Hey Guys! This article is for those who decide to create a website for their business and want to understand the ways you can get that site in front of your potential customers. I have friends that want to create online money-makers, but haven’t seen any visitors yet. They want to attract free organic traffic through a process called SEO or Search Engine Optimization.
Even with a beautiful website, hand-picked images, and an awesome logo they are still not going to attract customers if they don’t follow the rules Google sets. In the past, having the right keywords was all you needed to rank high. Now, it requires more knowledge and a completely different mindset.
If you’re experiencing some of these same issues, read on. I’ve compiled the 7 best tips I’ve used to get free traffic to my website.
On Google, you can pay for a high ranking or attract FREE ORGANIC TRAFFIC with SEO or Search Engine Optimization.
You need to make these 7 SEO changes to make it to the top of Google in 2018…
1. Relevant Content Is the Way to Go
Google favors companies who provide a wealth of relevant knowledge to the searchers of specific keywords. Back in 2012, Google launched the EMD Update (Exact Match Domain) which stopped poor quality sites from ranking high. I’ll explain what quality means below.
Relevant content will always attract repeat readers. It’s more important to focus on helping your readers than ranking high.
If you look at most searches, you’ll find that Wikipedia is usually in the top three of most searches.
Why?
Wikipedia is extremely helpful and has tons of relevant information, a wealth of resources, and high-quality links attached to it.
2. Link to Other Authoritative Sources and Don’t Go Overboard with Ads.
Do you remember what sites used to look like in the 1990s and early 2000s? Many of them would have two or three words planted over 100 times on each page. They would be Top Heavy with ads everywhere.
If you focus on linking to sites that already rank high, you’ll be included in that group if you link to them and they link to you.
3. Create High-Quality Articles
High quality means your articles should contain:
1. Original Content
2. Easily Readable
3. Authoritative
4. Pictures
5. Video (if possible)
6. Infographics
Each of these will separate you from your competition. Google will always benefit writers that know a ton about their niche. If you’re a novice, it’s time to hit the books and if you’re an expert start sharing what you learn.
Today, the top search results are usually the longest and the most detailed. If you’re looking for ways to improve your SEO, the top results will have volumes of content you can use.
I don’t think I should have to say this, but your site needs to use proper grammar, spelling, and complete sentences.
4. Use Unique and Smart Page Titles
A great way to incorporate your search terms is to include them in the title, the headings inside the article, and the body itself. Putting the search term or phrase in every sentence will decrease your credibility with your readers and Google.
Focus on creating logically formatted content. Make it easy and fun to read. It’s better to create a following of repeat readers to increase your site’s traffic.
A great service to improve your SEO is to use the Yoast SEO tool on your WordPress site. I used this to write this post. 🙂
5. Remove All Posts That Hurt Your Ranking
It may be difficult to part ways with your work, but not all posts are created equal. If you’re a digital marketer, you might not want to include posts about your workout routine or eating schedule. Pick something that your core audience will enjoy. A good way to stay in your sweet spot is to think: Infotainment.
6. Expand Your Niche
If your niche is not very deep, instead of including duplicate content, expand your content by including other related topics.
Some of my favorite tools to expand are to use websites like Buzzfeed.com or SEMrush.com. These tools will help you decide what topics are related to your topic or field.
7. Don’t Fall Behind: Stay Up-to-Date With Google News
Google is always improving their user experience, which means they are continuously updating. If you’re not staying up-to-date with recent trends, you’ll surely lose your spot on the all-mighty first page.
The good news is you’re a hard-working individual just like me. This means Google will reward you with more traffic, if you stay in-the-know and understand how to pivot when major updates come out.
Here’s what I do: Subscribe to Google news feeds, follow them on Twitter, and follow blogs pertaining to Google news.
Summary
I’ve outlined the best ways to think about improving your SEO in 2018. If you’re still not convinced, check out the Top 5 reasons why SEO is Essential for Website Success. As always sign up for our Digital Marketing Newsletter for ongoing SEO tips, tricks, and news.
