRHZycZasR X6x6wK7ok4VABm8btjhUxxtEqrk Q5i r6zQD9U7hb4 k40iTnmQ9zeaTGkxOAA3WT tFj4vljEUWW\" class=\"wp-image-39238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114640\/6Q0JTktm-Bb8OBqY0aAHONda3CbHZwCj3Andvdy4moVU3UcRHZycZasR-X6x6wK7ok4VABm8btjhUxxtEqrk_Q5i_r6zQD9U7hb4-_k40iTnmQ9zeaTGkxOAA3WT-tFj4vljEUWW.png 768w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114640\/6Q0JTktm-Bb8OBqY0aAHONda3CbHZwCj3Andvdy4moVU3UcRHZycZasR-X6x6wK7ok4VABm8btjhUxxtEqrk_Q5i_r6zQD9U7hb4-_k40iTnmQ9zeaTGkxOAA3WT-tFj4vljEUWW-300x207.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as you optimize your site, <strong>don\u2019t forget to look for ways to earn links<\/strong>&nbsp;to your new and existing content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mobile friendliness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2017, mobile users accounted for over<a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/241462\/global-mobile-phone-website-traffic-share\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/241462\/global-mobile-phone-website-traffic-share\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">50% of all web traffic<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"471\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114618\/tKove2hM3q711C6hc4U5UEZNO7Ljw9Fsch0AGexM_J2yLbmR4Hcn6l2cL7HB5JAlRXmBlCGk1uoxdqHuA7KFV5KKHjxZTWLd6xfqb-9nKb_FvTjAcHZ4hOTzdGp64x2Vo5rXV2b6.png\" alt=\"tKove2hM3q711C6hc4U5UEZNO7Ljw9Fsch0AGexM J2yLbmR4Hcn6l2cL7HB5JAlRXmBlCGk1uoxdqHuA7KFV5KKHjxZTWLd6xfqb 9nKb FvTjAcHZ4hOTzdGp64x2Vo5rXV2b6\" class=\"wp-image-39227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114618\/tKove2hM3q711C6hc4U5UEZNO7Ljw9Fsch0AGexM_J2yLbmR4Hcn6l2cL7HB5JAlRXmBlCGk1uoxdqHuA7KFV5KKHjxZTWLd6xfqb-9nKb_FvTjAcHZ4hOTzdGp64x2Vo5rXV2b6.png 700w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114618\/tKove2hM3q711C6hc4U5UEZNO7Ljw9Fsch0AGexM_J2yLbmR4Hcn6l2cL7HB5JAlRXmBlCGk1uoxdqHuA7KFV5KKHjxZTWLd6xfqb-9nKb_FvTjAcHZ4hOTzdGp64x2Vo5rXV2b6-300x202.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And as more users access online content from smartphones and other mobile devices, it\u2019s becoming increasingly important for sites to provide a great mobile experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use <u><a href=\"https:\/\/search.google.com\/test\/mobile-friendly\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google\u2019s Mobile-Friendly Test<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;to quickly tell whether your site meets Google\u2019s guidelines for mobile-friendliness. And if it doesn\u2019t, this is an important area to improve upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Site speed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Users don\u2019t want to wait more than a few seconds for a page to load. As a result, site speed can have a major impact on user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, according to Google\u2019s most recent<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinkwithgoogle.com\/marketing-resources\/data-measurement\/mobile-page-speed-new-industry-benchmarks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinkwithgoogle.com\/marketing-resources\/data-measurement\/mobile-page-speed-new-industry-benchmarks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">page speed benchmarks<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;study, when page load times jump from one to three seconds, the probability of a bounce increases by 32%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"604\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114720\/TWee17O-hTShfG_qBhklcl_XJOkKfyUL0XqhLp8raIZTHKtRyPDzlMNq9YkYie9n3hN_vp21jyobZuo2JOTh2p4PRMnt3wcM3rvyKO4qwRNI_n-e24Ym2e4YV8yhkIy7F9km5quU.png\" alt=\"TWee17O hTShfG qBhklcl XJOkKfyUL0XqhLp8raIZTHKtRyPDzlMNq9YkYie9n3hN vp21jyobZuo2JOTh2p4PRMnt3wcM3rvyKO4qwRNI n e24Ym2e4YV8yhkIy7F9km5quU\" class=\"wp-image-39259\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114720\/TWee17O-hTShfG_qBhklcl_XJOkKfyUL0XqhLp8raIZTHKtRyPDzlMNq9YkYie9n3hN_vp21jyobZuo2JOTh2p4PRMnt3wcM3rvyKO4qwRNI_n-e24Ym2e4YV8yhkIy7F9km5quU.png 768w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114720\/TWee17O-hTShfG_qBhklcl_XJOkKfyUL0XqhLp8raIZTHKtRyPDzlMNq9YkYie9n3hN_vp21jyobZuo2JOTh2p4PRMnt3wcM3rvyKO4qwRNI_n-e24Ym2e4YV8yhkIy7F9km5quU-300x236.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means you could lose almost <em>one-third <\/em>of your traffic if your site takes just three seconds to load.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use Google\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/testmysite.thinkwithgoogle.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/testmysite.thinkwithgoogle.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Test My Site<\/a><\/u><u>&nbsp;<\/u>tool to gauge where you stand \u2014 and if your pages take more than a few seconds to load, you have some work to do in this area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Duplicate content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDuplicate content\u201d is when your site contains content that appears elsewhere online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while republishing certain chunks of copy (with credit!) won\u2019t necessarily have a negative impact on your rankings, it\u2019s important to note that Google focuses on<strong>&nbsp;providing unique content <\/strong>to their users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that pages of duplicated copy won\u2019t do you any favors in search results \u2014 so it\u2019s in your best interest to focus on creating original content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Featured snippets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Featured snippets are special blocks that appear for certain queries and provide the information a user is searching for directly on the results page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you search for \u201cphases of the moon,\u201d Google has a pretty clear idea of what you\u2019re looking for. As a result, they show the following snippet:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"649\" height=\"476\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114707\/nL20K7qIswxMJo7-EHtvMapdaSyCDZ7ddiHnWdncv9KufE0OYuD4aErsOYVh607AZXguwxVa1E3roP51WGUcrB_9Wm-EIKWFCyOv1VqUjIN4yKqKUA8q-GaVmw6-l1uohw50uBmk.png\" alt=\"nL20K7qIswxMJo7 EHtvMapdaSyCDZ7ddiHnWdncv9KufE0OYuD4aErsOYVh607AZXguwxVa1E3roP51WGUcrB 9Wm EIKWFCyOv1VqUjIN4yKqKUA8q GaVmw6 l1uohw50uBmk\" class=\"wp-image-39252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114707\/nL20K7qIswxMJo7-EHtvMapdaSyCDZ7ddiHnWdncv9KufE0OYuD4aErsOYVh607AZXguwxVa1E3roP51WGUcrB_9Wm-EIKWFCyOv1VqUjIN4yKqKUA8q-GaVmw6-l1uohw50uBmk.png 649w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114707\/nL20K7qIswxMJo7-EHtvMapdaSyCDZ7ddiHnWdncv9KufE0OYuD4aErsOYVh607AZXguwxVa1E3roP51WGUcrB_9Wm-EIKWFCyOv1VqUjIN4yKqKUA8q-GaVmw6-l1uohw50uBmk-300x220.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 649px) 100vw, 649px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no established best practice for getting your site to appear in these snippets, but you can optimize the way you organize and present your content to increase the chances that Google will pull information from your pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Robots.txt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Robots.txt is a file that tells search engines what they can and can\u2019t crawl and index on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you<strong>&nbsp;create your robots.txt file<\/strong>, you\u2019ll want to disallow any content you don\u2019t want to appear in search results, like WordPress operating files and thank you pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Site architecture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The way that your site is organized and structured plays a role in how search engine crawlers access and understand your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally, you should plan out a hierarchy that looks<a href=\"https:\/\/neilpatel.com\/blog\/robots-txt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/neilpatel.com\/blog\/robots-txt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">something like this: <\/a><\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"353\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114638\/dT-wDxd6YCsllfUjMT-iQyOI2iTMT09-2lxaSqlxBJpOK8S-4lRZwY5gFKSOqPcOnVmeM1FRYB-zESdT6mxcsqptWCc38tHFPEVCdFUt94NHEhcUO2gMmUsoOCaKtIloeAdWicq.png\" alt=\"dT wDxd6YCsllfUjMT iQyOI2iTMT09 2lxaSqlxBJpOK8S 4lRZwY5gFKSOqPcOnVmeM1FRYB zESdT6mxcsqptWCc38tHFPEVCdFUt94NHEhcUO2gMmUsoOCaKtIloeAdWicq\" class=\"wp-image-39237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114638\/dT-wDxd6YCsllfUjMT-iQyOI2iTMT09-2lxaSqlxBJpOK8S-4lRZwY5gFKSOqPcOnVmeM1FRYB-zESdT6mxcsqptWCc38tHFPEVCdFUt94NHEhcUO2gMmUsoOCaKtIloeAdWicq.png 650w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114638\/dT-wDxd6YCsllfUjMT-iQyOI2iTMT09-2lxaSqlxBJpOK8S-4lRZwY5gFKSOqPcOnVmeM1FRYB-zESdT6mxcsqptWCc38tHFPEVCdFUt94NHEhcUO2gMmUsoOCaKtIloeAdWicq-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This gives crawlers a better understanding of which pages on your site are the most important, and how they relate to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">HTTPS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have noticed that many of the sites you visit have a small lock icon next to their domain, with green text reading \u201cSecure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"352\" height=\"34\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114557\/eZ80mNqfuHBZVfQHwg8Iw2Z5sku02qIlziFehB0rt6KfacVOTcnArn8tkM-4x8RC4UfGtbr3D6BExiwYxnQErKMuFhUCdHaqoqEyGN_KZdcT7nMwcnHG-52p1iXxdK8Linu1bNJL.png\" alt=\"eZ80mNqfuHBZVfQHwg8Iw2Z5sku02qIlziFehB0rt6KfacVOTcnArn8tkM 4x8RC4UfGtbr3D6BExiwYxnQErKMuFhUCdHaqoqEyGN KZdcT7nMwcnHG 52p1iXxdK8Linu1bNJL\" class=\"wp-image-39218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114557\/eZ80mNqfuHBZVfQHwg8Iw2Z5sku02qIlziFehB0rt6KfacVOTcnArn8tkM-4x8RC4UfGtbr3D6BExiwYxnQErKMuFhUCdHaqoqEyGN_KZdcT7nMwcnHG-52p1iXxdK8Linu1bNJL.png 352w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114557\/eZ80mNqfuHBZVfQHwg8Iw2Z5sku02qIlziFehB0rt6KfacVOTcnArn8tkM-4x8RC4UfGtbr3D6BExiwYxnQErKMuFhUCdHaqoqEyGN_KZdcT7nMwcnHG-52p1iXxdK8Linu1bNJL-300x29.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 352px) 100vw, 352px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This signals that the site is encrypted with HTTPS so that your connection between your browser and the site is secure<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2014, Google<a href=\"https:\/\/webmasters.googleblog.com\/2014\/08\/https-as-ranking-signal.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/webmasters.googleblog.com\/2014\/08\/https-as-ranking-signal.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced that HTTPS<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;would become a ranking signal \u2014 and today,<a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/search-engine-ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/search-engine-ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HTTPS correlates<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;with higher rankings in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"529\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114711\/ayg8Vs9pr_uJ2Lmv3w4dbcqiZjGzLePknHH01K5usDuoSpa0HA3QyshzJ_-dGhLVyufrL9XNMa5Hfn6WQ6rF5g9WuMhIkSjqP9qYf4U-qoUaUSElIzJOFD_-dLghP_S3TsGi1crY.png\" alt=\"ayg8Vs9pr uJ2Lmv3w4dbcqiZjGzLePknHH01K5usDuoSpa0HA3QyshzJ dGhLVyufrL9XNMa5Hfn6WQ6rF5g9WuMhIkSjqP9qYf4U qoUaUSElIzJOFD dLghP S3TsGi1crY\" class=\"wp-image-39254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114711\/ayg8Vs9pr_uJ2Lmv3w4dbcqiZjGzLePknHH01K5usDuoSpa0HA3QyshzJ_-dGhLVyufrL9XNMa5Hfn6WQ6rF5g9WuMhIkSjqP9qYf4U-qoUaUSElIzJOFD_-dLghP_S3TsGi1crY.png 768w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114711\/ayg8Vs9pr_uJ2Lmv3w4dbcqiZjGzLePknHH01K5usDuoSpa0HA3QyshzJ_-dGhLVyufrL9XNMa5Hfn6WQ6rF5g9WuMhIkSjqP9qYf4U-qoUaUSElIzJOFD_-dLghP_S3TsGi1crY-300x207.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if your site isn\u2019t yet secure, making the switch could help you boost your rankings in search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Usability and User Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As we\u2019ve mentioned several times on this page, Google prioritizes providing a great user experience. And while page speed is one of the most straightforward user experience metrics to measure, it isn\u2019t the <em>only <\/em>one to consider when optimizing your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Navigation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, you should aim to create a logical, easy-to-use navigation setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally, your most important pages should be no more than one or two clicks away from your homepage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ease of use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When a user arrives on your site, they should know within seconds what they need to do to find the information or complete the goal that they want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And although this might seem obvious to you (and your team), it\u2019s important to recognize that your experience with your site makes you biased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use tools like Crazy Egg to identify elements that are confusing, then adjust and improve them accordingly to<strong>&nbsp;provide a better user experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Schema<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Schema is a set of tags you can add to your pages to improve the way that search engines read and represent them in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, take a look at this result from Goodreads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"615\" height=\"109\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114643\/iT7RtbCHi5d4LU2vLbe8rTYyGp-smkzQ74fUQgVGDrlrKy7RDfN_RyqmLYf94okjF0mvYTqBjRCbbQckTSlhnnmD_41988HG8CUHCNM5sLHXe__Ljc419FNa2D_yJPvCRPXz5giX.png\" alt=\"iT7RtbCHi5d4LU2vLbe8rTYyGp smkzQ74fUQgVGDrlrKy7RDfN RyqmLYf94okjF0mvYTqBjRCbbQckTSlhnnmD 41988HG8CUHCNM5sLHXe Ljc419FNa2D yJPvCRPXz5giX\" class=\"wp-image-39240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114643\/iT7RtbCHi5d4LU2vLbe8rTYyGp-smkzQ74fUQgVGDrlrKy7RDfN_RyqmLYf94okjF0mvYTqBjRCbbQckTSlhnnmD_41988HG8CUHCNM5sLHXe__Ljc419FNa2D_yJPvCRPXz5giX.png 615w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114643\/iT7RtbCHi5d4LU2vLbe8rTYyGp-smkzQ74fUQgVGDrlrKy7RDfN_RyqmLYf94okjF0mvYTqBjRCbbQckTSlhnnmD_41988HG8CUHCNM5sLHXe__Ljc419FNa2D_yJPvCRPXz5giX-300x53.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The star rating helps this result stand out on the page \u2014 and it\u2019s the result of schema.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use Google\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/webmasters\/markup-helper\/u\/0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/webmasters\/markup-helper\/u\/0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Structured Data Markup Helper<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;to add schema to your pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SEO Link Building: How to Get Quality Backlinks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Links are a major factor in how search engines rank websites. As a result, link building is an essential part of any SEO strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, pages ranking in the second position for a high-volume keyword have an average of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/ranking-factors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/ranking-factors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">10,000 more referring domains<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;than those in the tenth position, and <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/ranking-factors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2.2x more backlinks<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;lead to URLs ranking in the first position than URLs ranking in the second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, effective link building involves more than attempting to earn as many links as possible from anywhere and everywhere online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quality links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As you create your link building strategy, focus on earning links from trustworthy, authoritative sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While amassing a large number of links used to be the best way to achieve rankings, <strong>quality is now much more important than quantity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that links from spammy, low-quality sites won\u2019t help you reach your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A handful of links from authoritative sites will have a much more positive impact than lots of links from low-quality pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, links from high-quality URLs correlate with<u><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/search-engine-ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;strong page one rankings<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;in Google search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"529\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114622\/MpuJ8shTCHIxmkAc2WlVAlxraa6Wj7CYAHhsFM93DKIBPg0BY_-JBPCYIDWTk0kINHH-XNIfhaA-OAzT8gLqoUwKZKO7eIwKuU15-hg6SZaIMOXX6O6rVtuWacWLVkW1f-BTB9t6.png\" alt=\"MpuJ8shTCHIxmkAc2WlVAlxraa6Wj7CYAHhsFM93DKIBPg0BY JBPCYIDWTk0kINHH XNIfhaA OAzT8gLqoUwKZKO7eIwKuU15 hg6SZaIMOXX6O6rVtuWacWLVkW1f BTB9t6\" class=\"wp-image-39229\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114622\/MpuJ8shTCHIxmkAc2WlVAlxraa6Wj7CYAHhsFM93DKIBPg0BY_-JBPCYIDWTk0kINHH-XNIfhaA-OAzT8gLqoUwKZKO7eIwKuU15-hg6SZaIMOXX6O6rVtuWacWLVkW1f-BTB9t6.png 768w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114622\/MpuJ8shTCHIxmkAc2WlVAlxraa6Wj7CYAHhsFM93DKIBPg0BY_-JBPCYIDWTk0kINHH-XNIfhaA-OAzT8gLqoUwKZKO7eIwKuU15-hg6SZaIMOXX6O6rVtuWacWLVkW1f-BTB9t6-300x207.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as you determine the best ways to earn links for your site, focus your efforts on authoritative sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although these sites will be more challenging to earn links from, the payoff will ultimately be much more significant and worth your time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Link Building Strategies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the best links are acquired naturally. When you create great content, other site owners may choose to link to it on their own accord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while this can be a valuable source of high-quality links, it can take a long time to show significant results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, link building doesn\u2019t need to be a passive process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the types of sites you want to earn links from, you can use a variety of strategies, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Guest posts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PR<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Broken link building<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Skyscraper content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compiled resources<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Competitor backlink research<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And for the best possible results, you can combine multiple tactics from this list to create a well-rounded approach to earning links for your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Anchor Text<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Anchor text is the hyperlinked word or phrase that users can click to visit a link on a page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SEOs used to focus on earning links with their target keywords in the anchor text. But today, this is unimportant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, only<a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/ranking-factors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/ranking-factors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3% of backlinks<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;contain a keyword in the anchor text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as you earn links, don\u2019t worry about the exact text other sites use when linking to one of your pages. As long as the link is incorporated naturally into their content, it will pass value to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SEO Tracking Metrics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As you improve your site\u2019s optimization, it\u2019s essential to monitor your results and see what\u2019s working \u2014 and what isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are eight of the most important metrics to track in order to gauge your success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Organic sessions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This metrics refers to the total number of visitors you\u2019re attracting from organic search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And as you optimize your site, it should steadily increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can access data about your organic sessions by navigating to Acquisition > Overview and then selecting \u201cOrganic Search.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"838\" height=\"293\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114617\/NlMtFLkQBmvJwCpksyd2ggcMPTWP7AxQkcVtpI3YCMS93uQuocCRSN7dUYo7brrv0SmPi1MK9sHeJ-F6pH0KRUJtFMtUz_67s4VbJC-OLRMzWsUFKJVLaFuaBOLKuZkHCtM6nPgi.png\" alt=\"NlMtFLkQBmvJwCpksyd2ggcMPTWP7AxQkcVtpI3YCMS93uQuocCRSN7dUYo7brrv0SmPi1MK9sHeJ F6pH0KRUJtFMtUz 67s4VbJC OLRMzWsUFKJVLaFuaBOLKuZkHCtM6nPgi\" class=\"wp-image-39226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114617\/NlMtFLkQBmvJwCpksyd2ggcMPTWP7AxQkcVtpI3YCMS93uQuocCRSN7dUYo7brrv0SmPi1MK9sHeJ-F6pH0KRUJtFMtUz_67s4VbJC-OLRMzWsUFKJVLaFuaBOLKuZkHCtM6nPgi.png 838w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114617\/NlMtFLkQBmvJwCpksyd2ggcMPTWP7AxQkcVtpI3YCMS93uQuocCRSN7dUYo7brrv0SmPi1MK9sHeJ-F6pH0KRUJtFMtUz_67s4VbJC-OLRMzWsUFKJVLaFuaBOLKuZkHCtM6nPgi-300x105.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114617\/NlMtFLkQBmvJwCpksyd2ggcMPTWP7AxQkcVtpI3YCMS93uQuocCRSN7dUYo7brrv0SmPi1MK9sHeJ-F6pH0KRUJtFMtUz_67s4VbJC-OLRMzWsUFKJVLaFuaBOLKuZkHCtM6nPgi-768x269.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 838px) 100vw, 838px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This report will give you an overview of how your organic traffic increases (or not) over time, as well as how that traffic behaves in terms of bounce rate, pages per session, and goal conversion rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Keyword rankings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, one of the most obvious metrics to monitor is your keyword rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since much of SEO focuses on increasing your visibility in search results, it makes sense that you\u2019d want to track how your rankings for your target keywords change over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For some of your more important keywords, you might choose to monitor your results manually every few days by searching for those keywords and seeing where you stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But to get a more comprehensive picture of your site\u2019s appearance in search, you can use a tool like SEMrush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To access reports on your rankings, click \u201c<strong>Organic Search Positions<\/strong>\u201d in the navigation bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, you\u2019ll see a full list of all of the keywords you rank for and their positions on the results page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"408\" height=\"247\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114602\/4lTOc0wSXdFNcrYYRSgJyU1lJrjKWfE19G-y2YPwyhggeMwcZy95prE8P5yK_gnaYk6jg3AI7-XcLPpO3Rzc81cM3HYt91Ke-EIm4aRRelI8WsSpVuSbhH_YYi8pOlaGMf0JbpMG.png\" alt=\"4lTOc0wSXdFNcrYYRSgJyU1lJrjKWfE19G y2YPwyhggeMwcZy95prE8P5yK gnaYk6jg3AI7 XcLPpO3Rzc81cM3HYt91Ke EIm4aRRelI8WsSpVuSbhH YYi8pOlaGMf0JbpMG\" class=\"wp-image-39221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114602\/4lTOc0wSXdFNcrYYRSgJyU1lJrjKWfE19G-y2YPwyhggeMwcZy95prE8P5yK_gnaYk6jg3AI7-XcLPpO3Rzc81cM3HYt91Ke-EIm4aRRelI8WsSpVuSbhH_YYi8pOlaGMf0JbpMG.png 408w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114602\/4lTOc0wSXdFNcrYYRSgJyU1lJrjKWfE19G-y2YPwyhggeMwcZy95prE8P5yK_gnaYk6jg3AI7-XcLPpO3Rzc81cM3HYt91Ke-EIm4aRRelI8WsSpVuSbhH_YYi8pOlaGMf0JbpMG-300x182.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 408px) 100vw, 408px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Monitoring this report on a regular basis can give you a concrete picture of how your SEO efforts are working, and whether you\u2019re moving up in the rankings for the keywords most important to your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. CTR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your click through rate, or CTR, is the percentage&nbsp;of searchers that click on your site after seeing it in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Naturally, you\u2019ll want your CTR to be as high as possible \u2014 but it\u2019s important to note that rankings play a major role in this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the result ranking in the first position sees an average of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.advancedwebranking.com\/cloud\/ctrstudy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.advancedwebranking.com\/cloud\/ctrstudy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">31.52% of the clicks<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;on a desktop results page, and 24.05% on a mobile results page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"428\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114635\/tNZN38-V2Bfn2h0jbfqL-QBjz26RuN0LDgR_zuZBVRV3v1ZIA664I_6vqySwIgMva_C6P2nYIVeiOirxsmRLQhwt1OG0dy1bOpWCxoeQWnHmdhiHv-fGNUZMiq_-6l2Bp6NCBmsr.png\" alt=\"tNZN38 V2Bfn2h0jbfqL QBjz26RuN0LDgR zuZBVRV3v1ZIA664I 6vqySwIgMva C6P2nYIVeiOirxsmRLQhwt1OG0dy1bOpWCxoeQWnHmdhiHv fGNUZMiq 6l2Bp6NCBmsr\" class=\"wp-image-39235\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114635\/tNZN38-V2Bfn2h0jbfqL-QBjz26RuN0LDgR_zuZBVRV3v1ZIA664I_6vqySwIgMva_C6P2nYIVeiOirxsmRLQhwt1OG0dy1bOpWCxoeQWnHmdhiHv-fGNUZMiq_-6l2Bp6NCBmsr.png 700w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114635\/tNZN38-V2Bfn2h0jbfqL-QBjz26RuN0LDgR_zuZBVRV3v1ZIA664I_6vqySwIgMva_C6P2nYIVeiOirxsmRLQhwt1OG0dy1bOpWCxoeQWnHmdhiHv-fGNUZMiq_-6l2Bp6NCBmsr-300x183.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, a lower ranking in results doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re doomed to have abysmal clickthrough rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your title tags and meta descriptions are interesting enough to users that they decide to click on your page instead of a higher-ranking alternative, this is an excellent sign for your optimization efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And monitoring your CTR can give you an idea of how compelling your pages are to users when they appear in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can access this information in <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/webmasters\/tools\/home?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Console<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;by navigating to Search Traffic &gt; Search Analytics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Bounce rate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When a user visits a page on your site, then leaves (typically to return to the search results) instead of continuing to another page, this is considered a \u201cbounce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your bounce rate, then, is the percentage of visitors who bounce. And the lower this rate, the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By regularly checking in on your bounce rate, you can determine whether the content on your pages is in line with what visitors expect when they click on it in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Time on page<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As the name implies, the time on page metric indicates how much time, on average, visitors spend visiting any given page on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This metric can give you an idea of<strong>&nbsp;how engaged visitors are with your content<\/strong>, as the longer the average user spends browsing your page, the more confident you can be that your site provides what users are looking for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Domain authority and new backlinks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As you build new links, there are two main metrics you\u2019ll want to use to measure your progress: domain authority and the total number of backlinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Domain authority is a number on a scale from 1-100 that rates how trustworthy your site is according to its backlink profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The more quality links you earn, the higher this number will climb \u2014 and the easier it will be for your pages<strong>&nbsp;to rank well in search results<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can check your domain authority using<a href=\"https:\/\/www.seoreviewtools.com\/website-authority-checker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seoreviewtools.com\/website-authority-checker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Website Authority Checker.<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"699\" height=\"429\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114742\/Sn3gMVIRN0mZk2jkcHH9_ZPCV7TQah1FcEySwVy7bKNthlC7xDzu8RPJ5dYpb_aaeh3i4NqYl93rqTrnhVB5a-fQkzzpji4tO2Fz9_34d22xRP3k3Uf552H_i8CmpE0cc3BCHaTc.png\" alt=\"Sn3gMVIRN0mZk2jkcHH9 ZPCV7TQah1FcEySwVy7bKNthlC7xDzu8RPJ5dYpb aaeh3i4NqYl93rqTrnhVB5a fQkzzpji4tO2Fz9 34d22xRP3k3Uf552H i8CmpE0cc3BCHaTc\" class=\"wp-image-39268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114742\/Sn3gMVIRN0mZk2jkcHH9_ZPCV7TQah1FcEySwVy7bKNthlC7xDzu8RPJ5dYpb_aaeh3i4NqYl93rqTrnhVB5a-fQkzzpji4tO2Fz9_34d22xRP3k3Uf552H_i8CmpE0cc3BCHaTc.png 699w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114742\/Sn3gMVIRN0mZk2jkcHH9_ZPCV7TQah1FcEySwVy7bKNthlC7xDzu8RPJ5dYpb_aaeh3i4NqYl93rqTrnhVB5a-fQkzzpji4tO2Fz9_34d22xRP3k3Uf552H_i8CmpE0cc3BCHaTc-300x184.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 699px) 100vw, 699px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And with a strong link building strategy, this number should continue to gradually increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, you\u2019ll also want to keep an eye on your total number of backlinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see in the screenshot above, Website Authority Checker will also provide this information next to \u201cExternal links to domain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Page load times<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether page speed is an issue for your site or not, you\u2019ll want to keep an eye on your load times as you optimize your pages for search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can keep an eye on your page load times using Google\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/speed\/pagespeed\/insights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/speed\/pagespeed\/insights\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Page Speed Insights<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"666\" height=\"316\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114559\/awArWCEiZwd2SsqFJvch4U6i7ZuCaAP37634I_loOmGg2jmcYd877MeS-FXDaJMkEb9DbmO4zIhDPm2Ds2Acu46rMmS_YG_HMGYCL18h0clGvG4QHEqUnHGpSgV9iWq_w3VhxWVm.png\" alt=\"awArWCEiZwd2SsqFJvch4U6i7ZuCaAP37634I loOmGg2jmcYd877MeS FXDaJMkEb9DbmO4zIhDPm2Ds2Acu46rMmS YG HMGYCL18h0clGvG4QHEqUnHGpSgV9iWq w3VhxWVm\" class=\"wp-image-39219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114559\/awArWCEiZwd2SsqFJvch4U6i7ZuCaAP37634I_loOmGg2jmcYd877MeS-FXDaJMkEb9DbmO4zIhDPm2Ds2Acu46rMmS_YG_HMGYCL18h0clGvG4QHEqUnHGpSgV9iWq_w3VhxWVm.png 666w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114559\/awArWCEiZwd2SsqFJvch4U6i7ZuCaAP37634I_loOmGg2jmcYd877MeS-FXDaJMkEb9DbmO4zIhDPm2Ds2Acu46rMmS_YG_HMGYCL18h0clGvG4QHEqUnHGpSgV9iWq_w3VhxWVm-300x142.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 666px) 100vw, 666px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your goal should be to achieve \u201cFast\u201d speeds on both mobile and desktop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if this isn\u2019t the case, you can follow Google\u2019s recommendations in the report to improve your load times and the user experience you provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Crawl errors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As you update your site, it\u2019s a good idea to check in on how Google is crawling your pages regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, your <strong>optimization efforts <\/strong>won\u2019t make a difference if Google isn\u2019t finding and indexing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, this is easy to monitor using Google<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/webmasters\/tools\/home?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/webmasters\/tools\/home?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Console.<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you log into your account, one of the first things you\u2019ll see is your crawl status report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"380\" height=\"202\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114657\/aDZ7HfTtbO5MgNOv8I7aO7PayLuJjbrorxZX96jKvXipDMJW9z1Ydi0ylVCVwo3geSFwRv17YujrsNpUZLfgYoUnxEqSD1jod9OJVLKjTZkpidv8b6KyrPveoA8e1edurYRyANjp.png\" alt=\"aDZ7HfTtbO5MgNOv8I7aO7PayLuJjbrorxZX96jKvXipDMJW9z1Ydi0ylVCVwo3geSFwRv17YujrsNpUZLfgYoUnxEqSD1jod9OJVLKjTZkpidv8b6KyrPveoA8e1edurYRyANjp\" class=\"wp-image-39247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114657\/aDZ7HfTtbO5MgNOv8I7aO7PayLuJjbrorxZX96jKvXipDMJW9z1Ydi0ylVCVwo3geSFwRv17YujrsNpUZLfgYoUnxEqSD1jod9OJVLKjTZkpidv8b6KyrPveoA8e1edurYRyANjp.png 380w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114657\/aDZ7HfTtbO5MgNOv8I7aO7PayLuJjbrorxZX96jKvXipDMJW9z1Ydi0ylVCVwo3geSFwRv17YujrsNpUZLfgYoUnxEqSD1jod9OJVLKjTZkpidv8b6KyrPveoA8e1edurYRyANjp-300x159.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 380px) 100vw, 380px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Google\u2019s crawlers are having any issues with your site, they\u2019ll display here \u2014 so that you can quickly identify the source and fix it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4 Common SEO Mistakes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As with any process as complex as SEO, it\u2019s easy to make mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are four of the most common:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Redirects<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Optimizing and improving a site often involves moving pages, revising URLs, and updating links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while these changes can all have a positive impact on your site, they can also lead to redirect issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you make any changes to your site\u2019s structure, you\u2019ll want to make sure that all of your redirects are set up and functioning properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The easiest way to do this is to use Screaming Frog to identify any<a href=\"https:\/\/www.screamingfrog.co.uk\/seo-spider\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.screamingfrog.co.uk\/seo-spider\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">redirect issues<\/a><\/u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.screamingfrog.co.uk\/seo-spider\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">. <\/a>Run a site crawl, then navigate to the Redirect Chains report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114615\/5207VgKAIUAdshJhPQpRQjQovDxpjlrpnhWGj1bH2tdSmDDqDNDoVAdtdG9XdLICv6uSYE1id9FZtwrAfCE6FBYSohrZ_3oCH7A8Z5vMBbYJUXSeIAznrDEdW-N6PlDK2zWSWEQ4.png\" alt=\"5207VgKAIUAdshJhPQpRQjQovDxpjlrpnhWGj1bH2tdSmDDqDNDoVAdtdG9XdLICv6uSYE1id9FZtwrAfCE6FBYSohrZ 3oCH7A8Z5vMBbYJUXSeIAznrDEdW N6PlDK2zWSWEQ4\" class=\"wp-image-39225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114615\/5207VgKAIUAdshJhPQpRQjQovDxpjlrpnhWGj1bH2tdSmDDqDNDoVAdtdG9XdLICv6uSYE1id9FZtwrAfCE6FBYSohrZ_3oCH7A8Z5vMBbYJUXSeIAznrDEdW-N6PlDK2zWSWEQ4.png 768w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114615\/5207VgKAIUAdshJhPQpRQjQovDxpjlrpnhWGj1bH2tdSmDDqDNDoVAdtdG9XdLICv6uSYE1id9FZtwrAfCE6FBYSohrZ_3oCH7A8Z5vMBbYJUXSeIAznrDEdW-N6PlDK2zWSWEQ4-300x164.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, you\u2019ll see a complete list of all of the redirects on your site, along with their status codes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a redirect is functioning as it should, you\u2019ll see a 301 status code. And if this is the case with all of the redirects on your site, you\u2019re in great shape!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you see any 404 status codes, this means that certain links on your site are directing users to an error page \u2014 which is bad news for both your SEO and your site\u2019s user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Duplicate content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Having some of the same content on multiple pages, or republishing bits of content from other sites isn\u2019t going to kill your SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, in 2016, Google\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobo-web.co.uk\/duplicate-content-problems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobo-web.co.uk\/duplicate-content-problems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Andrey Lipattsev stated<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;that Google does not issue penalties for duplicate content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, some SEOs took this to mean that they were free to copy and paste as much content as they wanted onto their site \u2014 but that\u2019s not what Lipattsev meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While <strong>republishing content on your site <\/strong>won\u2019t actively damage the rest of your site\u2019s ability to rank in search results, it\u2019s also unlikely to impact your site positively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, as Google\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobo-web.co.uk\/duplicate-content-problems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hobo-web.co.uk\/duplicate-content-problems\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John Mueller explains<\/a><\/u>, if large portions of your content are copied, rewritten, or repurposed from other sources, \u201cOur algorithms say we need to kind of ignore this website completely. We don\u2019t need to focus on it in the search. The manual webspam team might even come in and say that it\u2019s it\u2019s a waste of our resources to even look at this website because it\u2019s just pure copies of all of these other websites \u2014 maybe slightly rewritten, but it\u2019s not there\u2019s nothing unique here. And in those cases, we might remove a website completely from search.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if your site contains large chunks of republished content, this can signal to search engines that it isn\u2019t worth their time to crawl and index your pages \u2014 and if you\u2019re spending time optimizing your content, that\u2019s the exact opposite of what you want to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also worth noting that duplicate content issues can also occur within the pages on your own site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you move a page of content to a new URL on your site, it might seem obvious to you that because the entire pages were moved, the old version is no longer relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But unless you delete and redirect that old page, Google will crawl them both \u2014 then determine that the content has been duplicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can create issues with how its algorithm categorizes and ranks your pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, identifying these kinds of issues is easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Log into Search Console, then navigate to Search Appearance &gt; HTML Improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In<a href=\"https:\/\/yoast.com\/duplicate-content\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/yoast.com\/duplicate-content\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this report<\/a><\/u>, you can see if you have any duplicate title tags or meta descriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"433\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114620\/dykkDS8MyJd1D0cJ4-2YhfeSB8Rb6OyHwuA9H32R3qzpI90cu_wuuDrlkS-wA5oB1HlQV6KoNR-jxPgSiaLFV8-Zqv_PQzs4I3XPOnFUKTFBPlRQUL2x8NClcy8Uy4sWzOYMrf3V.png\" alt=\"dykkDS8MyJd1D0cJ4 2YhfeSB8Rb6OyHwuA9H32R3qzpI90cu wuuDrlkS wA5oB1HlQV6KoNR jxPgSiaLFV8 Zqv PQzs4I3XPOnFUKTFBPlRQUL2x8NClcy8Uy4sWzOYMrf3V\" class=\"wp-image-39228\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114620\/dykkDS8MyJd1D0cJ4-2YhfeSB8Rb6OyHwuA9H32R3qzpI90cu_wuuDrlkS-wA5oB1HlQV6KoNR-jxPgSiaLFV8-Zqv_PQzs4I3XPOnFUKTFBPlRQUL2x8NClcy8Uy4sWzOYMrf3V.png 600w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114620\/dykkDS8MyJd1D0cJ4-2YhfeSB8Rb6OyHwuA9H32R3qzpI90cu_wuuDrlkS-wA5oB1HlQV6KoNR-jxPgSiaLFV8-Zqv_PQzs4I3XPOnFUKTFBPlRQUL2x8NClcy8Uy4sWzOYMrf3V-300x217.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This way, if you\u2019ve missed deleting the original versions of old pages, you can quickly identify them and remedy the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Spamming<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t so much a mistake as a set of bad practices to avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we mentioned above, \u201cblack hat\u201d SEO tactics can occasionally produce positive results \u2014 but they\u2019re unlikely to be lasting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, some SEOs are still so tempted by the idea of short-term gains that they use spammy practices thinking that the temporary results will be worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These practices include excessive blog commenting, paying for fake reviews, and publishing&nbsp;\u201cthin,\u201d low-quality content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while they <em>might <\/em>create a quick boost in rankings, you can be sure that Google will pick up on them \u2014 and in most cases, that will happen sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as you optimize your site, you might get frustrated by the amount of work involved in an upstanding SEO strategy and want to turn to black hat methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And you certainly wouldn\u2019t be the first to fall into this trap \u2014 but this is our obligatory reminder that spammy practices simply aren\u2019t worth a possible penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Keyword stuffing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Keywords help search engines understand what each page on your site is about and rank it in search results accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, you might think that it\u2019s in your best interest <strong>to use your target keyword <\/strong>as many times as possible on a page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that\u2019s definitely not the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using keywords excessively and unnaturally is known as keyword stuffing, which Google views as a spammy practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, considering how Google sees keyword stuffing, we could\u2019ve placed it in the previous section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But given that this is a particularly common mistake, and one that site owners often make without necessarily intending to break the rules, it deserves its own section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as you incorporate your keywords, focus on writing naturally and only using your keywords where they make sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interjecting keywords for the sake of SEO won\u2019t earn the results you want \u2014 and in many cases, it can wind up damaging your ability to rank well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Search Engine Tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO is a complex, sometimes technical, process. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools designed to help you identify keywords, create an SEO strategy, and monitor your results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Google Analytics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/analytics\/#?modal_active=none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Analytics<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;is Arguably the best Analytics platform available to site owners \u2014 and it\u2019s completely free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114652\/ndBGPMWCpNEB1m0UMhVQojgHjYYtiSQmPNvHk4mR2DkeL9HbnmT_w2J-aj4TLteG5eBHo89VEKCjXJhqZ12FguTq2Iw4wjf68diiiGrgoCikjRV-IasjZnrBtgq0yOYWqxNKSOxp.png\" alt=\"ndBGPMWCpNEB1m0UMhVQojgHjYYtiSQmPNvHk4mR2DkeL9HbnmT w2J aj4TLteG5eBHo89VEKCjXJhqZ12FguTq2Iw4wjf68diiiGrgoCikjRV IasjZnrBtgq0yOYWqxNKSOxp\" class=\"wp-image-39245\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114652\/ndBGPMWCpNEB1m0UMhVQojgHjYYtiSQmPNvHk4mR2DkeL9HbnmT_w2J-aj4TLteG5eBHo89VEKCjXJhqZ12FguTq2Iw4wjf68diiiGrgoCikjRV-IasjZnrBtgq0yOYWqxNKSOxp.png 850w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114652\/ndBGPMWCpNEB1m0UMhVQojgHjYYtiSQmPNvHk4mR2DkeL9HbnmT_w2J-aj4TLteG5eBHo89VEKCjXJhqZ12FguTq2Iw4wjf68diiiGrgoCikjRV-IasjZnrBtgq0yOYWqxNKSOxp-300x189.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114652\/ndBGPMWCpNEB1m0UMhVQojgHjYYtiSQmPNvHk4mR2DkeL9HbnmT_w2J-aj4TLteG5eBHo89VEKCjXJhqZ12FguTq2Iw4wjf68diiiGrgoCikjRV-IasjZnrBtgq0yOYWqxNKSOxp-768x484.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you install the tracking code on your site, you\u2019ll be able to access in-depth reports about your traffic, audience, acquisition, conversions, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Google Search Console<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google\u2019s <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/webmasters\/tools\/home?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Console<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;is a valuable tool for monitoring how Google crawls and indexes your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"503\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114745\/tog-YVZbi5PZig7NENH8cb-Mk57Qm1crsW7RufTdPvP2lRbIGORXF_Xi75p6KqSvZd3MJQgDMoapgc3AzMY1uAySfCUXUCaFhNAkHKRZ9KgVKPmsgUGdiHFb_d3JEYf9b5Skjdc3.png\" alt=\"tog YVZbi5PZig7NENH8cb Mk57Qm1crsW7RufTdPvP2lRbIGORXF Xi75p6KqSvZd3MJQgDMoapgc3AzMY1uAySfCUXUCaFhNAkHKRZ9KgVKPmsgUGdiHFb d3JEYf9b5Skjdc3\" class=\"wp-image-39269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114745\/tog-YVZbi5PZig7NENH8cb-Mk57Qm1crsW7RufTdPvP2lRbIGORXF_Xi75p6KqSvZd3MJQgDMoapgc3AzMY1uAySfCUXUCaFhNAkHKRZ9KgVKPmsgUGdiHFb_d3JEYf9b5Skjdc3.png 850w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114745\/tog-YVZbi5PZig7NENH8cb-Mk57Qm1crsW7RufTdPvP2lRbIGORXF_Xi75p6KqSvZd3MJQgDMoapgc3AzMY1uAySfCUXUCaFhNAkHKRZ9KgVKPmsgUGdiHFb_d3JEYf9b5Skjdc3-300x178.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114745\/tog-YVZbi5PZig7NENH8cb-Mk57Qm1crsW7RufTdPvP2lRbIGORXF_Xi75p6KqSvZd3MJQgDMoapgc3AzMY1uAySfCUXUCaFhNAkHKRZ9KgVKPmsgUGdiHFb_d3JEYf9b5Skjdc3-768x454.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike Analytics, which focuses on how users interact with your site, Search Console\u2019s purpose is to provided data on Google\u2019s crawling and indexation of your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Google Keyword Planner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/adwords.google.com\/intl\/en\/home\/tools\/keyword-planner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keyword Planner<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;is Google\u2019s keyword research tool intended for AdWords users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114647\/O_6iUjA78ij4qvWGyRIqemFKf6pUBEXyjV4nA9e28yTKLKkKraGYRSPd3Qu57UESBpcq04FiiQ3em1crazo6tP5TL1-z0DvIHMZEXJRZKjpZxW0fWRjS862ebR5SSFehOjlQcH7S.png\" alt=\"O 6iUjA78ij4qvWGyRIqemFKf6pUBEXyjV4nA9e28yTKLKkKraGYRSPd3Qu57UESBpcq04FiiQ3em1crazo6tP5TL1 z0DvIHMZEXJRZKjpZxW0fWRjS862ebR5SSFehOjlQcH7S\" class=\"wp-image-39242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114647\/O_6iUjA78ij4qvWGyRIqemFKf6pUBEXyjV4nA9e28yTKLKkKraGYRSPd3Qu57UESBpcq04FiiQ3em1crazo6tP5TL1-z0DvIHMZEXJRZKjpZxW0fWRjS862ebR5SSFehOjlQcH7S.png 850w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114647\/O_6iUjA78ij4qvWGyRIqemFKf6pUBEXyjV4nA9e28yTKLKkKraGYRSPd3Qu57UESBpcq04FiiQ3em1crazo6tP5TL1-z0DvIHMZEXJRZKjpZxW0fWRjS862ebR5SSFehOjlQcH7S-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114647\/O_6iUjA78ij4qvWGyRIqemFKf6pUBEXyjV4nA9e28yTKLKkKraGYRSPd3Qu57UESBpcq04FiiQ3em1crazo6tP5TL1-z0DvIHMZEXJRZKjpZxW0fWRjS862ebR5SSFehOjlQcH7S-768x419.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you run PPC campaigns on the platform, it\u2019s completely free to use, and will give you a wealth of information about the keywords you\u2019re considering targeting with your SEO strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ubersuggest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/neilpatel.com\/ubersuggest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ubersuggest<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;is a <strong>free keyword research tool <\/strong>you can use to identify relevant keywords and phrases to target in your SEO strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"456\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114555\/2i9dpASjdusSKsm4CID8Gn4_zhG6YvHUxSAcF_OrlGlWoFUNFe2mhQPpRuAA0VkjTzLUI8JhWCuYqOD2EnYarB02MnMWoAS8V9jGJudcvZwKQSRJQZsx8M2hlXj8QEzSJtw8IzK-.png\" alt=\"2i9dpASjdusSKsm4CID8Gn4 zhG6YvHUxSAcF OrlGlWoFUNFe2mhQPpRuAA0VkjTzLUI8JhWCuYqOD2EnYarB02MnMWoAS8V9jGJudcvZwKQSRJQZsx8M2hlXj8QEzSJtw8IzK \" class=\"wp-image-39217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114555\/2i9dpASjdusSKsm4CID8Gn4_zhG6YvHUxSAcF_OrlGlWoFUNFe2mhQPpRuAA0VkjTzLUI8JhWCuYqOD2EnYarB02MnMWoAS8V9jGJudcvZwKQSRJQZsx8M2hlXj8QEzSJtw8IzK-.png 850w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114555\/2i9dpASjdusSKsm4CID8Gn4_zhG6YvHUxSAcF_OrlGlWoFUNFe2mhQPpRuAA0VkjTzLUI8JhWCuYqOD2EnYarB02MnMWoAS8V9jGJudcvZwKQSRJQZsx8M2hlXj8QEzSJtw8IzK--300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114555\/2i9dpASjdusSKsm4CID8Gn4_zhG6YvHUxSAcF_OrlGlWoFUNFe2mhQPpRuAA0VkjTzLUI8JhWCuYqOD2EnYarB02MnMWoAS8V9jGJudcvZwKQSRJQZsx8M2hlXj8QEzSJtw8IzK--768x412.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simply enter a keyword, and you\u2019ll see a list of related suggestions based on what Google\u2019s users most commonly search. This will help you take a more data-backed approach to keyword selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Screaming Frog\u2019s SEO Spider Tool<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.screamingfrog.co.uk\/seo-spider\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Screaming Frog<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;is a great tool for crawling your site and identifying issues like redirect chains, duplicate title tags, and crawl errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"511\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114633\/NNNdVHv1nMc1E0QwqdsQWvtgNTzagCYA0gb1VLH9oRYvt0RI1_gWlJdjlR9jM9BYsp7pJDLirpV9rR9n6v4ScI4pUN8xfmH59bghu6Ljp3CoBzYdMh-v0zOlYA5AGxCBHviEi5NR.png\" alt=\"NNNdVHv1nMc1E0QwqdsQWvtgNTzagCYA0gb1VLH9oRYvt0RI1 gWlJdjlR9jM9BYsp7pJDLirpV9rR9n6v4ScI4pUN8xfmH59bghu6Ljp3CoBzYdMh v0zOlYA5AGxCBHviEi5NR\" class=\"wp-image-39234\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114633\/NNNdVHv1nMc1E0QwqdsQWvtgNTzagCYA0gb1VLH9oRYvt0RI1_gWlJdjlR9jM9BYsp7pJDLirpV9rR9n6v4ScI4pUN8xfmH59bghu6Ljp3CoBzYdMh-v0zOlYA5AGxCBHviEi5NR.png 850w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114633\/NNNdVHv1nMc1E0QwqdsQWvtgNTzagCYA0gb1VLH9oRYvt0RI1_gWlJdjlR9jM9BYsp7pJDLirpV9rR9n6v4ScI4pUN8xfmH59bghu6Ljp3CoBzYdMh-v0zOlYA5AGxCBHviEi5NR-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114633\/NNNdVHv1nMc1E0QwqdsQWvtgNTzagCYA0gb1VLH9oRYvt0RI1_gWlJdjlR9jM9BYsp7pJDLirpV9rR9n6v4ScI4pUN8xfmH59bghu6Ljp3CoBzYdMh-v0zOlYA5AGxCBHviEi5NR-768x462.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Running a report on a regular basis is an easy way to make sure that your site is in good technical shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, it\u2019s free for up to 500 pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SEMrush<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEMrush<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;is one of the best tools available for competitor research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"497\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114703\/gObDdfF2hl9scNjXZ7PehWbDz0gaGOlgRdcb3SarrFs3qe06DSFE1vWkAUn16KAB-a3UP1W8z2yqXqQ0r2PZLms_uWeB4l4HRf0cKpARiO0xJOcmn4pTVkz733zFBf2NZiR1zz5E.png\" alt=\"gObDdfF2hl9scNjXZ7PehWbDz0gaGOlgRdcb3SarrFs3qe06DSFE1vWkAUn16KAB a3UP1W8z2yqXqQ0r2PZLms uWeB4l4HRf0cKpARiO0xJOcmn4pTVkz733zFBf2NZiR1zz5E\" class=\"wp-image-39250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114703\/gObDdfF2hl9scNjXZ7PehWbDz0gaGOlgRdcb3SarrFs3qe06DSFE1vWkAUn16KAB-a3UP1W8z2yqXqQ0r2PZLms_uWeB4l4HRf0cKpARiO0xJOcmn4pTVkz733zFBf2NZiR1zz5E.png 850w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114703\/gObDdfF2hl9scNjXZ7PehWbDz0gaGOlgRdcb3SarrFs3qe06DSFE1vWkAUn16KAB-a3UP1W8z2yqXqQ0r2PZLms_uWeB4l4HRf0cKpARiO0xJOcmn4pTVkz733zFBf2NZiR1zz5E-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114703\/gObDdfF2hl9scNjXZ7PehWbDz0gaGOlgRdcb3SarrFs3qe06DSFE1vWkAUn16KAB-a3UP1W8z2yqXqQ0r2PZLms_uWeB4l4HRf0cKpARiO0xJOcmn4pTVkz733zFBf2NZiR1zz5E-768x449.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enter a competitor\u2019s domain name, and you\u2019ll see a full report of the keywords they\u2019re ranking for \u2014 which you can use to identify new opportunities for your own site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ahrefs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ahrefs<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;is a valuable tool for backlink analysis, both for your own site and for your competitors\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"503\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114628\/x0vPeBm6L0oRwWV9HWEQX3-KVBkCRxCUkiUtZ35sDvIgsNV_meoWIZipd1s4G4AIM2U5MFpZtgeq9k-iBRRmWlJVx-qrM6syKZ9_qLmRLoaL2kcIiclPVZ-wqXvv2ieY04eM776.png\" alt=\"x0vPeBm6L0oRwWV9HWEQX3 KVBkCRxCUkiUtZ35sDvIgsNV meoWIZipd1s4G4AIM2U5MFpZtgeq9k iBRRmWlJVx qrM6syKZ9 qLmRLoaL2kcIiclPVZ wqXvv2ieY04eM776\" class=\"wp-image-39232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114628\/x0vPeBm6L0oRwWV9HWEQX3-KVBkCRxCUkiUtZ35sDvIgsNV_meoWIZipd1s4G4AIM2U5MFpZtgeq9k-iBRRmWlJVx-qrM6syKZ9_qLmRLoaL2kcIiclPVZ-wqXvv2ieY04eM776.png 850w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114628\/x0vPeBm6L0oRwWV9HWEQX3-KVBkCRxCUkiUtZ35sDvIgsNV_meoWIZipd1s4G4AIM2U5MFpZtgeq9k-iBRRmWlJVx-qrM6syKZ9_qLmRLoaL2kcIiclPVZ-wqXvv2ieY04eM776-300x178.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114628\/x0vPeBm6L0oRwWV9HWEQX3-KVBkCRxCUkiUtZ35sDvIgsNV_meoWIZipd1s4G4AIM2U5MFpZtgeq9k-iBRRmWlJVx-qrM6syKZ9_qLmRLoaL2kcIiclPVZ-wqXvv2ieY04eM776-768x454.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After you enter a domain, you\u2019ll be able to see all of the links pointing to it, as well as the individual pages that they link to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can help you monitor the results of your link building strategy, then identify opportunities to build new links based on who\u2019s linking to similar sites in your industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips to Increase Your Organic Traffic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many different factors that impact your site\u2019s ability to rank in search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, making your way through the factors we\u2019ve listed so far on this page alone could take months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But if you\u2019re looking for more advanced<strong>&nbsp;tactics for improving your organic search traffic<\/strong>, there are always more methods to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Latent Semantic Indexing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As search engine algorithms become more advanced, they don\u2019t lean as heavily on specific keywords to classify information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, search engines use latent semantic indexing, or LSI, to better understand the content on a page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>LSI is a mathematical method that<a href=\"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/everything-about-semantic-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/everything-about-semantic-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">identifies patterns in the relationships<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;between concepts and terms in textual content and indexes the information for accurate recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In normal human language, this means that it\u2019s how search engines understand the content on a page and accurately match it with a searcher\u2019s intent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can help search engines better classify your content by making sure that each page includes contextual information like keywords and phrases related to your main keyword, synonyms, and information about related concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can use Google\u2019s related search feature to find LSI keywords for the pages on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"492\" height=\"172\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114642\/KQBmkDwMIXRZe42bCxcYc_NNugOwHFF2SB6aIbminoFRSCvohlcDsAT60Y9GYKbddtaDCGxzDkLx3zahnUD4YTzRereqY7-T65MSFG1NSqepfPXqdr6LiLVhXsF507bpUuUhRLOZ.png\" alt=\"KQBmkDwMIXRZe42bCxcYc NNugOwHFF2SB6aIbminoFRSCvohlcDsAT60Y9GYKbddtaDCGxzDkLx3zahnUD4YTzRereqY7 T65MSFG1NSqepfPXqdr6LiLVhXsF507bpUuUhRLOZ\" class=\"wp-image-39239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114642\/KQBmkDwMIXRZe42bCxcYc_NNugOwHFF2SB6aIbminoFRSCvohlcDsAT60Y9GYKbddtaDCGxzDkLx3zahnUD4YTzRereqY7-T65MSFG1NSqepfPXqdr6LiLVhXsF507bpUuUhRLOZ.png 492w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114642\/KQBmkDwMIXRZe42bCxcYc_NNugOwHFF2SB6aIbminoFRSCvohlcDsAT60Y9GYKbddtaDCGxzDkLx3zahnUD4YTzRereqY7-T65MSFG1NSqepfPXqdr6LiLVhXsF507bpUuUhRLOZ-300x105.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 492px) 100vw, 492px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, you can distribute these keywords naturally throughout your pages to help Google better understand the topics you\u2019re covering on each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use Google Search Console to Increase CTR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Rankings that aren\u2019t the <em>only <\/em>thing that matter when it comes to increasing organic traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, a page one ranking won\u2019t do your business any good if no one clicks it and visits your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So as you work to improve your organic traffic levels, you\u2019ll also want to look for ways to <strong>increase your CTRs in search results<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, use Google Search Console to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/improve-your-organic-ctr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/improve-your-organic-ctr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">identify which of your pages<\/a><\/u><u>&nbsp;<\/u>have the highest CTR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"596\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114740\/VI5eDEJYOBGXpLkmRuOUa0jY76UEm4gRauTdhDfU6h6cSxhqH1hn7snJng60ubkOORaBom_0Hap4z9dujF-GTVzmUhSp6etNTqNx2Sz3XkDDabH4ZZ9pQ5CzZrDRkK4iSFTl-Mg.png\" alt=\"VI5eDEJYOBGXpLkmRuOUa0jY76UEm4gRauTdhDfU6h6cSxhqH1hn7snJng60ubkOORaBom 0Hap4z9dujF GTVzmUhSp6etNTqNx2Sz3XkDDabH4ZZ9pQ5CzZrDRkK4iSFTl Mg\" class=\"wp-image-39267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114740\/VI5eDEJYOBGXpLkmRuOUa0jY76UEm4gRauTdhDfU6h6cSxhqH1hn7snJng60ubkOORaBom_0Hap4z9dujF-GTVzmUhSp6etNTqNx2Sz3XkDDabH4ZZ9pQ5CzZrDRkK4iSFTl-Mg.png 1024w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114740\/VI5eDEJYOBGXpLkmRuOUa0jY76UEm4gRauTdhDfU6h6cSxhqH1hn7snJng60ubkOORaBom_0Hap4z9dujF-GTVzmUhSp6etNTqNx2Sz3XkDDabH4ZZ9pQ5CzZrDRkK4iSFTl-Mg-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114740\/VI5eDEJYOBGXpLkmRuOUa0jY76UEm4gRauTdhDfU6h6cSxhqH1hn7snJng60ubkOORaBom_0Hap4z9dujF-GTVzmUhSp6etNTqNx2Sz3XkDDabH4ZZ9pQ5CzZrDRkK4iSFTl-Mg-768x447.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, see if there\u2019s anything you\u2019re doing differently with your title tags and meta descriptions to earn particularly high CTRs and use any insight you gain to improve lower-performing pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Optimize for Featured Snippets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to optimizing your title tags and meta descriptions, another way to increase your CTR in search results is by identifying ways to appear in Featured Snippets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One HubSpot study revealed that the site\u2019s<strong>&nbsp;pages that appeared as Featured Snippets <\/strong>achieved<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/how-to-featured-snippet-box\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&nbsp;<\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/how-to-featured-snippet-box\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">double the CTR<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;as those that appeared as normal results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"669\" height=\"408\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114604\/YEJiitLVjMR1cnqsNujSF1qBY_mGo_AXR486grK8tvzejoXh9BFoS5N8WX2eWyTrafrETFVe5UCu4wfx2kvJNZzlQeEVYfUQtmLdtq1SctbTQoLL2STy5B9VBKYTWn8TeevtMyqp.png\" alt=\"YEJiitLVjMR1cnqsNujSF1qBY mGo AXR486grK8tvzejoXh9BFoS5N8WX2eWyTrafrETFVe5UCu4wfx2kvJNZzlQeEVYfUQtmLdtq1SctbTQoLL2STy5B9VBKYTWn8TeevtMyqp\" class=\"wp-image-39222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114604\/YEJiitLVjMR1cnqsNujSF1qBY_mGo_AXR486grK8tvzejoXh9BFoS5N8WX2eWyTrafrETFVe5UCu4wfx2kvJNZzlQeEVYfUQtmLdtq1SctbTQoLL2STy5B9VBKYTWn8TeevtMyqp.png 669w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114604\/YEJiitLVjMR1cnqsNujSF1qBY_mGo_AXR486grK8tvzejoXh9BFoS5N8WX2eWyTrafrETFVe5UCu4wfx2kvJNZzlQeEVYfUQtmLdtq1SctbTQoLL2STy5B9VBKYTWn8TeevtMyqp-300x183.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 669px) 100vw, 669px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, earning a Featured Snippet result doesn\u2019t require ranking in the first position. In fact, <u><a href=\"https:\/\/getstat.com\/blog\/most-valuable-featured-snippets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">70% of snippets<\/a><\/u>&nbsp;come from results that <em>aren\u2019t <\/em>ranking in the first organic position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, achieving one of these spots can be challenging. But you can start by formatting straightforward facts and information on your site as <u><a href=\"https:\/\/neilpatel.com\/blog\/rank-google-featured-snippets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lists or tables<\/a><\/u><a href=\"https:\/\/neilpatel.com\/blog\/rank-google-featured-snippets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">, as Google often pulls from these formats for Featured Snippets.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why SEO Means Nothing If You Don&#8217;t Convert Your Visitors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal of SEO is ultimately to earn more customers and leads for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means that page one rankings and high traffic levels ultimately mean nothing if your site\u2019s new influx of visitors doesn\u2019t translate to conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And unfortunately, an increase in traffic isn\u2019t guaranteed to lead to an increase in leads and sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ideally, when you see an increase in your number of unique visitors, you should see a proportional increase in conversions. So if your traffic triples, but you only see one or two extra leads, you know you have a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And in most cases, the problem is that you\u2019re attracting the wrong kind of traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your SEO strategy is based solely on increasing traffic quantity (and not quality), you\u2019re bound to run into problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re an electronics retailer and you want to increase sales of a popular \u201cnotebook\u201d laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You see that \u201cbest notebook for work\u201d has a high search volume, so you optimize your product page for that keyword. And you end up ranking on the first page! Great, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not necessarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And you\u2019ll see why when you take a look at the following results page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"498\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114608\/AHkCS_dQSkSnj_Zn3MnMeO_QReKNAkw2syNAe7mlbhiB_8-sy5Y2d3ZjECq35VqYV5ws_MmHNBhMKvDdMZZtDgUBoEw2ptVrgTSHkdD3nQTf_xn9sL2U-DWgMYZuO6qi_DCXmoQ9.png\" alt=\"AHkCS dQSkSnj Zn3MnMeO QReKNAkw2syNAe7mlbhiB 8 sy5Y2d3ZjECq35VqYV5ws MmHNBhMKvDdMZZtDgUBoEw2ptVrgTSHkdD3nQTf xn9sL2U DWgMYZuO6qi DCXmoQ9\" class=\"wp-image-39223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114608\/AHkCS_dQSkSnj_Zn3MnMeO_QReKNAkw2syNAe7mlbhiB_8-sy5Y2d3ZjECq35VqYV5ws_MmHNBhMKvDdMZZtDgUBoEw2ptVrgTSHkdD3nQTf_xn9sL2U-DWgMYZuO6qi_DCXmoQ9.png 498w, https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/14114608\/AHkCS_dQSkSnj_Zn3MnMeO_QReKNAkw2syNAe7mlbhiB_8-sy5Y2d3ZjECq35VqYV5ws_MmHNBhMKvDdMZZtDgUBoEw2ptVrgTSHkdD3nQTf_xn9sL2U-DWgMYZuO6qi_DCXmoQ9-219x300.png 219w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 498px) 100vw, 498px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After scanning through the results, the issue with targeting this keyword is clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though it has high search volume, most of the results are for pen-and-paper notebooks \u2014 not laptops. And if that\u2019s what users are looking for when they use this keyword, there\u2019s a serious mismatch between their intent and your page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, the problem isn\u2019t always this obvious. But the basic concept is the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you focus solely on traffic volume, you might succeed in increasing your total number of visitors \u2014 but unless you\u2019re also considering the <em>type <\/em>of traffic you\u2019re attracting, it\u2019s unlikely to translate into conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that means that your efforts will be largely unsuccessful in helping you reach the goals that matter to your business, like increasing your sales and revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Convert Your Organic Traffic Into Leads and Customers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As we mentioned in the previous section, your goal with SEO shouldn\u2019t be just to increase your traffic. You also need to turn that traffic into leads and customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, that\u2019s often easier said than done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But there are a few steps you can take to make sure that&nbsp;your <strong>SEO strategy <\/strong>is designed to help you reach your most important goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Determine how conversions fit into your site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First, you\u2019ll need to determine what kinds of conversions fit into your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This largely depends on your industry and business model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if you run an eCommerce store, your main form of conversions will be online sales. But if you run a B2B service-based business, you\u2019ll likely focus on generating contact form submissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So before you can <strong>optimize your site for conversions<\/strong>, you\u2019ll need to define what, exactly, those conversions are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, you\u2019ll be able to organize your site in a way that naturally moves visitors closer to taking these desired actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Allow your visitors to make multiple types of conversions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As you determine the conversions you want to generate, it\u2019s also important to include options aside from your primary goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it may seem counterintuitive to add less important conversion types that could distract users from taking major steps, it\u2019s important to recognize that not all of your visitors will be immediately ready to make a purchase or contact you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you don\u2019t give them the opportunity to a smaller, lower-pressure action, you risk losing them as a potential customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These alternate conversions might take the form of signing up for an email newsletter, downloading a PDF guide, or simply watching a product video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Optimize your pages for conversions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, once you\u2019ve determined how conversions fit into your site, you can work on improving your pages in ways that will increase the number of visitors that complete those conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best ways to do this is to use a tool like Crazy Egg to figure out what\u2019s preventing your visitors from taking action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are they confused about how to take action?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are they distracted by less important elements on the page?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are there UX issues preventing them from using your forms or clicking your buttons?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/crazy-egg-features\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Heatmaps, scroll maps, overlays<\/a><\/u>, and other user testing reports can help you find the answers to those questions so that you can eliminate issues and increase your conversion rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How CRO and SEO Can Work Together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As you optimize your site, your goal should be to attract qualified traffic, then convert that traffic into customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And while this <em>can <\/em>be a seamless process, it involves two separate strategies: SEO and CRO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By this point in the guide, you\u2019re well aware of <strong>what SEO is<\/strong>. It\u2019s how you improve your site in ways that will improve your visibility in search results and bring more users to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CRO, then, stands for conversion rate optimization \u2014 and it\u2019s the process of improving the percentage of your site\u2019s traffic that converts in some way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, these two processes don\u2019t need to compete with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, they\u2019re most effective when used together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is CRO?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Much like SEO, CRO is a simple acronym that represents a complex, ongoing effort to improve a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the exact steps and tactics it involves are different for every website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s because every site targets a slightly different target audience, and each of those audiences have different browsing habits and preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Combine that with the fact that every site also has slightly different goals, and you\u2019ll realize that CRO is largely a trial-and-error process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While there are a few best practices you can try, the best way to improve your conversion rates is with user testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This way, you\u2019ll be able to make data-backed decisions based on <em>your <\/em>audience\u2019s preferences \u2014 not what works for other site owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Identify the intersection of SEO and CRO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As you work on your site, you\u2019ll want to look for ways that your <strong>SEO and CRO strategies can work together to attract and convert customers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, you\u2019ll want to determine what the conversion process looks like for your visitors, and what kinds of content your visitors engage with before moving to the next step. Then, you can identify keywords at each stage of your conversion funnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From there, you\u2019ll want to create&nbsp;content around each of those keywords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This way, you can be confident that your site contains all of the information a visitor needs to be comfortable making a conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to use a tool like Crazy Egg to improve conversions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Determining how to optimize your site so that more users will take the actions you want can be a challenging process. Tools like Crazy Egg make it simpler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, you can use reports like heatmaps and scroll maps to see how users interact with your pages, and what\u2019s preventing them from converting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, you can run A\/B tests to try out different variants of a page and see which generates the most conversions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using this process, you\u2019ll be able to gain actionable insight into which elements and approaches generate the best results for your audience \u2014 meaning that the decisions you make based on this data are almost guaranteed to help you <strong>boost your conversion rates<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The primary goal of an SEO strategy is relatively straightforward: Earn high rankings in search engine results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But as you\u2019ve likely gathered from this page, the process itself isn\u2019t exactly easy. It requires research, planning, and ongoing work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So if you\u2019re looking to increase your rankings and online invisibility, you\u2019ll need to be willing to invest the time it takes to do <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/seo\/how-to-do-keyword-research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">keyword research<\/a><\/u>, optimize your site\u2019s on- and off-page factors, and create new content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll also need to regularly monitor the KPIs that matter to your business and look for ways to continuously improve your strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our goal is that with this guide, you\u2019ll be able to create a strategy that works for your business \u2014 and achieve rankings and results that have a significant impact on your sales and revenue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you\u2019re a business owner, marketer, or simply someone who wants to learn more about digital marketing, you\u2019ve likely come across the term \u201cSEO\u201d at&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":195,"featured_media":39477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and How to Convert your Traffic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By using the right SEO strategy, you\u2019ll be able to improve your rankings in search results for keywords related to your business, attract qualified traffic, and convert that traffic into leads and customers. Use this guide to help you accomplish each of these steps!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/seo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and How to Convert your Traffic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By using the right SEO strategy, you\u2019ll be able to improve your rankings in search results for keywords related to your business, attract qualified traffic, and convert that traffic into leads and customers. 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