9 Steps to Create an Effective SEO strategy

Search engine optimization strategy includes the steps of planning, outlining, and implementing to improve SEO rankings.

In simple words, SEO is the step-by-step process to get more organic traffic.

Here, I will explain nine important steps for an effective SEO one by one.

So, let’s dive into it.

List of Keywords

In search engine optimization, everything revolves around keywords.

That’s why keyword research is considered the first step of any SEO strategy.

By using “Google Suggest,” you can easily find keywords that your target audience searches.

If I type a keyword into Google’s search field, it will automatically show a list of suggestions:

As these words come straight from Google suggestions, so these make excellent keywords for SEO. Basically, these are the words people searched for.

Long-tail keywords usually are less competitive than short-tail keywords.

Compared to short-term keywords, long tail keywords have low search volume, but you can still rank for them faster.

To check out the competition and search volume of your keywords, use keyword tools such as Ubersuggest and SEMrush.

Analyze Google’s First Page

Now you have a handful of keywords. So, it’s time to see which content is already ranked for those keywords.

Go to Google, type one of the keywords that you found, and see the results.

Scan through the first page results:

For instance, the SERPs for SEO Tools shows the lists of tools,

So if you are planning to write the same topic on your website, you’d probably want to publish a list post.

Unique and valuable content

Moving ahead, it’s time to create some unique, valuable, and high-quality content.

To write SEO content, you’ve got 2 options:

1. Create something unique: Write something unique and completely different to stand out in the crowd.
2. Create something better and valuable: To stand out fast, create your best content that gives value to your audience.

Add a Hook

The best strategy to improve your Google ranking is to get backlinks. 

In fact, according to Stone Temple Consulting‘s research, published on the Moz, links play a significant part in Google’s first page rankings. This proves that it’s still a Google ranking factor.

The question is: how can you do it?

It would be best if you analyzed why people in your niche link to specific pieces of content. Then, you can also include that hook in your writing.

Data or stats is just one type of “Hook” that you can use to build links to your site.

Another Hook that’s quite useful right now is Ultimate Guides. So, publish an ultimate guide on your site.

On-Page SEO

Once you are done with research and writing your piece, it’s time to keyword-optimize your SEO content.

It’s not possible to cover On-page SEO in a single post. But let me share three on-page SEO techniques that I recommend applying.

1. Internal Linking

Yup, it still works if you do it right. Specifically, link from high-authority web pages to your pages that need authority.

2. Short, Keyword-Rich URLs

After analyzing 11.8 million Google search results,  it was found that short URLs rank higher than long URLs.

That’s I suggest you make URLs either just your keywords

3. Semantic SEO

Semantic SEO means using words that are closely related to your main targeted keywords.

I find words that are related to my target keyword.

Then, I use those terms in my content.

Here are the details,

First, write your keyword into Google Images.

Now Google will give you phrases and words that are closely related to your topic:

Now scroll down to the “Searches related to” and use these keywords in your content.

Optimize for User intent

Google doesn’t rank the same content for every search.

For instance, I am searching for “buy dresses online”; this shows that I intend to buy the product. So, Google will show eCommerce websites.

On the flip side, if person B is searching for “how to tie a tie.” It means Person B is in learning mode and needs a “how to” and informative content. 

Now Google will show the following blog posts.

Let’s understand the concept of 4 Cs.

1. Content style: It is the dominant style of content, web pages & sometimes videos.  

For example, take the query, “Samsung unboxing”:

2. Content-type: It has four different types: blog posts, category, landing pages, and products.

For example, if you search “buy a smartphone,” top-ranking pages are all eCommerce categories.

3. Content format:  It consists of informational content, such as “How-to article,” listicles, opinions, news articles, and tutorials.

Let’s take an example of “money-saving tips.”

These all are opinion articles.

4. Content angle: It usually contains a dominant angle in the search results.

For example, all the results of “how to play golf” are for beginners.

Catchy Content Design

Content design is one of the most underrated parts of content writing and marketing.

If your content looks like this…

It will never help you to rank.

So, here are four visual content types.

1. Graphs and Charts: These increase the engagement and credibility of your content. So, try to include at least one chart in every article. Because charts explain complex data, people will sometimes use your charts and link back to your content.

2. Screenshots and Pictures

If you use LOTS of screenshots in every post, your content will look well-designed. Another plus is to use screenshots to help someone.

Screenshots make sense in technical as well as non-technical niches.

3. Visualizations and Graphics

Visualizations are kind of like charts, but they visualize concepts, not the data.

Build Website Links

Now let’s actively build links to your content.

There are three link building strategies, 

1. Broken Link Building
2. Competitor Analysis
3. Evangelist Method: This strategy is more about getting your content in front of the right audience.

Update Your Content

You could keep producing fresh and new content. But this is a time taking process and a bit complicated.

Instead, you can update your old content in less time and deliver faster results.

This illustration from Moz shows that your original content gradually becomes less and less “fresh,” which affects your website’s quality.

To boost your organic traffic and increase your SEO efforts’ effectiveness, you should update your old content regularly.

When Google detects that your content is new, your website will get a spike in traffic.

Here are the nine reasons to update your old content. 

1. Improve your click-through rate
2. Fix grammar and spelling mistakes
3. Improve your content’s accuracy
4. Include multimedia for better rankings
5. Optimize for the right keywords
6. Remove broken links
7. Share your content & promote it again
8. Add credible Backlinks
9. Link to newer resources

Bottom Line

If you focus on these nine SEO strategies, you are boosting your chances of website ranking. 

First of all, make a list of keywords. Now analyze the first page of Google and jump to create unique and valuable content. On-Page SEO will also play an important factor in ranking your pages. 

Once you optimize user intent, then don’t ignore the catchy design of your content. Link building and updating old content are the most important ranking factors.

Let us know, which SEO strategy have you tried and why?