9 Essential Steps in Building a Winning SEO Strategy
As a professional in the field of SEO, I have had the opportunity to work with various brands and analyze numerous articles on SEO strategies. In this article, I will share with you the essential steps to build a winning SEO strategy. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and increase organic traffic. With the ever-changing algorithms of search engines like Google, it is crucial to have a well-defined strategy in place to stay ahead of the competition. So, let's dive into the nine fundamental steps to create an effective SEO strategy.
1. Align SEO with Business Goals & Define KPIs
The first step in building a winning SEO strategy is to align it with your business goals and define key performance indicators (KPIs). Before diving into the technical aspects of SEO, it is essential to understand where your website currently stands and where you want it to be. Performing an SEO audit can provide valuable insights into various aspects of your website, including domain name, page factors, content organization, website factors, past and upcoming updates, and more.
Once you have a clear understanding of your website's current state, you can set realistic goals and allocate budgets and resources accordingly. It is important to note that investing more time and money in your SEO strategy will yield better results. Therefore, be prepared to pay for quality outcomes.
Defining KPIs is equally important as it allows you to measure the success of your SEO strategy and make necessary adjustments. Some of the key metrics to track include organic sessions, keyword ranking increases, leads and conversions, bounce rate, pages per session, average session duration, page load time, top exit pages, and crawl errors.
2. Perform Keyword Research
Keyword research is a crucial step in any SEO strategy. Keywords are the words or phrases that people enter into search engines to find specific content. By optimizing your website for relevant keywords, you increase the chances of appearing in search engine results for those queries.
To perform effective keyword research, consider the search intent behind the keywords. Understanding the intent of your target audience will help you attract the right visitors to your website. Additionally, identify relevant keywords that are important to your target audience and focus on a few specific keywords rather than targeting too broadly.
Utilize keyword research tools like Google's Keyword Planner to identify search volumes, long-tail keywords, and funnel keywords. Long-tail keywords are more specific search terms and are often used by users who are closer to making a purchase. Analyzing search volumes will give you an idea of a keyword's popularity and competitiveness.
3. Define Your Most Valuable Pages
Every website has pages that play a crucial role in attracting visitors and driving conversions. These pages are your most valuable pages (MVPs) and require special attention in your SEO strategy. For non-ecommerce sites, MVPs may include the home page, services pages, or pages with demos or offers. In the case of ecommerce sites, category and product level pages are also considered MVPs.
Identify the MVPs based on your organization's verticals, pain points you solve, and high-level keywords. Once you have identified these pages, you can focus your strategy on improving them and increasing organic traffic to these pages.
4. Conduct a Competitive Analysis
To stay ahead of the competition, it is crucial to conduct a competitive analysis. This analysis will help you understand what other companies in your industry are doing and allow you to position yourself for better results. Identify where you are being outranked and find ways to turn the tables.
In a competitive analysis, it is essential to consider factors such as keyword competitiveness, backlinking strategies, and site structure. By analyzing your competitors' strategies, you can optimize your own site for better search rankings.
5. Plan for User Experience & Technical SEO
User experience (UX) and technical SEO are two critical aspects of a winning SEO strategy. A well-structured website with a seamless user experience will not only attract visitors but also drive them to take desired actions.
Consider your website's architecture and ensure that it is easy to navigate. Optimize your website for fast load times and fix any technical issues such as broken links or bad site schema. There are several free tools available to help you evaluate and improve your website's technical aspects.
6. Consider Your Resources
SEO does not operate in isolation; it impacts various other parts of your organization, including marketing, sales, and IT. Utilize the resources within your organization to enhance your SEO strategy. Your sales team can provide valuable insights into which products or services customers are most interested in. Collaborate with your marketing team to fine-tune campaigns based on SEO data. Involve your IT team to align website design and structure with SEO best practices.
Evaluate your existing software, technology, and personnel to see if you already have some of the pieces in place for a successful SEO strategy. Scaling production may not require starting from scratch, but rather utilizing the resources you already have. For example, if you have 1st party data from blog visitors you can connect it to your email flows to further your efforts in converting new users on your site.
7. Align Your SEO Strategy With Your Customer Funnel
Aligning your SEO strategy with your customer funnel can significantly impact your sales process. The customer funnel represents the journey a customer goes through, from awareness to post-purchase. At each stage of the funnel, SEO can play a role in attracting and engaging customers.
During the awareness stage, customers often hear about your business through online searches. By optimizing your website for relevant keywords, you can attract potential customers. In the interest stage, customers begin researching, and your website should provide valuable content to educate and engage them. During the decision stage, your website should highlight unique selling points to convince customers to choose your products or services. Finally, after the purchase, encourage customers to leave reviews and build trust through testimonials.
8. Report and Set Realistic Expectations
Effective reporting is crucial to measure the success of your SEO strategy and gain insights into its impact. Regular reporting helps you understand the factors behind your ranking and identify areas for improvement. It also proves the value of SEO to decision-makers within your organization.
One common mistake is expecting overnight results from SEO efforts. SEO takes time, and the competitiveness of keywords will influence the timeline for achieving desired results. Therefore, setting realistic expectations from the start is essential.
9. Measure and Document Your Strategy
Once you have implemented your SEO strategy, it is important to track and measure its impact. Continuously monitor metrics such as organic sessions, bounce rate, top exit pages, and crawl errors. These metrics provide valuable insights into user behavior and help you identify areas for improvement.
Documenting your strategy is equally important. It allows you to track the progress of your SEO efforts over time and make informed decisions based on data. By regularly reviewing and documenting your strategy, you can adapt to changing situations and stay ahead of the competition.
In conclusion, building a winning SEO strategy requires careful planning and execution. By aligning your SEO strategy with your business goals, performing thorough keyword research, optimizing MVPs, conducting competitive analysis, planning for user experience, utilizing available resources, aligning with the customer funnel, setting realistic expectations, and tracking the impact of your strategy, you can achieve success in the ever-evolving world of SEO.
Remember, SEO is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adjustment. By following these nine essential steps, you can lay a strong foundation for a winning SEO strategy and drive organic traffic to your website.