Because they play such an important role, it’s key for e-commerce sites to get this piece right.

That said, there are three areas to pay attention to when it comes to product reviews, SEO and conversions:

1. Product reviews on your site from user-generated content.
2. In-depth product reviews like articles written by your company or by third parties.
3. Product review management.

I’ll go over these in more detail next. Use the links to jump to a section:

• Product reviews from user-generated content
• In-depth product reviews
• Product review management
• FAQ: How can user-generated content like product reviews increase organic traffic and conversion rates?

1. Product Reviews from User-Generated Content

While it can be scary letting people have free reign to discuss your products (and it can hit closer to home if you are also the manufacturer of those products), ultimately, it can boost conversions.

This is true even when there are negative reviews. One study by Bazaarvoice found that (60%) say negative reviews are just as important in their decision to buy because they contain more pros and cons than positive reviews.

Another study by Spiegel Research Center found that “the purchase likelihood for a product with five reviews is 270% greater than the purchase likelihood of a product with no reviews.”

And yet another example is a study that found user-generated content like product reviews more than doubled the conversion rate for certain types of goods.

That same study found that organic traffic grew over nine months simply by adding in customer reviews.

So encourage your customers to leave reviews after they buy something. Or consider other ways to get online reviews like sending samples of a product in exchange for honest reviews, like Petco did.

In that campaign, Petco experienced an 80% boost in organic traffic, in addition to a lift in conversions.

Then, make sure reviews are displayed prominently on your product page by showing star ratings and testimonials.

You can check out how Zappos.com handles star ratings at the top of their product pages, and then the customer reviews at the bottom of the pages, which is a common way e-commerce sites approach it:

Part of incorporating reviews well means using structured data to help search engines better understand those reviews.

Using the right schema can also enhance a product page’s search results listing, which can make it more compelling for someone to click through to a website.

You can learn more about “product” schema from Google’s help file here or on Schema.org here.

2. In-Depth Product Reviews

Product reviews on e-commerce platforms now feature another aspect: in-depth product reviews.

Over the past several years, Google has taken steps to curb such content, ranking only high-quality reviews higher.

In 2022, Google launched its reviews system to “better reward high-quality reviews, which is content that provides insightful analysis and original research and is written by experts or enthusiasts who know the topic well.”

Google continues:

How does this impact e-commerce sites? A couple of ways.

First, if you are creating your own product reviews on your website, take care to follow Google’s recommendations for creating great product reviews. You can also check out its Search Quality Rater Guidelines for more information on what makes a quality review.

Secondly, if you have partnerships where people may be writing reviews about your products, like influencer partnerships, for example, know that the quality of those reviews will impact their rankings, which can ultimately impact your conversions.

A little training in this area for either scenario can ensure everyone involved protects the credibility of the reviews and keeps them performing well.

3. Product Review Management

It’s important to respond to reviews, especially if they’re bad. This shows your customers that you care about their opinions and that you’re there to help.

Bazaarvoice data (linked earlier) shows:

• About a third of shoppers expect businesses to publicly respond to their reviews, regardless of whether their review is positive or negative.
• Forty-eight percent (48%) say brands responding to reviews improves their odds of buying the product.
• Shoppers want to see businesses use their reviews, both positive (25%) and negative (38%), to make product improvements.

Product review management can build trust. And trust is important to Google. The general sentiment towards your brand could potentially be a trust signal with Google.

We had a client that seemed to be doing nearly everything right with their SEO program. However, their online sentiment was entirely negative – they had bad reviews that were left unmanaged and a bad rating with the BBB.

We believe this poisoned their brand and their trust factor. I discussed this previously in an article on sentiment being an SEO trust signal.

Then I went more in-depth on how to use sentiment analysis to strengthen SEO trustworthiness, where I highlighted how to get sentiment data and then how to use it, including:

• Using it in SEO audits to get a bigger picture of how the brand is doing online
• Tracking the success of campaigns and spotting potential issues
• Addressing customer complaints
• Rewarding happy reviewers

At the end of the day, customers want to see the good and the bad about products. And it builds trust when businesses show they care by responding to the comments, as well as taking the suggestions to heart.

Final Thoughts

Reviews are an integral component of any e-commerce website.

E-commerce businesses should invest significant effort and time to perfect this area. When they do, they can see positive impacts on their SEO program and conversions.

FAQ: How can user-generated content like product reviews increase organic traffic and conversion rates?

User-generated content is an effective strategy for driving organic traffic and conversion rates. Product reviews can have an enormously beneficial effect on any online business’s success.

Let’s look at how user-generated material, particularly product reviews, can increase both organic traffic and conversion rates.

Building Trust and Credibility: User-generated content, such as authentic product reviews, plays a crucial role in building trust and credibility among potential customers. Positive user reviews can increase conversion rates.

Encourage your customers to leave honest reviews about their purchases to build up your brand and draw new visitors to your site.

Enhancing Search Engine Visibility: User-generated content, including product reviews, has a positive impact on organic traffic.

Search engines value fresh, relevant content, and user-generated reviews contribute to this aspect. When customers leave reviews with relevant keywords and phrases, it enhances the visibility of your website in search engine results.

This increased visibility drives more organic traffic to your site, exposing your products or services to a wider audience.

Generating Social Proof: Consumers today tend to put greater stock in opinions and experiences shared by their peers, and social proof provided by user-generated content such as product reviews can be an effective tool in shaping the purchasing decisions of potential customers.

Positive reviews act as endorsements and recommendations, creating a sense of authenticity and reliability around your brand. By showcasing user-generated content prominently on your website, you can harness the persuasive power of social proof to drive conversions.

Leveraging User-Generated Content for SEO: Integration of user-generated content (particularly product reviews) into your SEO strategy can produce remarkable results.

Structured data, schema markup and other elements play a pivotal role in helping search engines index and interpret this type of user-generated material. Implementing the appropriate schema markup can result in rich snippets and enhanced search result listings, increasing the click-through rate and attracting more organic traffic.

Content created by users can have an enormously positive effect on organic traffic and SEO. You can take advantage of user-generated material by encouraging customers to post reviews on your website, prominently display them and implement structured data to search engines.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Leveraging User-Generated Content to Boost Organic Traffic and Conversion Rates

1. Encourage customers to leave product reviews after making a purchase.
2. Implement a user-friendly review system on your website to facilitate review submission.
3. Regularly monitor and moderate user-generated content to ensure authenticity and relevance.
4. Showcase positive reviews prominently on your product pages to build trust and credibility.
5. Use relevant keywords and phrases in your product review requests to enhance search engine visibility.
6. Implement structured data and schema markup to help search engines understand and index user-generated content effectively.
7. Optimize your website’s metadata and tags with relevant keywords from user-generated reviews.
8. Encourage customers to post reviews about your business on social media platforms like Twitter.
9. Give prompt and positive responses to both positive and negative customer feedback.
10. Create social proof by sharing user-generated content such as testimonials and reviews across your marketing channels.
11. Utilize user-generated content as part of your email marketing strategies to increase click-through rates and clicks-per-open rates.
12. Collaborate with industry experts and influencers to produce high-quality user-generated materials.
13. Consider offering discounts or points of loyalty to customers who provide reviews on products.
14. Be sure to update and optimize your product review system regularly to provide users with an enjoyable experience.
15. Utilizing analytical tools and KPIs, you can monitor the effects of user-generated content on organic traffic, conversion rate and other key metrics.

Follow these steps to enhance the effectiveness of user-generated material, organic traffic, conversion rates and brand engagement.

The post 3 Types of E-commerce Product Reviews for SEO + Conversions appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

According to Conductor, some industries see upwards of 40% of their website traffic coming from organic search.

And for some industries, like retail, the value of that traffic is estimated to be $21.8 million.

By implementing the right SEO strategy, you have the chance to nab your share of this profitable organic search traffic.

But how? I’ll outline nine ways to start and more:

1. Understand What Matters for Ranking on Google

Google’s algorithm is complex, and Google constantly refines it to ensure users get the most relevant and high-quality results.

If you want to learn how to rank higher on Google, know that Google’s algorithm looks at factors such as relevance, authority and user experience to decide which pages rise to the top.

Relevance starts with understanding what the target audience is looking for when they use Google Search — the keywords they use — and creating content around those keywords that hits the mark.

It’s not just about sprinkling these words throughout your site; it’s also making sure they align with what people actually need.

Authority comes next: Google measures this in many different ways, including the content on your site and links back to your site.

User experience is another critical piece of the puzzle — think about how easily someone can navigate your site on their phone or if they have to wait for a page to load.

Finally, understand that it’s not about beating the Google algorithm. It’s about beating your competition in the search results.

So follow the principles outlined in this section, and then keep your eye on what your competition is up to — and do better.

2. Invest in Reputable SEO Training

Ever tried to assemble a complex piece of furniture without a manual? You might get close, but chances are you’ll miss out on key details.

The same goes for learning how to rank higher on Google. Without proper training, it’s easy to overlook critical elements that can boost your website’s visibility.

So finding a solid SEO course makes all the difference. Here are some tips:

• Start by looking at who’s teaching; seasoned pros with proven track records will give insights you won’t find anywhere else. For instance, our SEO training membership site is a great place to start.
• In SEO, stale information spoils good strategy. Make sure what you’re learning reflects today’s trends, and that means checking when the course material was last updated.
• Diving into reviews and testimonials also sheds light on whether a course walks its talk or simply talks big.
• Make sure the course curriculum is strong and covers everything from strategy to technical SEO, on-page optimization, content, local search and more.
• Dive into the format of the course — will it work for your needs? Do you like to watch static videos, or do you prefer to interact with a community? Maybe in-person training is more your style. These are factors to consider when choosing a course.

For more, see my article on Search Engine Land: 5 Questions to Evaluate Any SEO Training Course.

3. Conduct Thorough Keyword Research

Finding the right keywords is critical. It all starts with understanding what potential customers are searching for and how they phrase their queries.

Using the Right Keyword Research Tools

You’ll want to use tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner as a launching pad, but don’t stop there.

Dig deeper with tools like Google Trends, Ahrefs Keywords Explorer or our own SEOToolSet®, which can give you insights into search volume, keyword difficulty and even what’s working for your competitors.
Analyzing competitors’ pages can help, too. Fortunately, there are all sorts of tools that can give you insights into what your competitors are up to, so you can learn how to improve your SEO strategy.

For more, see:

• SEO Guide: Keyword Research
• 7 Keyword Suggestion and Research Tools
• How to Do Competitor Research for SEO

Choosing the Right Keywords

The goal isn’t just to find high-volume keywords; it’s about finding the right mix of terms that signal intent and align closely with your offerings.

User intent is crucial when selecting keywords because if you miss this piece of the puzzle, you could end up driving traffic that never converts.

Long-tail keywords might have lower search volumes, but they’re often more specific and carry higher conversion potentials because users who type them in are usually further along in their decision-making process.

Incorporating both broad terms that attract larger audiences and niche-specific terms targeting segments creates a balanced strategy to maximize reach and still capture qualified leads.

via GIPHY

For example, you might draw in big crowds talking about “digital marketing,” but including “small business digital marketing strategies” can direct more focused visitors towards your site.

Here are a few more tips as you choose your keywords:

• A balance between head terms (shorter) and long-tail phrases ensures you target different stages of the customer journey.
• Diversifying helps reduce risks associated with algorithm changes.
• Prioritizing relevancy over volume aids in attracting an audience likely interested in what you offer.

4. Boost the User Experience Through Technical SEO

Technical SEO can be an overlooked component of a brand’s SEO strategy, but that is a mistake. Here are three areas you want to get right …

Mobile-Friendliness

More searches happen on mobile than desktops, making mobile-friendliness non-negotiable for high rankings. Sites optimized for mobile devices and those loading swiftly often find favor in Google’s eyes because they offer better experiences for visitors.

Using Google’s Lighthouse tool lets you see if pages meet the mark for smartphone users.

If you don’t pass with flying colors, look into responsive design solutions, because this factors into how well you rank in search results.

For more, see: The Mobile-Friendly Site and tips from developers at Google.

Site Structure

A well-organized website makes it easier for both humans and search engine bots to find their way around.

SEO siloing is a technique we invented many, many years ago. Siloing structures a website’s content by grouping related webpages in hierarchical categories based on how people search.

The goal? Make a site relevant for a search query so that it has a better chance of ranking.

One benefit of siloing is making your site a subject matter expert, which can help with E-E-A-T (part of Google’s quality guidelines from its Search Quality Rater Guidelines manual).

There’s a lot that goes into this step, so I recommend reading the following articles for more:

• SEO SIloing: What, Why, How
• 5 Times When SEO Siloing Can Make or Break Your Rankings

Core Web Vitals

Core web vitals use metrics to mirror real-world user experiences, covering everything from stability during loading to interactivity.

One important piece of this is site load time. Google reports that when a site meets core web vitals thresholds, users are 24% less likely to abandon page load.

And there are all sorts of other stats about how optimizing the performance of a website helps businesses.

Core web vitals optimization can be an intensive process, so prioritize this when you feel it’s a necessity. You can see Google’s Page Experience Update: A Complete Guide for more.

5. Create Authoritative, High-Quality Content

Creating high-quality content requires more than just peppering pages with keywords — it demands substance.

That means diving deep into topics with original research or presenting familiar concepts through fresh perspectives.

via GIPHY

And, aligning content with search intent not only boosts engagement but also sends positive user experience signals back upstream to Google. Check out Ahrefs’ guide on Search Intent.

The truth is quality content requires a mix of many things, including mastery over your subject matter.

I could write many articles on this subject alone (and I have!), so I suggest you read the following for more information:

• Mastering Content Quality: The Ultimate Guide (my article on Search Engine Land)
• The Complete Guide to the Basics of E-E-A-T
• What Makes a Webpage Quality?

6. Dive Into On-Page SEO Best Practices

Simple things like meta tags, heading tags and other, seemingly small, SEO tasks can have a big impact.

For example, title tags are one of the first bits of information that the search engines encounter on a webpage to learn what it’s about. They also serve as the headline for your organic search listing, so they are the first thing searchers see as well.

In addition, the meta descriptions serve as an “elevator pitch” for your page — almost like a movie trailer, but for web pages. Then we have header tags, which bring structure and clarity to your webpage content.

But these are just a tiny sampling of all the ways you can optimize a webpage, and you can learn more on our Always Up-to-Date SEO Checklist.

7. Earn a Strong Backlink Profile

Although backlinks don’t have as much weight as they used to, you can still invest time and effort into content that is so valuable and trustworthy that other authoritative sites want to link to you.

Remember, today it’s not about quantity of links, it’s about quality. We have seen sites with fewer quality links rank higher than sites with a bunch of links that aren’t as quality.

The bottom line is that we no longer focus on link building, rather link earning. For more, see The New Link Building Manifesto: A Complete Guide to Earning Links That Count.

8. Continuously Monitor Performance

SEO is not a one-and-done initiative. SEO strategy demands flexibility and adjustment.

By keeping an eye on your site analytics, you can pinpoint what works and what doesn’t. This process isn’t just about numbers; it’s understanding the story they tell about user behavior and search engine reception.

So let’s break down which metrics should be top of mind. Start with organic traffic — it’s the lifeblood of SEO success, indicating how often users find your site via search engines. A sudden drop or spike here could signal major shifts in ranking or user interest that demand attention.

For more on this, be sure to read: 5 Things to Know When Your Site Loses Rankings.

Bounce Rate and Session Insights

Next up is bounce rate, the percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page. While not inherently bad (sometimes people find exactly what they need quickly), high rates might suggest content mismatching user intent or poor navigation design, leading to frustration.

Diving deeper into bounce rate gives us clues for improvement: Is it specific pages driving people away? Maybe those pages need better content alignment with targeted keywords or clearer calls to action. Or perhaps load times are dragging.

Finding patterns in session durations helps gauge if you’re hitting the mark on relevance—a long read time paired with high-quality backlinks might show Google that others value your insights too because good things get shared more often than not.

Conversions

You might be great at driving organic search traffic, but not so great at converting visitors. While the goal of SEO is to drive targeted traffic, it’s the goal of the website to convert those visitors.

Set goals for your pages, and test, test, test. With a little more effort, you can make the most of the organic traffic flowing to your site and turn that into more revenue.

For more, read: SEO and Conversions: Two Halves of a Pie.

9. Keep Abreast of the Latest SEO Trends

Staying on top of SEO trends is like trying to hit a moving target while riding a roller coaster. To truly excel in search marketing optimization, you must embrace change with open arms and an eager mind.

The first step? Make reading industry publications part of your daily routine. With Google’s algorithm updates coming faster than ever before, resources such as Search Engine Land offer invaluable insights into the latest shifts in ranking factors and user behavior patterns.

And if you haven’t already, I highly recommend subscribing to the Bruce Clay Blog.

But don’t stop there. Monthly or quarterly webinars ensure you hone in on a particular aspect of SEO, while annual conferences like SMX are goldmines for up-leveling your search engine optimization and networking with peers.

Your learning should mirror how SEO evolves: dynamically. A mix of self-education through articles, hands-on experience by testing new strategies on your site (hello trial-and-error) and professional development via online courses will all fortify your expertise so you can adapt quickly to market changes.

To thrive in this fast-paced world requires more than just keeping pace; it demands foresight and agility, too, because today’s best practices could be tomorrow’s old news.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to rank higher on Google takes time and effort.

But remember: The job of SEO is not to beat the algorithm, it is to beat your competition. To rank higher on Google, focus first on what users need. Then, look at what your competition is up to, and do as good or better than them.

To sum up:

• Remember the core principles: Relevance, authority and user experience.
• Dive into SEO training — it sharpens your strategy to push your content up the ranks.
• Invest time in technical SEO to boost performance. Quick loading times and mobile friendliness aren’t just nice to have, they’re essential.
• Create content with purpose; authoritative content wins every time. When you do this right, backlinks follow naturally — quality always trumps quantity here.
• Track your success closely because numbers don’t lie. Stay ahead of trends to keep climbing.

We’ve helped companies rank higher on Google for over 28 years — and we can help your business, too. Schedule a free 1:1 consultation today.

FAQ: How can I improve my website’s visibility on Google and increase organic traffic?

A strong online presence is essential for businesses to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. One of the key factors in achieving this is improving your website’s visibility on Google and increasing organic traffic.

Let’s explore various strategies and techniques that will help you accomplish just that.

Optimize Your Website: Optimizing your website is the first step to boost your visibility on Google. Start by conducting keyword research to identify relevant terms and include them strategically in your website’s content, meta tags and URLs.

Create Engaging and High-Quality Content: Producing content that is both informative and engaging is vital for attracting organic traffic. Focus on creating well-researched articles, blog posts and videos that offer value to your target audience.

Leverage On-Page SEO Elements: Maximize your website’s visibility by optimizing on-page factors such as title tags, meta descriptions, header tags and alt tags. Ensure that these elements accurately reflect the content on your pages and incorporate relevant keywords.

Harness the Power of Backlinks: Building a strong backlink profile plays an important role in achieving better visibility on Google. Seek opportunities to collaborate with industry influencers and fellow websites to earn valuable backlinks.

Enhance User Experience (UX): Google values websites that provide a positive user experience. Focus on improving your site’s speed, mobile responsiveness and accessibility. This will not only satisfy search engines but also captivate your visitors.

Utilize Local SEO Strategies: If your business has a physical location, optimizing for local SEO can significantly boost your website’s visibility. Claim your business on Google My Business, optimize your listings and encourage customers to leave reviews.

Engage with Social Media: Social media platforms are powerful tools for increasing organic traffic. Share your content on relevant social channels, engage with your audience and encourage them to share your content with their networks.

Monitor and Analyze Your Performance: Regularly monitor your website’s performance using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console. This will help you identify areas for improvement and track the success of your efforts.

Implementing these strategies will effectively improve your website’s visibility on Google and increase organic traffic. Remember, search engine optimization is an ongoing process, so stay up to date with the latest trends and make necessary adjustments to continue reaping the benefits.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Perform keyword research to identify relevant terms for your website.
2. Optimize your website’s content, meta tags and URLs with targeted keywords.
3. Create high-quality and engaging content that resonates with your target audience.
4. Optimize your website’s on-page elements such as title tags, header tags and alt tags.
5. Build a strong backlink profile by collaborating with influencers and relevant websites.
6. Focus on enhancing user experience by improving site speed, mobile responsiveness and accessibility.
7. Utilize local SEO strategies to boost visibility for businesses with physical locations.
8. Share your content on social media platforms and engage with your audience.
9. Continuously monitor and analyze your website’s performance using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console.
10. Stay up to date with the latest SEO trends and make constant adjustments to improve visibility and organic traffic.

The post How to Rank Higher on Google in 9 Steps appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Having a website listed and ranked on search engines is an accomplishment in the highly competitive digital landscape. However, it can be disheartening when these sites fail to attract the expected traffic.

Understanding why this occurs is vital for website owners looking to expand their visibility and engage directly with their target audience.

In this article, we’ll look into why websites struggle with traffic issues despite their best efforts and explore strategies to overcome such obstacles.

• Keywords, Keywords, Keywords
• Technical SEO Issues
• Fresh Content
• User Experience Impact on Traffic
• FAQ: How can a website maximize its organic traffic through improved search engine rankings?

Keywords, Keywords, Keywords

Failure to optimize keywords is an integral factor that prevents brands from ranking highly in search results. Search engines rely on keywords to understand the relevance of a website to specific search queries.

Target keywords must be effectively integrated into the website’s content, titles, headings and meta tags to increase its chances of ranking higher in search results and driving organic traffic.

Another critical aspect is the quality and relevance of the website’s content. Search engines prioritize high-quality and informative content that aligns with user intent. Content that does not demonstrate E-E-A-T — experience, expertise, authority and trust — risks being penalized in search engine results.

One of the best ways to start your keyword research for your brand is to begin with a topic cluster. Start by creating your pillar content. This content should be the main focus of your blog or site. For example, with Bruce Clay, our pillar content is focused on SEO. SEO is what we do, and it’s at the heart of our brand.

From here, you can focus on creating cluster content. Cluster content is content that can be hyperlinked from your pillar content.

For example, we have SEO as our pillar content and have a variety of cluster content, such as online SEO training, search engine marketing, pay-per-click marketing, content development and social media advertising.

All of these clusters are secondary to our pillar pieces, but they also all tie back to our pillar pieces. You can create multiple topic clusters for your site.

The point of creating cluster content is that you can create a web of hyperlinks between all the content within a single cluster. It all feeds back into one another.

This is a broad overview; we take it a step further by creating additional clusters for each, such as a cluster for content development where the pillar piece is the content development page, and the cluster pages are all subtopics of pay-per-click marketing.

Keywords are essential with cluster content because each piece of the topic cluster (both pillar content and cluster content) should have its own keyword focus.

Start with the high-level topic keyword for the pillar content, then move into the keyword focus for each subtopic or cluster content topic. Internally link between each page and all of the other pages.

Technical SEO Issues

Left unaddressed, technical SEO issues can damage a website’s search engine rankings.

Factors such as slow loading times, broken links, poor website structure and improper use of headers and tags can negatively affect user experience.

It’s a good habit to regularly audit your site to identify and optimize these technical aspects. Doing so will improve its performance, enhance user experience and ultimately increase organic traffic.

Optimizing title tags and meta descriptions is another important element in driving organic traffic. These elements play a significant role in conveying the relevance and value of a webpage to search engine users.

Poorly crafted or uninformative title tags and meta descriptions may lead users to overlook the website in search results. Optimizing these elements with compelling and relevant information, including target keywords, can increase click-through rates.

SERPStat ran a study where they audited 288 million pages across thousands of websites. They found the greatest technical SEO issues were mark-up-related issues at 29.56%, and meta tags at 26.62%. When it came to mark-up-related issues, a missing Twitter/X card, missing open graph and missing schema.org were the top issues.

Make sure that these are all in working order on your site. As far as meta tags are concerned, the most common issues they found were the extra-long title and the length of the meta tag description.

There are a variety of SEO tools that you can use with your site to check the length of both your meta tag title and description. Yoast SEO is a common choice for WordPress-based sites, or you can use this simple character count tool. The goal is 50–60 characters for your meta title and 150–160 characters for your meta description.

Fresh Content

Search engines value fresh and regularly updated content. A whopping 27% of all high-performing content is no more than a month old. New, ongoing content tells search engines that the site is active and hints that its content will be more relevant than sites that rarely offer new information.

So, develop a content strategy that includes generating new content and refreshing old content regularly to help attract search engine crawlers and boost rankings.

Fresh content goes beyond search engine traffic — it gives visitors to your site a reason to keep coming back. New content can keep readers interested and give them a reason to spend more time on your site.

Use your target audience avatar to determine your audience’s biggest pain points and work to create fresh content that addresses them weekly for the best results.

User Experience Impact on Traffic

User experience is essential in search engine rankings and organic traffic. When search engines determine the ranking of websites, they evaluate the site user’s experience. To do this, they look at real-time data: bounce rate, time spent on site, page load speed and whether the site is mobile-friendly.

A website with slow loading times, difficult navigation, or lack of mobile optimization may experience lower organic traffic. Optimizing the website for a smooth and seamless user experience across devices is vital.

If you’re failing to generate traffic to your website, it’s because you are not paying attention to the factors that influence search engine ranking — keyword optimization, technical SEO, content quality and user experience. Improve these areas and you will improve organic traffic, visibility, engagement and conversions.

Unhappy with your search engine ranking and traffic volume? Our SEO experts can help. Contact us for a free consultation today.

FAQ: How can a website maximize its organic traffic through improved search engine rankings?

Maximizing organic traffic through improved search engine rankings is a crucial goal for any website to increase its online visibility and reach a wider audience. Attaining this objective requires an integrated strategy combining on-page and offline strategies, technical optimizations and content enhancement.

Optimizing on-page SEO is crucial for optimal search engine ranking. To do this, high-quality and relevant content is required.

Utilizing relevant keywords naturally throughout the content, optimizing meta tags, headings and improving the overall user experience can significantly boost a website’s search engine ranking. Regularly updating and refreshing content keeps it current and engaging for visitors and search engine algorithms.

Off-page SEO plays a vital role in increasing organic traffic to websites. Search engines can verify that your website is reliable by building high-quality links from relevant and reputable websites while engaging with your audience.

Creating a solid presence on social media can indirectly affect search rankings, increasing brand recognition and driving more organic traffic to your website.

Additionally, technical SEO plays a crucial role in website optimization. Ensuring that the site’s structure is user-friendly and mobile-responsive is essential for ranking well in search engines.

Optimizing page load times, implementing secure HTTPS protocols and making XML sitemaps can enhance the overall user experience and positively impact search engine rankings.

Lastly, ongoing monitoring and analytics are essential. Regularly reviewing website performance through tools like Google Analytics and Search Console can provide valuable insights.

By analyzing which keywords drive traffic, understanding user behavior and adjusting your strategies accordingly, you can continually optimize your website to maximize organic traffic and improve search engine rankings.

Optimizing a website for better search engine rankings requires a holistic approach encompassing on-page, off-page, technical and analytical aspects. By creating high-quality content, acquiring authoritative backlinks, maintaining a technically sound website and using data-driven insights to make improvements, a website can maximize organic traffic and increase its visibility in search engine results.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Maximizing Organic Traffic for a Website with Search Engine Rankings

1. Keyword Optimization: Identify target keywords relevant to your website’s content and align with user search intent. Incorporate these keywords into your website’s content, titles, headings and meta tags.
2. Content Quality and Relevance: Create high-quality content that meets the needs of your target audience. Provide them with content that delivers value. Ensure that your content aligns with user search intent and addresses their queries effectively.
3. Technical Optimization: Regularly audit and optimize your website for technical SEO issues such as slow loading times, broken links and proper website structure. Ensure that headers and tags are used correctly to provide a clear and organized content structure.
4. Optimize Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Craft compelling and relevant title tags and meta descriptions for each webpage, incorporating target keywords and accurately reflecting the content. Ensure these tags provide enticing information and encourage users to click through to your website.
5. Regular Content Updates: Implement a content strategy that regularly updates existing pages and creates fresh content. Focus on providing valuable and up-to-date information to attract search engine crawlers and keep your website active and relevant.
6. User Experience Optimization: Optimize your website for a smooth and seamless user experience. Improve page load speed, simplify navigation and ensure mobile optimization for a user-friendly browsing experience.
7. Social Media Promotion: Leverage social media platforms to promote your website’s content and attract organic traffic. Share snippets of your content, engage with your audience and encourage social sharing to increase visibility.
8. Monitor and Analyze Performance: Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor your website’s performance. Analyze user behavior, traffic sources and engagement metrics to identify areas for improvement and adjust your strategies accordingly.
9. Stay Updated with SEO Trends: Stay informed about the latest SEO trends to adapt your optimization strategies. Follow reputable industry blogs, attend webinars and participate in forums to stay up-to-date with the evolving SEO landscape.

The post Why Do Sites Struggle with Traffic and What Can SEO Do About It? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

What is a Search Engine Results Page (SERP)?

SERP: A page produced by a search engine in response to a user query listing what is algorithmically the best results for that query.

SEO Ranking: the position of a website on the SERP for organic results as presented in response to a query. This ranking usually has a direct relationship to traffic, which is the purpose of SEO. This is limited to the specific query.

A Search Engine Ranking Report gives you a look into your organic search rankings for sets of keywords, not just one keyword. It takes the individual rankings from a set of search engine results pages and combines them into a single report for all monitored keywords.

I’ll talk more about why it’s important and what it can do for you as we discuss:

• What search engine rankings tell you (and don’t tell you)
• What does a search engine ranking report do
• A search engine ranking report is a useful tool in your SEO toolbox
• FAQ: How can I effectively monitor my website’s search engine rankings to improve my SEO strategy?

What Search Engine Rankings Tell You (and Don’t Tell You)

Rankings are not the be all, end all of SEO. In fact, any SEO professional or company that only promises rankings as the end result of SEO is not doing their entire job. What rankings are, though, is a possible leading indicator of organic traffic.

For example, your website can rank for keywords, but does that mean anyone is searching for them? Will they click on the result? And if they do, is it valuable traffic? None of these are givens.

To that point, you definitely want to rank. But you want to rank for the right terms targeting the right audience that will generate traffic.

Also, you want to rank on Page 1 of the search results. There’s a famous saying in the SEO community that Page 2 is the best place to hide a dead body. And I am fond of pointing out that the only people going to Page 3 of search results are SEOs looking for their own websites.

I am fond of pointing out that the only people going to Page 3 of search results are SEOs looking for their own websites.
- Bruce Clay

The data shows time and time again that all the eyeballs are on the first page.

So analyzing your search rankings is important if you want to:

• Get your webpages on Page 1.
• See trends that hopefully show ranking progress. What a user sees will vary, but a consistent ranking monitor report showing keyword-by-keyword rankings over time is valuable.
• Monitor any sudden ranking changes so that you can then figure out if it was something Google changed, for example, or something on your website that caused it.

Some things search engine rankings won’t do. A search engine ranking report won’t tell you if you are:

• Targeting the right keywords
• Driving traffic
• Driving quality traffic
• Getting conversions
• Making revenue from SEO

Keep in mind that rankings fluctuate, and they vary from user to user, morning to night, region to region, or even what you see on your desk minute to minute. Five users in the same city may see different results even at the same time based upon their prior search history. So do not compare the reports to browser searches.

What Does a Search Engine Ranking Report Do?

A search engine ranking report gives you a view of your webpages’ rankings in the search results that’s as unbiased as possible. These reports are vital for monitoring trends over time compared to prior results.

As mentioned above, unbiased is important because search engines like Google personalize your search results based on things like being signed into Google, prior search history, location, and more.

So manually checking your search results rankings by going to the search results and typing in a query can give you a false reading.

There are many companies offering search engine ranking reports. I’ll use ours from the SEOToolSet® as an example of the data you can get. Ours happens to be one of the fastest real-time search engine ranking monitors on the market.

With a search engine ranking report from our Ranking Monitor, you can:

• Get your webpages’ unbiased rankings across Google and Bing search engines.
• See which keywords your site is ranking for and which pages are ranking for them.
• Run the report on demand, or schedule it to run at regular intervals automatically so you can track how rankings fluctuate over time.
• Specify locations worldwide so you can monitor rankings across the globe if you are doing international SEO.
• Run reports to show rankings over time with comparison data across timeframes.
• Gather competition rankings for your keywords at the same time.
• See how your other websites also perform for your keywords as aliases.

Our search engine ranking report gives you details like:

• The highest ranking your site has had for the keyword across search engines/countries.
• The estimated amount of monthly search activity for the associated keyword. Use this to gauge the popularity of a keyword.
• The estimated number of search results for the associated keyword so you can gauge the competitiveness of a keyword; more pages equals more competitors to beat out for a high ranking.
• The estimated average cost per click for the associated keyword. Use this to gauge the competitiveness of a keyword; higher CPC generally means more people bidding and driving the price higher.

Search engine ranking reports are also useful for tracking your competitors’ rankings. This gives you the same unbiased information and shows you how your website stacks up to your competitors.

Our Competitor Ranking tool in the SEOToolSet lets you add a market competitor to track their rankings and lets you compare by keyword, by competitor, or even across markets. This report tells you where your competitors rank for the keywords you care about.

Using this report, you can see if a competitor ranks better than you for your keywords. If they are, then it’s worth your time to review their site and see what they’re doing to get a better ranking.

The SEO analysis of a competitor is outside the scope of this report, but you can check the site for the amount of relevant content, inbound links, etc. to see where they are outperforming your site. (Here’s more on competitor research for SEO.)

A Search Engine Ranking Report Is a Useful Tool in Your SEO Toolbox

Understanding your website’s (and your competitors’) search rankings is one way to monitor your SEO progress. And doing it manually without any tools can lead to bad data because of personalization in the search results.

As a result, a search engine ranking report is an important tool in your SEO toolbox that will lead you to ask better questions as you are trying to build a good SEO strategy.

Is your SEO performing as well as you need it to? If your current rankings aren’t bringing you the traffic you need, contact us for a free quote and consultation. Our expert SEO services could help your website turn a corner.

FAQ: How can I effectively monitor my website’s search engine rankings to improve my SEO strategy?

Search engine ranking monitoring is a pivotal aspect of a successful SEO strategy. By effectively tracking and analyzing your website’s position in search engine results pages (SERPs), you can uncover valuable insights to refine your approach and drive better organic traffic. This article delves into key strategies that will empower you to stay at the forefront of search results and optimize your SEO efforts.

To embark on this journey, utilizing reliable ranking monitoring tools is imperative. Platforms like SEMrush and Moz offer comprehensive reports that reveal your site’s performance across various keywords. Such tools provide your ranking and insights into your competitors’ positions, allowing you to benchmark your performance against industry leaders.

Keyword selection is a cornerstone of effective ranking monitoring. Focusing on the right keywords that align with your target audience’s search intent is paramount. Regularly assess which keywords drive the most traffic and conversions and adjust your strategy accordingly. A dynamic keyword optimization approach ensures you continuously align your content with user expectations.

Regularity in monitoring cannot be stressed enough. Search engine rankings are dynamic and can change rapidly due to algorithm updates or shifts in user behavior. Establish a consistent schedule for tracking your rankings. This practice enables you to identify trends and anomalies over time, allowing you to respond promptly to any sudden changes.

The art of effective ranking monitoring extends beyond analyzing numbers; it requires insightful interpretation. Scrutinize your data to identify patterns and correlations. For instance, if a drop in ranking coincides with a change in your website’s structure, this insight could point toward optimization opportunities. Marrying data with context uncovers hidden gems for refining your SEO strategy.

Mastering search engine ranking monitoring involves a blend of powerful tools, strategic keyword optimization, regularity, and insightful interpretation. Embrace the iterative nature of SEO by constantly refining your strategy based on the insights you gain. The search landscape is ever-evolving, and staying vigilant in your ranking monitoring endeavors will position you for SEO success.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Effectively Monitor Search Engine Rankings for Enhanced SEO Strategy

1. Choose a Reliable Ranking Monitoring Tool: Select a reputable tool like SEMrush or Moz for comprehensive ranking reports.
2. Focus on Relevant Keywords: Optimize keywords that align with your target audience’s search intent.
3. Regular Monitoring Schedule: Establish a consistent schedule to track rankings and identify trends.
4. Interpret Data Insightfully: Analyze data for patterns and correlations to inform strategic decisions.

The post What Is a SEO Ranking Report? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

• What is a Google penalty
    •  Top 3 guidelines for avoiding Google penalties
    •  ​Google penalties by name
    •  Manual actions
• FAQ: How can I prevent Google penalties to maintain my website’s SEO visibility?

A penalty is when you get caught breaking the search engine’s rules, and they punish you. As the saying goes, if you can’t do the time, then don’t do the crime. And losing all rankings for years makes for a tough lesson.

How can you avoid Google penalties and protect your website’s SEO visibility? This topic is vital because a search engine penalty can reduce or even wipe out your search traffic — and it can be costly and difficult to recover.

With every new algorithm update, Google seems to tighten its standards a little more. Websites operating just outside search engine guidelines can get caught. If your site is penalized, you can expect your rankings to slip and revenues to fall.

What Is a Google Penalty

From an SEO perspective, the term “penalty” means any negative impact on a website’s organic search rankings caused by an algorithm update or a manual action.

Anything that directly violates Google’s Webmaster Guidelines can result in a penalty against your website. The two main types are algorithm-based, which is automatic, and manual, which is an intentional penalization for “black hat” actions.

Though Google doesn’t call algorithmic hits “penalties” per se, the result feels the same to a website owner. It’s as if somebody threw down a penalty flag against your site.

Top 3 Guidelines for Avoiding Google Penalties

You can take steps to minimize the factors that contribute to SEO penalties. Here are the top 3 guidelines to avoid a penalty:

1. Don’t buy links. Links passing SEO value to your site should look natural. Make sure a “nofollow” attribute is added to any paid links (such as ads), and stay away from link schemes.
2. Don’t overuse keywords. Stuffing your content with exact repetitions of a key phrase can hurt your search engine rankings. Keywords are important, but use keywords appropriately in a natural-sounding way.
3. Make original, quality content. You must have unique, high-quality web pages to rank.

Google Penalties by Name

Penalties range from a slight, temporary ranking hit (a slap on the wrist) all the way to expulsion from the search engine’s index.

Don’t let the cute black-and-white animals fool you. Search engine algorithms have teeth in them and can bite sites that seem to be breaking the rules.

Note: We go into detail on Google algorithm updates and how to prepare for them on our blog.

Google Panda Penalty

The Panda update was in February 2011, with the first of many rollouts. By early 2016, Panda had grown up and become part of Google’s core algorithm.

The Google Panda algorithm aims to prevent poor-quality content from reaching the top of search results.

If Panda thinks your website provides low-quality content, it will be hard for your web pages to rank. Low-quality web content includes: “thin” pages with little or no added value, product pages with manufacturer-provided descriptions and no original text, and widespread duplicate content.

(The SEM Post’s guide to Google Panda is a good resource for more details.)

How to Avoid a Panda Penalty: Keep Panda fed and happy by providing original content that will satisfy searchers.

With a Panda issue, you can earn your way back up the search results by fattening up (rewriting/improving) your thin content, eliminating duplicate pages (or blocking them from search engines), and generally providing high-quality content for your site visitors.

Google Penguin Penalty

The Google Penguin algorithm combats webspam by detecting link spam.

When a site’s backlink profile (i.e., the full list of links coming from external sites) includes too many unnatural-looking links, Google suspects that site of trying to manipulate search rankings — and Penguin’s feathers get understandably ruffled.

Google launched the first Penguin update in April 2012. Several agonizingly slow rollouts later, Google announced a final update in September 2016. Penguin now operates in real-time as part of Google’s core ranking algorithm.

Google says that the new Penguin algorithm no longer gives penalties. Rather than demoting a site with low-quality backlinks, Penguin now just devalues bad incoming links so they don’t affect the site’s rankings.

However, your link profile is still your responsibility. Having a large percentage of poor backlinks is a low-trust signal. Many sites that were hit with a Penguin penalty still need to take steps to recover.

How to Avoid a Penguin or Link-Related Penalty: If Google detects a site is buying or selling links, negotiating link exchanges, participating in link farms, or engaging in any kind of unnatural linking, it should expect to get penalized.

Also, if your organic search traffic drops suddenly, it could be due to a link-related penalty. The traffic chart below shows a tragic but typical example:

To avoid Penguin issues, regularly monitor and clean up your backlinks. (Stay tuned — you learn how to do this in the next lesson!)

Intrusive Interstitial Penalty

Launched in January 2017, the Intrusive Interstitial Penalty affects mobile search results only.

Google penalizes sites that show an intrusive ad, popup, or standalone interstitial to a mobile user immediately after clicking a mobile search result.

In general, Google demotes web pages that block searchers from easily seeing the content. Certain types of interstitials aren’t penalized, such as login forms and legally necessary gates (for age verification or other).

This image shows three examples (provided by Google) of intrusive interstitials that would cause a penalty:

How to Avoid an Interstitial Penalty: Give mobile searchers a good user experience. Avoid ads and popups that block too much of the screen right after a searcher arrives.

Payday Loan Penalty

Google updated its algorithm in June 2013 specifically to address the quality of results for heavily spammed queries such as “payday loans,” “viagra” and pornography-related keywords.

How to Avoid a Payday Loan Penalty: Sites penalized by the Payday Loan update tend to be heavily involved in link schemes, web spam, and often illegal activities. Steer clear of these, or you risk losing your organic search engine rankings.

This list covers Google’s major algorithmic penalties to this point. For a complete list of all the known updates, see Moz’s Google Algo Change History.

Manual Actions

Besides all of the algorithmic penalties, it’s also possible for a search engine employee to manually cause your website to go either up or down in the rankings. Google’s webspam team members can manually review websites and levy penalties or even kick a site out of the index.

What triggers a manual review? The search engine may be taking a closer look because of suspected foul play. (Did you know a majority of spam is reported by competitors?) Or, Google’s team may be re-evaluating a website that has requested “reconsideration” after cleaning up its penalty issues.

How to Check for Any Manual Actions: If your site receives a manual action notice, Google courteously tells you so. In fact, Google sent over 9 million webspam notifications to webmasters in one year alone.

Here’s how to see if any messages (good or bad) exist for your site:

1. Log in to your account in Google Search Console.*
2. Open the Manual Actions report.
3. Read any messages to find out the specific reasons for the manual action and what parts of your site are affected by the penalty.

How to Avoid a Manual Action Penalty: Manual actions can result from anything that directly violates Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. They often relate to thin content (see Panda Penalty section), unnatural links (see Penguin Penalty), pure web spam (see Payday Loan Penalty), or other noncompliance issues.

If your site gets a manual penalty, resolve the issue(s) causing the manual action sooner rather than later.

Once you clean up your site, submit a reconsideration request. Google will examine your site again and, if it looks good, lift the penalty.

SEO GUIDE BONUS VIDEO

Google’s Gary Illyes explains how the Penguin algorithm works now that it’s a real-time component of the core ranking algorithm.

SEO GUIDE BONUS VIDEO #2

“How can you prepare for the future of SEO?” Bruce Clay addressed this question at a search conference, and his response was fortunately captured on video.

His advice — In the short term, monitor and get rid of “junk links.” Long term, reinforce your subject relevance through proper site structure. These strategies help you avoid Google Penguin penalties and other “disasters.”

Watch this brief interview to hear Bruce’s full answer.

Building on the important topic of avoiding Google penalties, the next step in the SEO guide shows you how to monitor your backlinks and remove unwanted links that could sink your SEO ship if a ​link penalty occurs.

Next Lesson

Related blog posts and articles:

• What is a Google Penalty and How Can I Avoid It
• What a Website Can Do about Thin Content — 4 Common Scenarios and Solutions
• Manual Penalty Actions Reported in Google Webmaster Tools
• Google’s Outbound Link Penalties: How to React Without Overreacting
• 9 Tips for Getting Your Manual Link Penalty Overturned
• 3 Ways to Keep Google Panda Fed and Happy

Do you think you’ve been hit with Google penalties? We can help. Read about our SEO Penalty Audit and optional link pruning services that can help businesses identify and recover from Google penalties.

FAQ: How can I prevent Google penalties to maintain my website’s SEO visibility?

Modern businesses must maintain an effective online presence through search engine optimization (SEO). Unfortunately, Google’s constantly shifting algorithms present businesses with numerous challenges when optimizing for search. Here are key strategies to safeguard your website from Google penalties while preserving your SEO visibility.

Understanding Google Penalties

Google penalties can cripple your website’s ranking and visibility, reducing organic traffic. These penalties are often triggered by violations of Google’s guidelines, such as keyword stuffing, cloaking, or spammy backlink practices. To safeguard your site, prioritize a holistic approach to SEO that prioritizes user experience, valuable content, and ethical link-building.

Quality Content is Paramount

Google recognizes and rewards relevant, high-quality content that meets user needs. Create engaging and thorough pieces that resonate well with your audience. Incorporate well-researched keywords naturally, avoiding over-optimization. Regularly update your content to reflect industry trends, ensuring your site remains a valuable resource.

Ethical Link-building Strategies

Backlinks play a pivotal role in SEO, but the quality of these links matters more than quantity. Engage in ethical link-building by collaborating with reputable websites in your niche. Avoid buying links or participating in link schemes, as these can trigger penalties. Focus on building relationships with influencers and thought leaders for genuine link opportunities.

Technical SEO and Website Performance

A well-optimized website structure and swift loading speeds are crucial for user satisfaction and SEO success. Regularly audit your website for broken links, crawl errors, and mobile responsiveness. A technically sound website enhances user experience and reduces the risk of penalties.

Monitoring and Adaptation

Staying informed about Google’s algorithm updates is essential. Continuously monitor your website’s performance using tools like Google Search Console. Regularly assess your SEO strategies and adapt them to align with the latest guidelines and best practices. Flexibility and a willingness to evolve are key to preventing penalties and maintaining visibility.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Preventing Google Penalties and Ensuring SEO Visibility

1. Familiarize yourself with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.
2. Conduct an audit of your website to identify existing SEO issues.
3. Optimize on-page elements, including title tags, meta descriptions, and headers.
4. Create a content strategy that emphasizes high-quality, relevant content creation.
5. Use keyword research tools to identify valuable and appropriate keywords for your niche.
6. Integrate keywords naturally into your content, avoiding keyword stuffing.
7. Prioritize user experience by ensuring easy navigation and mobile responsiveness.
8. Regularly monitor your website’s backlink profile and disavow spammy or irrelevant links.
9. Build relationships with authoritative websites for potential backlink opportunities.
10. Stay updated on Google algorithm changes and SEO trends.
11. Use tools like Google Search Console to identify and address technical issues.
12. Implement proper redirects for any removed or changed pages.
13. Monitor your website’s loading speed and optimize images and scripts as needed.
14. Ensure your website’s original content is not duplicated across multiple pages.
15. Avoid engaging in link schemes or purchasing backlinks.
16. Regularly update and refresh your content to reflect industry changes.
17. Employ social media to engage your target audience and promote your content.
18. Analyze metrics like bounce rates, organic traffic volume, and conversion rate to make decisions.
19. Adapt your SEO strategies based on performance data and algorithm updates.
20. Consider seeking guidance from reputable SEO experts or agencies for specialized advice.

By following these comprehensive steps, you’ll be equipped to navigate the dynamic realm of SEO, effectively preventing Google penalties and maintaining strong online visibility for your website.

The post Avoiding Google Penalties appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

• SEO keyword selection
• Organize keywords by category
• Understand head vs. long-tail keywords
• Combining keywords to expand your relevance
• Sort your keywords
• FAQ: How do I effectively choose and optimize keywords for SEO to improve my website’s search engine rankings?

SEO Keyword Selection

SEO Keywords: not all keywords are worth the SEO effort to gain rankings, especially if they are off-target for your content or seldom queried. Your SEO keywords selection process is where you now pick those keywords that are going to give the greatest traffic and where you have a proper balance of very specific multi-word keywords and shorter phases:

• Head Terms: generally very short keyword phrases such as “boots”, where there is significant query volume but also great competition.
• Long-tail Terms: Very specific multi-word phrases such as “waterproof knee-length rubber boots”, where there is less query volume and competition.

So far, in this guide, you’ve brainstormed a long list of potential keywords. These are topics you believe your website is (or will be) about, so those people will be satisfied if they search for them and click through to your site from the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Now what? During this step, you begin to choose the best keywords from your keyword research and turn that jumbled list into an organized set.

You’ll learn how to choose keywords and sort them based on perceived importance using one of our free SEO tools. Then, keeping clearly in mind the subjects (or products or services) your website is about, you’ll identify the best main and supporting keywords to establish SEO relevance for those subjects.

Organize Keywords by Category

Look at the big picture of what your website offers. Is your content a jumble of loosely related items?

Chances are, your site structure can be improved.

First, choose the best keywords that reflect the main content categories, and then use them to organize your site.

For example, this Bruce Clay Inc. website is about “search marketing,” but within that broad topic are categories for “SEO,” “PPC,” “Content” and so on (as shown in the top navigation).

Your content categories communicate what your website is about to both human and search engine visitors.

Your site’s current categories may or may not be the best way to organize your site content. A website related to dogs, for instance, could be organized by breed, size, fur type or something else.

Based on your site’s goals and content, do keyword research to see how people search. Also, look at your top-ranked competitors’ site structures to help you decide.

In your keyword spreadsheet (built previously or while following this SEO guide), start moving rows up and down to group keywords in topical categories. You can separate categories into different tabs, if that’s easier.

Then begin to sort the keywords in descending order of perceived importance (based on relevance to your site and how often they are searched).

One of our free SEO tools will help you with this in a moment. But first, read on — there are a few essential concepts you need to know.

Understand Head vs. Long-Tail Keywords

Your keyword list likely contains both short and long phrases, and that’s good! Here’s why:

Head Keywords

• Head terms are also called “broad” or “seed” terms.
• They are shorter, general terms that have higher search volume.
• Search engines may not clearly understand the searcher’s intent, and therefore provide a wide mix of different types of results.
• These broad keywords are hard to rank for and bring in traffic that usually doesn’t convert.
• Example: A car site should consider “Mustang” and even “Ford Mustang” head terms. These keywords get searched a lot, but the traffic they produce may be untargeted.

Long-Tail Keywords

• Long-tail keywords are more specific queries, usually three or more words.
• They’re often phrased as a question, especially coming from voice search.
• Long-tail keywords have lower search volume, but generally produce more targeted results.
• Search engines (and the searcher) know the searcher’s intent.
• Example: Requests like “repair parts for Ford Mustang in L.A.” or “Ford Mustang convertible for sale in Los Angeles” could bring in well-targeted traffic to that car site.

The difference between head and long-tail keywords is easy to understand looking at a graph. The number of searches for each head term is high (shown in blue) compared to each long-tail keyword (shown in green):

Combining Keywords to Expand Your Relevance

In the old days, a webpage that unscrupulously repeated a phrase over and over could actually fool the search engines and rank for that term.

Those days of keyword stuffing are long gone, particularly due to the advent of semantic search.

Google’s complete revamp of its algorithm known as Hummingbird (launched in 2013) set the standard. Bing and other engines have tried to follow suit.

Semantic Search’s Impact on Keywords

Semantic search aims to better understand both the searcher’s intent behind the query AND the context and full meaning of web-based content. These are the two sides of the search engine equation. And the goal is to provide searchers with accurate answers.

Keywords are still a foundation for content. But even more important in a semantic search world is having context to support those keywords.

For instance, that dog website won’t be able to rank for “search engine optimization” even if it creates a 2,000-word page all about it. The site as a whole doesn’t support that subject.

Ranking is about more than choosing the right keywords. With the exception of exact matches of unusual long-tail keyword queries, it’s also about which sites offer the most thorough, well-supported treatment of a subject.

Q: So how can you build “contextual meaning” to support your keywords?

A: Choose keywords and expand content around and about them.

On the page you want to rank for a query (and on other linked pages within the site, to some extent), try to answer all questions a person might have on the subject.

Search engines understand things as entities, not just as isolated strings of characters (“things not strings”). If you want to be considered an expert, your content must talk about many aspects of that entity.

How to Create a Semantic Keyword List

Writing naturally about your keyword subject generally leads to good variation in your keyword​ usage. But covering your semantic bases helps you rank for potentially high-conversion, long-tail keywords.

These activities will help you expand your keyword list and enhance your content. [Bookmark this page!]

• Conversational wording: Attach conversational or logical phrases to your keywords, which is how people often search. For research-based queries, try adding “how to …,” “how do I …” or “what is …” in front of the keyword. An ecommerce site needs to combine phrases like “… for sale,” “best price for …” or “discount …” with its product keywords.
• Reorder words: Consider putting keyword phrases in a different order. This page, for instance, could focus on “combining keywords for SEO” or “SEO keyword combining” equally well.
• Word stemming: Include multiple forms of the same root keyword, like “write, writer, writes, written, writing” (known as stemming). This will not usually raise a keyword-stuffing red flag with search engines as long as the text reads naturally (more about writing content later).
• Search suggestions: One of the best ways to find keyword combinations is to start typing your main keywords in a Google or Bing search box. As you type, a drop-down list appears of frequently searched terms with those characters. Use that to find even more keyword variations (if they appropriately describe your content).
• Related content: In general, the more in-depth you can be on a subject, the more a semantic search engine will consider you a subject matter expert. So include related facts and bits of information about a page’s keyword topic, as appropriate.

Sort Your Keywords

Sort the keywords and phrases within each main category in descending order of their perceived importance (i.e., how likely it is that they will be searched and generate traffic). Just go for a rough organization at this point.

One way to determine the importance of a keyword is to view its search volume. As we said in the previous SEO guide lesson on competitive analysis, search volume shouldn’t be the only reason to select a keyword. But comparing the relative search activity of different keywords does help you prioritize them.

To get a clearer picture of your keyword statistics, try our free Search Engine Optimization/KSP tool.

SEO Tools – Search Engine Optimization/KSP Tool

The search statistics provided by this tool are daily approximations of search engine data. In other words, they are daily averages derived from monthly averages. Use the numbers as proportionate amounts of traffic.

Now that you’ve spent some time choosing the best keywords, combining them, and organizing your keyword categories, you probably have a better idea of where your website content may be lacking.

The next few steps in our SEO Guide lead you through creating new content that uses your keywords appropriately. Find out what to consider before writing content.

Next Lesson

Need more SEO tips?
See more on Choosing Keywords

Related blog posts and articles:

• KSP Keyword Research Tool
• Back to Basics: What are Keywords, and Why Do They Matter?
• How to Do Keyword Research: A 6-Point Checklist
• Siloing – How to Theme a Website for Clear Subject Relevance

FAQ: How do I effectively choose and optimize keywords for SEO to improve my website’s search engine rankings?

When it comes to SEO, selecting the right keywords is paramount. A solid foundation begins with comprehensive keyword research. Start by brainstorming a list of relevant terms and phrases that align with your content. Leverage keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to gain valuable insights into the search volume and competition. Focus on long-tail keywords, which tend to have lower competition and higher conversion potential.

With your keywords in hand, strategic placement is the next step. Incorporate your primary keyword into your website’s URL, title, headings, and meta descriptions. However, avoid keyword stuffing – a practice that can harm your rankings. Instead, aim for natural and meaningful integration that enhances the user experience.

Optimizing your content goes beyond keywords. High-quality, engaging content that fulfills the user’s intent is essential. Google’s algorithms have evolved to prioritize user satisfaction, so crafting informative articles, blog posts, or product descriptions can significantly impact your rankings. Bullet points and subheadings make your content easy for readers to scan, improving user experience and SEO.

User-generated content is another valuable content resource. Customer reviews, comments, and discussions can organically incorporate keywords while building a sense of community around your brand. This authentic engagement enriches your content and signals search engines that your website is a credible and valuable resource.

Regularly updating your content with fresh information and relevant keywords can further boost your rankings. Stay current as trends and user interests evolve demonstrates your commitment to providing accurate and up-to-date information. Furthermore, keep an eye on your competitors. Analyze their keyword strategies and identify gaps you can capitalize on, allowing you to fine-tune your approach.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Effectively Choose and Optimize Keywords for SEO

1. Begin with comprehensive keyword research, brainstorming relevant terms and phrases.
2. Utilize keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs.
3. Prioritize long-tail keywords for lower competition and higher conversion potential.
4. Select keywords that align with your content’s focus and your target audience’s intent.
5. Integrate your primary keyword naturally into your website’s URL, title, headings, and meta descriptions.
6. Avoid keyword stuffing; aim for meaningful and user-friendly placement.
7. Craft high-quality, engaging content that fulfills the user’s intent and provides value.
8. Use formatting techniques like bullet points, subheadings, and short paragraphs for better readability.
9. Incorporate user-generated content, such as customer reviews and discussions, to organically include keywords.
10. Regularly update your content with fresh and relevant information to demonstrate current expertise.
11. Monitor and analyze competitors’ keyword strategies to identify opportunities.
12. Fine-tune your keyword selection and optimization approach based on competitive analysis.
13. Focus on user experience and satisfaction, as Google’s algorithms prioritize these factors.
14. Keep up with industry trends and adjust your keyword strategy accordingly.
15. Maintain a balance between keyword optimization and content quality.
16. Build a sense of community around your brand through authentic engagement.
17. Seek continuous improvement by analyzing your website’s performance and adjusting keywords as needed.
18. Stay patient; SEO results take time to materialize, so consistent effort is key.
19. Experiment with different approaches and learn from the performance of various keywords.
20. Adapt your keyword strategy as search engine algorithms evolve and user behavior changes.

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