Search engine optimisation (SEO) has greatly developed in recent years, becoming a complex science that’s challenging to master. The days of posting low-quality content in high volumes in order to succeed are long gone. Today, content has to be carefully curated and a number of different SEO factors have to be considered if you want to increase your rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). With that in mind, here are some of the smoothest ways you can create more SEO-friendly content and enhance your results:
Understand Ranking Factors
To increase your rankings, you must first understand the key factors search engines consider when evaluating content. The most crucial ranking factors include content, links, HTML tags, and site structure. Content is thought to be the most important ranking factor. Whether it’s a web page or a blog, every piece of content should be well-written, cover a certain topic in-depth, and provide real value to readers. Quality, relevance, authority, and the inclusion of multimedia will be important as well. Apart from content, search engines will also crawl aspects such as outbound and inbound links, page loading speed, URL structure, and keyword use in tags to understand your website. Don’t overlook these factors either.
Use Appropriate Keywords
Keywords are still a critical aspect of SEO. They allow you to determine relevant topics, measure search volumes, and understand how to rank for specific topics. Every content piece you create should have a unique main keyword, along with a secondary natural variation of the keyword. Consider the topics your target audience is interested in, and then perform extensive keyword research to find the best ranking opportunities. The keywords you select should be based on the content you’re creating. Blog posts can target low-competition, low- to mid-volume, long-tail keywords, as they are simpler to rank for and have better conversion rates. More comprehensive resources could target shorter-tail keywords with higher competition and volume.
Prioritise High-Quality Links
Links are quite useful to users and search engines alike, demonstrating the quality, reputation, and value of your content. When linking to external sources in your posts, always make sure they are authoritative and trustworthy websites. If you’re seeking backlinks, focus on sites that are leaders in the industry or the topics you’re writing about. Backlinks represent a vital ranking factor that can significantly boost traffic, but it has to be done effectively to achieve success. For that reason, you might want to hire expert link building services from Australia to devise the right strategy for your needs. Through substance-packed content and quality backlinks, these professionals can help you reach high visibility, build authority, and improve your domain rating.
Try to Identify Search Intent
In order to ensure you meet the audience’s content needs, look into search intent. Determine what users are searching for when they type their queries into search bars, and aim to cover those topics in a relevant and valuable way. According to Google’s search guidelines, the main intent categories include finding information to answer questions, learning how to do specific actions, finding specific resources, and finding locations to visit. Identify the most relevant categories to your website, and then validate them by considering the content that is currently ranking for your main keywords. See whether your competitors are targeting the same search intent and how they’ve organised their content, and then do it better.
Aim for Featured Snippets
Google’s Featured Snippets aim to directly answer user queries. Consider optimising your content to increase your chances of appearing in this section. You can do this by using a SERP analysis tool to see whether any featured snippets exist for the keywords you’re targeting, and determine how the snippet is structured. Ask the exact question the featured snipped is answering in your content, and answer that question immediately after a heading or subheading. Write a clear and concise answer that’s better than the existing one to appear in the featured snippet. If successful, this is an easy way to beat the competition and make your way up the business ladder.
Update Your Old Content
Search engines tend to favour new content, making freshness another important ranking factor. To boost your traffic and rankings significantly, consider updating your old site content with better, more authoritative, and more helpful information. Start by determining which pieces of content can potentially rank higher for keywords with greater search volume. Then, rewrite or update these posts to improve their thoroughness and accuracy. Follow the best SEO practices and implement some helpful calls to action (CTAs) before publishing your optimised content to enable search engines to crawl and index it once again.
Dominating SERPs is never a simple process. But by following the helpful practices mentioned above, you can make your website content more SEO-friendly in an effort to improve your rankings and achieve long-term success.
