Create an SEO Content Strategy to Rank Higher on Google
An SEO Content Strategy is a structured approach for generating and optimizing content on a website to create a good ranking in search engine results pages. A successful SEO Content Strategy will boost a site to rank higher in Google than previously ranked. Ranking higher in search results allows more customers to find you via your website. Our SEO team at Krush has numerous helpful tips to give your SEO Content Strategy the best chance at success.
Consistently Post on GMB & Share on Social Media
Google My Business (GMB) is a big part of your business’s presence on Google. Your GMB is the information on your business that will show in Google Maps and your Google profile when people search for your company. A well-optimized GMB improves your image to Google and customers, making it more likely to rank higher on Google. Sharing your content on Google My Business Helps drive immediate clicks to new content; the more Google analytics measurements, the more likely Google is to promote your content into a higher position. Maintaining a constant presence on Google and other social channels gives you a better chance of directing traffic to your website from those sources.
Fill Out All Content Fields
Your SEO content strategy is wasted if no one sees it. A great way to improve visibility is to fill out everything on your site, any social media you have, and any citations you create. Set all of your hours – regular and holiday. If you see a field you think isn’t relevant, fill it out. Fill out as many sections as possible, even if it’s to say “not applicable.” List your opening date, all applicable categories, accessibility features, and notable amenities. On social media, fill out all fields you can. If you are making content like blog posts, sharing that content across your social platforms is beneficial. Those social platforms have a better chance of reaching users if they have more information to go off of.
Update Content Frequently
Update your content frequently. Try creating SEO content a few times a week or month. Ensure all pieces of content are well-researched, useful, and aligned with your SEO content strategy. Try different schedules and see what your business responds best to. However, be sure to maintain quality over quantity, and don’t post just for the sake of posting. Frequently updated content gives you more chances to rank higher on Google.
Use Relevant & Useful Links
When making internal links, link to relevant topics. In addition, use a high-authority external link. Include an external link consistent with your content but not a replacement for it. For example, suppose you are an HVAC company discussing an energy-efficient AC. In that case, you might link to a government site detailing energy efficiency regulations for home appliances. A healthy linking strategy improves traffic across your site while also showing search engines indexing you that you are an expert on your topic.
Keep Content Relevant in Your SEO Content Strategy
Your site should be relevant to your business, brand, or service. Keep content on every page relative to that page’s topic, and keep that topic relevant to your site’s goal. If you have a plumbing company, do not include content about pig farming. If your content goes off-topic, when Google views your site, they may not understand that your page was about your intended topic and will not show it for said topic. Keep everything relevant to the search interest and results. The content you produce should help drive organic traffic to your website.
Alt Text
Alternative text (Alt text) is the text description of an image or graphic. Accessibility is becoming increasingly valued by Google and the public. Making your content accessible to all users increases your potential customer base. The more users you can reach, the better. Adding alt text to your images describes what is happening in the picture or graphic. It makes your content more available to more people. Be descriptive and explain the image as clearly and concisely as you can.
Reduce Image File Size
Large image files slow down your page speed. Reduce all image file sizes while still maintaining their quality. You can reduce image size in programs like Adobe Photoshop or free programs like Google Drawings. When you have multiple large files, that takes up site storage and slows the overall site down. Google and users value site speed. Maintain a healthy site speed for the best user experience. Use a free tool like GT Metrix to check your site speed.
Prioritize Page Speed for SEO Content Strategy
Web page speed is fundamental to website performance and necessary for an SEO content strategy. Page speed is one of the first matters that impact user experience. Creating SEO content is useless if no one sees it. Users are significantly more likely to leave a page if it does not load in 3 seconds or less. If they click on your content but it doesn’t load, they will find a different source to view. This bounce rate is especially true with mobile users, who are getting closer to outnumbering desktop users daily.
Keyword Research
Your target keyword should be relevant to the target audience and market needs. Conduct keyword research. Keyword research is arguably one of the most essential parts of any SEO content strategy. The keywords you use link your content to the overall topic in search engines. Organic search largely relies on keywords. Find relevant keywords associated with your page topic. Look at results in search engines, and look at words that come up frequently across other’s sites. Conduct a search in Google Trends and see what related queries are associated with your initial keyword. Are there any long tail keywords that would be easier to target when you create an SEO content strategy?
Competitive Analysis for SEO Content Strategy
Evaluate what competitors do and how to do it better. What is their content style? Could it use more information, more graphics, or more questions? Do they sound like an expert on the topic? What could you do to improve it? Does their content have a Q&A style, is it image-rich, or does it rely on charts and graphs? If there is any overlap in content strategies between the top-ranking competitors, then you could assume that those features are popular and useful to this topic. Make your content your own, but do everything you can to make it better than the competition.
SERP Analysis
SERP Analysis is the process of analyzing a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) to try and understand why the results are ranking the way they are and how they are ranking so well. Evaluate what is ranking well for the keywords you want to target. Figure out how to make the content better and unique to rank higher on Google. Analyze the different ways a keyword ranks, and structure your SEO content strategy according to those ranking factors.
If you want your content to focus on a new Central Air Conditioner, the “How to install a central air conditioner” results will display much differently than the “What is the best central air conditioner.” “How to install” will be heavily video focused, but “What is the best” will display featured snippets and People Also Ask Questions. In your SERP analysis, evaluate the search volume for your topic. Establish what variation would be easiest to rank higher on Google. Pay attention to the way your keywords are phrased and the results associated with them, and structure your content accordingly.
How to Have a Successful SEO Content Strategy
Improving your SEO Content Strategy will make it easier to rank higher on Google and other search engine results. Creating an SEO Content Strategy involves multiple aspects, from keyword research to web page speed. You can incorporate numerous tricks and steps into your content marketing strategy to optimize your website. The best SEO Content strategy is always improving, growing, and trying to outrank itself. SEO, content, Google, and consumers are everchanging. Make sure your strategy is too.
KRUSH is a full-service strategic marketing firm and advertising agency. We specialize in SEO, branding, graphic design, media planning, photography, social media, videography, as well as website development & design. Our focus is to create strategic and innovative marketing & advertising that will surpass your expectations. Our methods will grow your brand and your bottom line. We are your strategic marketing partner. Check out our portfolio of work and contact KRUSH today!