If you want to get traffic and be ahead of the pack in your SEO game, you have to make sure that your landing pages are displayed on at least the first page of the search results since the first search results are the ones that get the biggest part of the hits from users – 99%! Like the search engines themselves, the requirements for marketers have changed, even doubling and tripling in number. Simply adding more keywords does not get a page further ahead anymore. In this article, we will explain what really matters in search engine optimization.
#1 Planning, Planning, Planning!
Since SEO requirements must be fulfilled on three different levels, it is good to make a list of these requirements for the company or industry. This way, the requirements can be met step by step. In addition, your own goals need to be kept in mind during optimization. Whether the goals are ultimately successful through optimization can be measured using KPIs. For planning purposes, it is also useful to take a look at competitor websites: which keywords do they use, and which keywords do other companies in the same industry use to ensure their success? A keyword analysis should definitely take place in order to have a complete list of keywords for building a website. In addition, particularly relevant keywords can be included in the URL so that they appear among the search results.
#2 Hardware Selection
The right hardware supports the server’s performance and ensures that Google bots can crawl the website faster. The relevance of the website will be downgraded otherwise because updates will be displayed late. However, it’s not just the wrong hardware that can lead to slow loading times, the CMS can also have an impact on this. The wrong CMS can also cause a site to not display correctly on popular devices, which in turn then affects the bounce rate.
#3 Relevant Content
Move away from stringing keywords together and towards user-relevant content. Since Google aims to provide users with more and more appropriate search results for their queries, content is also being checked more and more by Google for value and relevance. For these checks, Google uses the length of stay on a page, bounce rate, and scroll depth of its visitors. Not only the content counts here, but also the readability of this content.
#4 Continuous Monitoring
SEO must be continuously analyzed and redone. In the world of search engines, nothing is permanent, and each update brings with it a new range of requirements for websites. Website creators must adapt to the goals of the search engines and adjust if necessary.
