Back in 2016, a Google engineer famously said that Google’s top three ranking factors were content, links and RankBrain. However, this was later disputed by more than one Googler.

Sure, those three factors are likely a huge part of how Google determines rankings, but that’s not an exhaustive list.

It is wrong to think that the algorithm is made up only of these three factors and that each of them carries one-third weight for each query. That’s because the factors in Google’s algorithm change from query to query.

That said, I’ll spend the rest of this article shedding more light on what I believe are the top factors in how your website ranks.

• Content
• Technical factors
• Links
• RankBrain
• FAQ: How can I increase the ranking of my website with Google using its top ranking factors?

Content

If I were to choose the No. 1 spot among the top ranking factors, it would be content. Content is the fabric of the web. Without content, Google’s search results simply wouldn’t exist.

Now, any website can have content, but quality content is how you rank. That’s because the content you create is important to the efficacy of Google’s search results.

Google wants its users to have a good experience. To do that, the websites featured in its search results must offer good answers to their users’ queries.

To ensure that Google is featuring the best content in its search results, it has created things like:

• Its “Search Essentials,” which teaches website publishers the rules of the game.
• Its search algorithm, which is constantly being updated to find the best websites for page one of the search results.
• Its “Search Quality Rater Guidelines,” which is a manual for assessing the quality of websites.

For more, see:

• The Complete Guide to the Basics of Google’s E-E-A-T
• What Is a Google Penalty and How Do I Avoid It?
• What Makes a Webpage Quality?
• 5 Steps To Help Writers Create Expert Content for SEO

Technical Factors

If your site is not crawlable and/or doesn’t perform well, it will likely not do well in the search results.

One of the most important things you can do is make sure your site is optimized from the ground up so that search engines can access, crawl and understand it with ease. And it must provide visitors with a good user experience.

Case in point: Google’s Gary Illyes once said:

“I really wish SEOs went back to the basics (i.e. MAKE THAT DAMN SITE CRAWLABLE) instead of focusing on silly updates and made-up terms by the rank trackers and that they talked more with the developers of the website once done with the first part of this sentence.”

In Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, it states that unmaintained sites are low quality:

… unmaintained/abandoned “old” websites or unmaintained and inaccurate/misleading content is a reason for a low Page Quality rating.

In 2021, Google rolled out its page experience update, outlining various technical factors that should be followed to ensure a good user experience. If you want to be rewarded with better ranking, optimize your site to address these signals.

For more, see:

• Page Experience: Google’s New User Experience Algorithm Update
• Technical SEO vs. On-Page SEO

Links

If content is the fabric of the web, links are the strings that tie it together. Ever since PageRank, links have been a significant way search engines determine rankings. Why? Links have always served as a “vote” from one website for another.

Even though Google says links have less impact now than they used to, they are still important.

However, not all links are created equal. Google doesn’t give every link to your site an equal vote. In fact, some links can even result in a negative impact on your website’s ability to rank.

Today, links are no longer a numbers game. Even though Backlinko research shows that the No. 1 result in Google has an average of 3.8 times more backlinks than positions No. 2 to 10, we have seen sites with fewer but higher quality links outrank sites with more.

To get links right, you want to focus on link earning rather than link building and the quality and relevance of links versus the quantity. Link earning first starts with creating excellent content and a trusted site so that it naturally earns the links it deserves.

In 2020, Google’s John Mueller said links were “definitely not the most important SEO factor.” What does that mean? Google wants people to focus on making a great site first and not worry too much about building tons of links.

For more, see:

• 3 Steps To Create a Better Link-Building Campaign
• E-book: The New Link Building Manifesto: A Complete Guide to Earning Links That Count
• 50 Ways to Get Quality “White Hat” Backlinks

RankBrain

RankBrain is probably one of the most misunderstood ranking factors. RankBrain is a machine learning component of Google’s algorithm. It uses multiple data points at the time of a search to help the search engine better interpret the intent of search queries and serve the most relevant search results.

With RankBrain, Google can go beyond factors like the quality of the content or the links to a webpage to help identify the very best answer to a search.

So to survive RankBrain, you have a lot of work to do to ensure that you are creating the type of content that satisfies the query / your keywords. If you don’t, you risk the chance of RankBrain deciding that your content is not relevant to a search and you can lose rankings.

For more, see:

• The Real Impact of RankBrain on Web Traffic
• 5 Ways to Create Winning SEO Content That Gets More Visibility in the Search Results
• What Is Google’s “Needs Met” Rating and Why Should Website Publishers Care

There are countless factors that go into ranking a webpage, video, or image. And those factors change based on the search query. Understanding the top factors, though, is an important first step in knowing how search works.

Unlock your website’s potential with our expert SEO strategies tailored to Google’s dynamic ranking factors—let’s boost your visibility and climb the search results together. Talk to us. 

FAQ: How can I increase the ranking of my website with Google using its top ranking factors?

Today’s digital world necessitates having an effective online presence for any business to remain viable; and Google’s top ranking factors play a pivotal role when it comes to your website’s SERP ranking. So, how can these elements help boost website performance and how can businesses utilize these factors to their benefit? In order to understand more on this subject and gain some valuable insights.

At first, it’s essential to recognize that Google uses a sophisticated algorithm to rank websites. Although this algorithm incorporates numerous factors, here are a few primary ones which you should focus on:

1. Content Quality: Producing high-quality, engaging and relevant content is of utmost importance for Google to recognize websites as providers of valuable information to their visitors, so invest time into producing engaging articles, blog posts, videos and other forms of media content creation such as books.
2. Backlinks: An authoritative backlink network can make all the difference for improving website rankings. Partner with prominent industry websites when possible and prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to backlinks.
3. Mobile Responsiveness: Being mobile-first makes having a mobile-responsive website essential. Google prioritizes websites which deliver seamless user experiences on all devices; to maximize this benefit for mobile visitors optimize both design and functionality to provide optimal experience across devices.
4. Page Loading Speed: Slow websites can lead to poor user experiences and reduce Google ranking, so make sure yours loads quickly by optimizing images, minifying code and employing caching strategies.
5. User Experience: Google prioritizes websites that focus on user experience. Focusing on elements like easy navigation, intuitive design and clear calls-to-action will not only increase rankings but will also foster engagement and conversions.

Moving forward to enhance your website’s ranking:

6. Leverage Keywords Precisely: Conduct keyword research to identify relevant search terms, then incorporate these naturally into the content, meta tags and headings on your website.
7. Optimize meta tags: Create attractive titles and descriptions that accurately capture your webpage content while encouraging viewers to visit it.
8. Take Advantage of Header Tags: Header tags can help structure and simplify your content for users as well as search engines alike, making it more readable for both audiences.
9. Include alt text with images: Alt text can help search engines understand your images more readily, making your website both accessible and search-engine-friendly.
10. Regularly update content: Stagnant websites tend not to rank well; to stay ahead, ensure yours remains fresh by regularly publishing articles, blog posts or product updates.
11. Leverage Social Media: Utilize social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook to increase exposure, drive visitors directly to your website, and potentially secure backlinks from outside sources.
12. Monitor and Assess Website Performance: Utilizing tools like Google Analytics can be useful in monitoring website performance, user activity and traffic sources — providing valuable data that reveals areas requiring improvement and potential problem areas.
13. Engage Your Audience: Responding to user comments, queries and feedback is vital in building relationships and maintaining your website’s visibility and reputation. Engaging and building relationships will pay dividends!
14. Increase Website Security: Search engines prefer secure websites; utilize SSL encryption technology and regularly upgrade software updates in order to protect it against malware attacks.
15. Optimize for local search: If your business has physical presence, pay special attention to local SEO factors like Google My Business listings, customer reviews and local keywords when optimizing for local search.
16. Generate an XML Sitemap: Generating an XML sitemap helps search engines understand and index your website more effectively.
17. Stay Abreast of Your Competitors: Keep tabs on what strategies, keywords and tactics your competitors employ in order to increase the ranking of their website.
18. Create an effective internal linking structure: Internal links enable search engines to navigate your website more effectively while also helping establish its hierarchy, dispersing authority more evenly among pages and improving user navigation.
19. Strive for positive user experience: Prioritize providing visitors with an engaging user experience on your website by prioritizing fast loading pages, intuitive interfaces and fast access to pertinent data.
20. Stay current: With search engine algorithms ever evolving, staying informed on latest trends, updates and best practices is key for maintaining and improving the ranking of your website.

Utilizing Google’s top ranking factors is the cornerstone of improving website rankings. Apply these expert strategies, deliver valuable content with exceptional user experiences and watch as your rankings soar higher and higher on search engine result pages.

The post What Are Google’s Top Ranking Factors? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Understanding long-tail keywords is the key to enhancing your search performance and matching the needs of your target audience.

Long-tail keywords are specific, highly focused phrases that may have lower search volumes but can bring in more qualified and engaged traffic.

In this blog, we will delve into how to find long-tail keywords and why they are a valuable asset in your online strategy.

• Understanding Long-Tail Keywords
• Benefits of Long-Tail Keywords
• Using Tools for Keyword Research
• Analyzing User Intent 
• Mining Your Existing Content
• FAQ: What is the best long-tail keyword strategy for your business? 

Understanding Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are extended and precise search queries that users enter into search engines. Unlike short-tail keywords, which are more generic and competitive, long-tail keywords cater to a niche audience. For instance, while “shoes” is a short-tail keyword, “comfortable running shoes for flat feet” is a long-tail keyword.

When dealing with long-tail queries, it’s important to be discerning in your selection. Avoid generating content for the sake of quantity — opt for subjects closely aligned with your expertise or product offerings and remain within your core business objectives. The content you produce must be relevant, helpful and valuable to your audience.

Benefits of Long-Tail Keywords

Did you know that most US search queries get less than 10 searches per month? Long-tail keywords offer a specificity that attracts fewer people but leads to higher conversion rates for those people. A long-tail keyword approach is perfect for establishing a foothold in a fresh market.

When launching a new website or delving into a new subject, concentrating on long-tail keyword phrases in your content can enhance your visibility among the intended audience. Due to their unique and infrequent search nature, long-tail keywords attract users with precise intentions.

Producing high-quality content that meets these specific queries cultivates your reputation with the right individuals. It also serves as an effective SEO strategy for launching your endeavors and advancing your rankings in areas pertinent to your niche.

It’s true that each singular long-tail keyword may not inundate your website with a surge of traffic. Nevertheless, as you target an increasing number of these keywords, the cumulative search traffic will gradually amass into a substantial flow.

Moreover, considering the abundance of long-tail keywords across virtually every industry, the likelihood of running out of them is pretty remote.

Using Tools for Keyword Research

There are various approaches available for discovering long-tail keywords. Some may be more laborious than others, some could be considered somewhat “unconventional,” and a few are simply inaccurate.

Certain SEO specialists recommend obtaining long-tail keywords through Google Autosuggest. This involves inputting your primary keyword along with various alphabet letters. Google Autosuggest tends to provide predominantly popular search queries rather than the sought-after long-tail variations. Many of the suggested keywords are likely to be well-known and competitive.

To find long-tail keywords, consider utilizing keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or even our own SEOToolSet®. These tools provide data on search volume, competition and related keywords, helping you identify valuable long-tail opportunities.

Analyzing User Intent

Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and think about the specific questions or problems they might have. Crafting keywords around these pain points can yield fruitful results.

Analyzing user intent requires a deep dive into the mindset of your potential visitors. To do this effectively, consider conducting surveys and user interviews or using analytics tools to gain insights into your audience’s questions, needs and desires. This first-hand data can be invaluable in crafting long-tail keywords that directly address your audience’s challenges.

Another key aspect of user intent analysis is recognizing the different stages of the customer journey. Users searching for information or solutions may be at various stages, from the awareness stage (where they are just identifying a problem) to the decision stage (where they are ready to purchase or take action).

Tailoring your long-tail keywords to match these different stages can help you capture users’ attention at the right time and guide them through the entire journey. This means creating content that provides informative answers and gradually nudges them toward conversion or engagement.

In essence, user intent analysis empowers you to create a holistic long-tail keyword strategy that aligns with your audience’s needs at every stage of their journey.

Mining Your Existing Content

One of the most efficient ways to uncover long-tail keyword opportunities is to mine your existing content. Examine your current content for phrases relevant to your niche that may have yet to be fully optimized, then revise and update your content accordingly to include these keywords. This process saves time and maximizes the value of the content you’ve already invested in.

Start by conducting a content audit and reviewing your blog posts, articles and other pages for underutilized long-tail keyword options. You may find sections of your content where long-tail keywords could be naturally incorporated. Enhancing these sections with the right keywords will improve the visibility and relevance of your content.

Consider repurposing and expanding existing content to target specific long-tail keyword variations. If you identify a cluster of closely related long-tail keywords, you can create a comprehensive, in-depth guide or resource that covers the topic comprehensively. This provides valuable information to your audience and boosts your authority in the niche. Remember to update the publication date and promote these refreshed pieces to ensure they gain the attention they deserve.

Mining your existing content can yield significant gains in your long-tail keyword strategy by breathing new life into your previous work and aligning it with current search trends and user needs.

Long-tail keywords are invaluable tools in your SEO and content strategy arsenal. By catering to specific user needs and optimizing your content accordingly, you can tap into a niche audience that is more likely to convert.

Our SEO experts can help you identify long-tail keywords and incorporate them into your content strategy to improve relevance, visibility and authority. Contact us for a free consultation.

FAQ: What is the best long-tail keyword strategy for your business?

The best long-tail keyword strategy for your business depends on various factors, including your industry, target audience and the specific goals you aim to achieve.

One practical approach is to focus on informational long-tail keywords. These keywords are centered around answering questions, solving problems, or providing valuable insights to your audience.

By creating content that addresses these specific user needs, you can position your business as a reliable source of information, attract qualified traffic and build authority in your niche. This strategy is especially beneficial for businesses seeking to establish themselves as experts and nurture long-term relationships with their audience.

Another powerful long-tail keyword strategy involves targeting transactional keywords. These keywords are often used by users closer to making a purchase decision.

By optimizing your product or service pages with transactional long-tail keywords, you can attract potential customers who are actively seeking to buy.

This strategy is ideal for e-commerce businesses or service providers looking to boost conversions and drive revenue. It’s important to conduct thorough keyword research to identify transactional long-tail keywords that align with your offerings and create compelling content to convince users to take action.

To determine the best long-tail keyword strategy for your business, you must strategically combine both informational and transactional approaches. This entails providing valuable information through content while seamlessly guiding users toward conversion points.

You can effectively nurture leads and transform them into loyal customers by striking a balance between educating your audience and offering solutions that meet their specific needs. Your choice of long-tail keywords should align with your business objectives and the preferences of your target audience.

Continuously monitor the performance of your keywords and be ready to adapt your strategy to stay in sync with evolving search trends and user behavior.

Step-by-Step Procedure:

1. Understanding the role long-tail keyword phrases play in SEO is critical.
2. Identify your target audience and their specific needs or pain points.
3. Utilize keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SEOToolSet®.
4. Conduct keyword research to discover potential long-tail keywords relevant to your niche.
5. Analyze search volume and competition for each keyword.
6. Focus on keywords with lower competition and higher relevance to your content.
7. Consider user intent when crafting long-tail keyword phrases.
8. Create content that addresses the specific queries or problems associated with your chosen keywords.
9. Optimize your existing content by incorporating relevant long-tail keywords.
10. Ensure that your content provides valuable information to users.
11. Monitor the performance of your content using analytics tools.
12. Adjust your strategy based on the performance data.
13. Continuously update and refine your content to stay competitive.
14. Build backlinks to your content to improve its visibility.
15. Engage with your audience through comments and social media.
16. Track your rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).
17. Measure the conversion rate and ROI of your long-tail keyword strategy.
18. Adapt and evolve your keyword strategy as search trends change.
19. Stay abreast of the latest algorithmic updates and SEO best practices.
20. Reap the benefits of targeted, high-converting traffic generated by long-tail keywords.

The post How Can I Find Long-Tail Keywords and Why Are They Valuable? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Consumers today are increasingly self–sufficient — they want to soak up as much information about your business as possible before making the decision to buy.

So, where do they go for their research? Your website. That means businesses must focus on generating traffic in order to compete and make money.

In this blog, we will cover actionable ways to increase traffic to your website and land more sales:

1. Search Engine Optimization
2. Content Marketing
3. Social Media Marketing
4. Public Relations
5. Email Marketing
6. Targeted Online Advertising
7. Analysis and Adaptation

FAQ: How can SEO increase traffic?

1. Search Engine Optimization

This one is a no-brainer. The goal of search engine optimization (SEO) is to drive traffic to your website. SEO improves websites so they can rank higher in search results. And when you rank higher, you yield more traffic to your website.

SEO comprises different approaches, including technical SEO, on-page SEO and off-page SEO. Some of the tactics include:

• Conducting thorough keyword research
• Developing a high-quality SEO content strategy
• Doing thorough competitive research to inform your SEO program
• Optimizing the performance of your website
• Monitoring and fixing technical issues
• Creating a clear website structure to benefit visitors and search engines
• Optimizing each critical webpage with SEO best practices

When you look at your brand in a popular search engine such as Google, you want to review what searchers will see. How well does the description of your site match what you do and who you are? What pages show up under your main page when you search for your brand? As an example, you can see how “Bruce Clay” appears in Google when searched. It’s clear that Bruce Clay is an SEO company that offers search marketing services worldwide.

As you work to increase website traffic for your business, you also want to ensure that people see what you want them to see with that increased traffic.

2. Content Marketing

“Content marketing is like a first date. If you only talk about yourself, there won’t be a second one.” – David Beebe, branded content producer.

Content is critical for ranking in the search results and providing value to your target audience.

But today, content is held to extremely high standards by Google. The content you create must provide value and must be helpful.

To rank well in search engines, your content must demonstrate experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust, otherwise known as E-E-A-T. For some subjects, direct experience is critical.

Providing helpful information along the customer journey will lead visitors to your website when they’re ready to purchase.

For more, see:

• The Complete Guide to the Basics of Google’s E-E-A-T
• What is Content Optimization?
• SEO Content Rules To Live By
• How SEO Supports the Customer 
• What Makes a Webpage Quality

3. Social Media Marketing

Social media can be an incredibly effective tool for increasing traffic to your site.

Establish yourself as an authority on platforms relevant to your target market and regularly post engaging updates that pique followers’ interest.

In addition, you need to manage your presence in the social media communities by interacting with followers and utilizing paid promotional campaigns to broaden your reach and bring in additional visitors to your website.

It’s important to remember that social media marketing extends beyond providing updates and information about your products or services. Of course, you want to establish your brand, but you also need to interact with your followers. Building an audience on social media includes engaging with the people who show up to your account.

As your audience grows, we recommend hiring a community manager who specifically focuses on engaging with your followers. Building a brand relationship with people interested in your brand is one of the best ways to increase conversion rates.

4. Public Relations

Gaining mentions and publications on influential websites in your niche or high-profile media outlets can significantly enhance your brand while driving traffic back to your website.

In the context of SEO, there are some rules to follow regarding public relations, specifically press releases. To learn more about that, see Why Press Releases Still Matter to SEO and How to Write a Press Release That Entices Media.

5. Email Marketing

Email marketing is a very effective strategy for reaching your audience and bringing traffic to your site. It also gives you a high return on investment — research shows that email marketing ROI yields $36 for every $1 spent.

Emailing your subscribers keeps them informed with news, updates, information, or special promotions, and it ensures they will likely become repeat visitors to your website or customers of your products.

Email marketing is a complex strategy that involves different messaging for different audiences, so be sure that anything you send is helpful and relevant to the people receiving it.

6. Targeted Online Advertising

Google estimates that for every $1 you spend on Google Ads, you get $8 in return.

Digital advertising like Google Ads or social media ads lets you focus on targeting a specific audience to deliver uber-relevant ads.

Ad platforms allow advertisers to target potential customers based on demographics, interests and behavioral characteristics, creating highly effective digital campaigns.

This, in turn, allows you to drive targeted traffic to your site.

7. Analysis and Adaptation

Regularly monitoring website traffic with tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help identify patterns, trends and areas ripe for optimization.

Studying visitor behaviors and the performance of your webpages gives you insights to adapt strategies accordingly.

Remember: Digital marketing is never done – it only evolves.

Increasing website traffic requires time and dedication, so be patient while staying aware of current digital trends.

Our SEO experts can help you increase website traffic, leads, conversions, sales and revenue. Reach out to us for a free consultation and let’s discuss how we can improve your SEO.

FAQ: How can SEO increase traffic?

SEO is a popular strategy to increase traffic to your website and convert this traffic into customers. Hence, all the most successful businesses take SEO very seriously, as it helps them grow to where they are now.

SEO is crucial because it involves optimizing content and website structure to increase your brand’s visibility in search engines. With the right SEO plan rooted in the proper techniques, traffic and conversions can grow significantly.

Search engines use complex algorithms to evaluate websites. By aligning your website with these search engines, your chances of appearing higher in search results increase, leading to more people seeing and clicking on your website.

The first part of SEO is keyword research. Keywords are words or phrases people type into search engines when seeking information. By identifying relevant keywords related to your website content and including them in titles, headings and content for optimization purposes, you can help search engines understand what the site is about while increasing its visibility through relevant searches.

Content creation is another critical SEO tactic, with search engines favoring websites offering visitors valuable and pertinent information. By regularly adding fresh and engaging content, you can bring in more visitors while increasing the time they stay on your website; both will improve search rankings while simultaneously building up a loyal following for future campaigns.

Alongside optimizing your site’s content, you must prioritize building high-quality backlinks from other reputable websites pointing back to it. When other trustworthy sites link back to your website, this signals to search engines that your content is trustworthy and valuable, improving rankings and driving more organic traffic to your business.

As with all SEO-related activities, monitoring and assessing efforts requires constant evaluation. Tools like Google Analytics are practical tools for measuring website performance by tracking metrics such as visitor count, bounce rate and conversion rates, giving insight into improvement areas while fine-tuning SEO strategies.

By implementing these SEO techniques and staying abreast of current trends and best practices, you can drive more visitors to your website while increasing its presence in search engine results. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process; continue refining and optimizing strategies until long-term success has been reached.

Step-by-step Procedure for Optimizing Content on Websites:

1. Research keywords to uncover relevant phrases and words for your website.
2. Be sure to include these keywords throughout the content on your website, from title tags and meta descriptions to headings and subheadings.
3. Ensure that the content provided to visitors is helpful, well-organized and intuitive for them to access.
4. Building an authoritative network with high-quality links in your field is key to long-term business success.
5. Consider writing guest blog posts on reliable sites and engaging your target market via social media and online communities.
6. Analytical tools provide an invaluable way to monitor and analyze the performance of your website. Monitor who is visiting, their behaviors and any traffic sources resulting from visits.
7. Data analytics allows analysts to quickly recognize trends and user preferences by using collected information to perform data analyses on it.
8. Adopt a data-driven approach to optimizing your SEO strategy.
9. Optimize your content based on feedback from visitors.
10. Stay current on the search engine algorithm changes and SEO best practices.
11. Optimize your Core Web Vitals page speed to enhance user experience and SEO rankings.
12. Use social media to spread information about your website content.
13. Utilize email marketing to inform your target audience about your website to increase traffic.
14. Stay ahead of your competitors by performing regular analyses to pinpoint areas for improvement.
15. Put different SEO techniques through their paces and observe how they impact website traffic.
16. Tweak meta tags and descriptions on your website to improve click-through rates, increasing clicks-per-visits.
17. Employ structured data markups to elevate your website in search engine result pages and boost its rank.
18. Continually review, analyze and adapt SEO strategies to maintain and expand visibility and traffic. for long-term and sustainable traffic growth.

The post 7 Proven Strategies To Increase Website Traffic for Your Business appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Every Monday, SEO is a brand-new industry. It’s complex and can be difficult to keep up with the constant changes.

In the right hands, SEO is a powerful tool that makes your brand first among equals.

In the wrong hands, doing SEO incorrectly hurts your brand and can ultimately cause your business to fail. The difference between the two is expertise.

So in order to implement a successful SEO program, it would be wise to work with an experienced agency or consultant.

An expert SEO agency knows how to implement good strategies to improve your online visibility, establish your company as a trusted authority in your niche, attract more organic traffic to your website, and increase your revenue.

Not all SEO agencies are created equal — some are good, some are bad. If you know more about SEO than your agency does, don’t expect to see meaningful results. And if you’re not getting the best results from your SEO campaign, it’s time to look elsewhere.

There are many factors you should consider before deciding on hiring outside help. Here, we will look at the top 10 expert skills you should expect from an SEO agency:

1. 1. 1. Keyword research
      2. Competitor analysis
      3. On-page optimization
      4. Off-page optimization
      5. Technical SEO
      6. Content marketing
      7. Local SEO
      8. Analytics and reporting
      9. SEO tools
      10. SEO training

   FAQ: What are the top contributions that an SEO agency can make to your SEO program?

1. Keyword Research

Keyword research is a critical component of every successful SEO campaign. It’s what helps you understand your target audience and their search behaviors.

A good SEO agency will utilize keyword research to provide you with an edge in understanding and outranking your competitors. They will also conduct content gap analyses to identify gaps and enhance an overall competitive content strategy.

The top three search results for a query get the majority of clicks. An agency will help you align your content creation and optimization with the keywords and queries your audience is looking for to give you a better chance of showing up in those positions.

For more, read:

• What are keywords? Why are keywords important to SEO?

2. Competitor Analysis

The goal of SEO is to beat the competition, not the algorithm.

SEO agencies know how to conduct a thorough competitor analysis to analyze the SEO strategies of a website’s competition. These insights inform the recommendations they make on how to outperform them.

For more on competitor analysis, read:

• How to do competitor research for SEO

3. On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization improves a website’s relevance and user experience, leading to higher visibility in search engines.

Some tactics include:

• Optimizing the website’s content with keywords.
• Deploying the right formatting.
• Schema markup.
• Making sure a webpage is mobile-friendly, user-friendly, and fast.
• Focusing on the organization of the content throughout the site, including the internal linking strategy.

With expert knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, a great SEO agency can optimize a website’s structure, content, and design to ensure it meets the technical requirements of search engines and user needs.

Our Always Up-to-Date SEO Checklist is a great resource to help you with on-page optimization. I suggest bookmarking the page for frequent reference.

4. Off-Page Optimization

Off-page optimization includes things like social media marketing, influencer promotions, press releases, and earning quality links to the website.

Backlinks are a ranking factor, although it isn’t specifically the number of links that matters. Fewer high-quality backlinks can better improve the credibility and authority of a website than a large volume of lower-quality ones.

In other words: The days of “link building” are over …. ultimately, earning relevant links comes down to creating great content that people want to link to and share.

For more on backlinks, see:

• The New Link Building Manifesto: A Complete Guide to Earning Links That Count

5. Technical SEO

Technical SEO involves optimizing a website’s performance to ensure it meets the technical requirements of search engines and offers a great user experience.

For example, page speed is a confirmed Google ranking signal, and Google wants pages to load in under 2.5 seconds.

Technical failures are a common reason for a drop in rankings and traffic. And the complexity of today’s websites requires an expert to identify and fix any issues that may cause these drops in traffic.

With expertise in website architecture, server configuration, and user experience, the right SEO agency can ensure that your site is technically sound and make it easier for search engines to access it.

For more on technical SEO, see:

• Technical SEO vs. On-Page SEO: The DIfferences
• SEO Guide: Technical SEO Tips

6. Content Marketing

Content marketing is about creating and sharing content in a way that helps you achieve your business and marketing objectives.

Content marketing involves:

• Communicating effectively.
• Making connections.
• Sharing the right content.
• Engaging your audience.
• Being in the right place at the right time.
• Seizing opportunity.
• Inspiring action.
• Nurturing the needs of your customers.
• Showcasing your personality/company culture in a way that fits the brand.

An expert SEO agency understands how experience, expertise, authority, and trust factor into quality content that builds trust with your market. They are skilled at developing content strategies, optimizing content for target keywords, and implementing content promotion techniques that demonstrate authority to search engines and to your target audience.

7. Local SEO

Local SEO is critical for businesses that rely on local customers. In fact, research from BrightLocal shows that 98% of people use the internet to find information about a local business.

Some of the SEO tactics used in local SEO differ from traditional techniques for organic search results (“10 blue links”).

And the complexity of local SEO grows when you have national and multi-site businesses, including franchises.

An experienced agency knows how to utilize local keyword research, on-page optimization, and local link building to ensure that a business’s website appears in local search results for the most valuable queries.

For more on local SEO, read:

• How Do I Rank Higher in Google Local Search?

8. Analytics and Reporting

Analytics and reporting are essential to measure the success of an SEO campaign and identify areas for improvement.

SEO agencies should frequently check in with you to provide detailed reports on the website’s performance, rankings, and traffic. They are experienced in data analytics tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and other SEO tools. And with the launch of Google Analytics 4 (GA4), an agency will have even more powerful tools to track and analyze user behavior on your website.

9. SEO Tools

SEO tools can provide a competitive advantage and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of any agency’s services.

These tools can provide valuable information about keyword research, backlink analysis, and website optimization.

Some SEO agencies (like ours) have their own proprietary SEO tools. Our SEO ToolSet software offers a suite of unique tools for website optimization. It’s been used by over 5,000 clients, including Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.

With access to the right tools, an agency can provide businesses with a unique and effective strategy that outperforms its competitors.

Remember that there is always a difference between data and wisdom. SEO tools can inundate you with data, but what sets agencies apart is the wisdom to understand what the data is telling you.

A skilled SEO agency will give you the right data with information specific to your website, then make actionable recommendations to help you make the right decisions for your business.

For more on SEO tools, see:

• The Top SEO Software That Experts Use Every Day

10. SEO Training

SEO training, like tools, can provide a competitive advantage and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of any agency services.

By learning how SEO works or improving upon the SEO skills you already have, you can have more strategic conversations with your SEO provider.

As the SEO industry continues to grow, the demand for training courses has steadily increased. Google Trends data shows a notable surge in search interest for SEO training services toward the last quarter of 2021.

These trends underscore the vital importance of investing in SEO training, showing its importance for business survival in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Some SEO companies provide SEO training – we happen to be one of them. We’ve trained tens of thousands of students over 27 years on the foundations of SEO and evolving best practices.

In the past few years, we have reinvented our SEO training from in-person classes to an online membership site with tons of resources for its members in various content formats.

With the constant changes to search engine algorithms, staying up-to-date on SEO best practices and strategies through quality training is essential to remain competitive in today’s online marketplace.

There are a plethora of SEO training offerings out there — you must do your research and choose wisely. Before committing to anything, I suggest reading my article on Search Engine Land to help you evaluate your options.

Looking for an experienced SEO agency with a proven track record of helping websites get to Page 1 in the search results? Look no further than Bruce Clay, Inc.! Reach out to us to schedule a free consultation.

FAQ: What are the top contributions that an SEO agency can make to your SEO program?

Many businesses don’t have the time, resources, or knowledge to implement a successful SEO program. Working with an experienced SEO agency can significantly enhance your campaign. Here are the top skills you should look for when deciding to hire outside help.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is at the core of any successful SEO strategy. SEO agencies possess the knowledge and expertise required to perform thorough searches that identify relevant keywords for your industry, product, or service. They also optimize websites so they rank higher in search engine result pages (SERPs). By understanding your audience and their search behavior, agencies can optimize sites so they appear higher up in SERPs, leading to more organic traffic and conversions.

Competitor Analysis

To be the best in SEO, it means outstripping competitors. SEO agencies specialize in competitor analysis to gain valuable insight into their strategies and assist you with creating an improved SEO plan by studying what others are doing. Using this knowledge, they can identify opportunities to outrank rivals and bring more qualified traffic to your site.

Expert On-Page SEO

Optimizing the relevance and user experience of your website is paramount for its success. An SEO agency utilizes its extensive knowledge of HTML and CSS to optimize the structure, design and content of your website in accordance with search engines’ technical requirements while simultaneously meeting user demands. A specialist agency can boost rankings and targeted traffic by employing strategies such as keyword optimization, formatting schema markups and creating user-friendly navigation.

Off-page SEO

Off-page SEO refers to activities performed outside of your website that contribute to its overall search engine optimization success. A good SEO agency can develop an effective off-page strategy for optimizing your website, including social media marketing, influencer promotion, link acquisition strategies, or creating high-quality links. These experts understand the importance of a good link-building strategy and can create content that earns backlinks for increased authority, credibility and visibility for your brand.

Analytical Insights and Reporting

Reporting and analytics are crucial in evaluating the success of any SEO campaign and identifying any areas for improvement. SEO agencies typically provide regular reports detailing website traffic, rankings and key metrics gathered using data-driven insights provided by tools like Google Analytics and Search Console that will allow you to stay ahead of competitors in an ever-evolving digital landscape. These reports help keep an accurate account of SEO campaign activities while keeping a detailed log of improvements necessary in real-time.

Choosing the right partnership with an SEO agency can be the key to the success of your business. Take the time to get to know them, what they offer and what their track record is like. Leverage their experience in the industry to achieve better results — more traffic, visibility, leads, conversions, sales and customers.

The post 10 Expert Skills of an SEO Agency appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

There’s good content. And, then there’s high-quality content, the stuff that rises in the search engine results pages, oozing those attractive and useful characteristics both consumers and search engines value.

For an SEO copywriter, there are few SEO content writing tips that make your content more “valuable and useful” to your readers than including first-hand information from an expert.

If your web copy isn’t performing, it might be because it lacks credible, expert information.

While it takes extra time and research, the voice of an expert has the power to lift good content to high-quality heights.

Think about it like this. Would you trust an essay, a research paper, or a white paper without original research and real sources? Moreover, would you trust a paper that was plagiarized? Yet, for some reason, we expect consumers to simply accept digital content even when it’s copied from material on the web and presented without sources and citations. On top of that, we expect search engines to reward that type of content with rankings. It just doesn’t happen that way.

Regardless of your industry or topic, expert information brings credibility to a site. Credible content not only nourishes consumer appetites, but also meets Google’s bar for the amount of E-E-A-T (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) on a webpage, boosting your rankings. It happens this way.

So is your website content credible? Does it demonstrate a high level of expertise? If so, that’s great news. You can check out the rest of our SEO Copywriting Checklist for other ways you can improve your content. If not, it’s time to make some friends with experts.

How? I’m going to share with you a step-by-step process for building and maintaining healthy relationships with industry experts, a process we’ve had the chance to perfect in producing content for a big-brand client in the wedding industry.

Use these SEO content writing tips to make relationships with real experts who will help you publish high-quality content, whether you’re writing SEO web content, articles, or blogs.

This article will walk you through the following:

• How to identify industry experts
• How to find industry experts
• How to reach out to experts
• Tips on conducting interviews
• Tips on how to maintain relationships
• FAQ: How do I identify the right industry experts for my content?

How to Identify Industry Experts

What makes an industry expert?

Not to be confused with industry influencers, industry experts are people with the expert knowledge, experience, education, data, or advice on the specific topics you’re writing about.

According to Google, the level of expertise required for a site varies depending on the topic and industry. In its Search Quality Rating Guidelines, Google gives the example that a medical site should have information with “appropriate medical expertise or accreditation,” yet suggests a site about the proper care of cats could easily be rated high-quality if it features expertise by everyday cat owners as opposed to trained veterinarians.

Ask yourself these basic yet important questions to help you identify the best expert for SEO copywriting:

• What type of information do you need? (Studies, analyses, facts, testimonials, opinions?)
• Who has first-hand knowledge of this information?
• Who does your target audience want to hear from most?

For the purpose of SEO content writing, find an expert who is doing the work today (as opposed to a retiree or someone who just speaks or writes about the topic). These are doers and dream makers, the ones who can provide you with unique, never-before-seen quotes and advice.

It’s also important to talk to someone who not only has been interviewed before but also enjoys talking about what they do or know. It’s not enough to find a professional with the knowledge you need. You want an expert who can appeal to your target audience by simplifying complex concepts without industry jargon.

Next, competitive analysis will reveal the level of authority you want to go after. At the very least, you want an expert at the same level or higher than the ones featured on competitor sites.

For this project, this meant talking to wedding planners. On the topic of wedding etiquette, my first thought was to reach out to etiquette experts, such as the team at The Emily Post Institute. Yet I went with wedding planners because I knew that they could provide me with all things etiquette, plus real-world tips on how to incorporate those rules into modern scenarios facing the couples who are their clients today.

How to Find Industry Experts

You know the title or level of expertise you need, so how do you find the experts?

Here, are a few places you can begin your search:

Recent newspaper and magazine articles. If an expert is passionate about what they do and know, chances are they’ve been interviewed before. Begin your search in websites of major newspapers and magazines for the topics you’re writing about to discover notable experts.

If you’re writing about sleep apnea, for example, a recent article in the New York Times on the same subject reveals the name of Dr. Avidan, director of the sleep clinic at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, someone who just might know a thing or two about sleep apnea and can talk about it in a way that’s not so (queue yawn) boring.

For my project, I needed a wedding planner, but not any planner would do. I needed the best of the best, and that meant planners who produce events and weddings for the stars. I picked well-known celebrity wedding planners who helped bring celebrity weddings to life within the last year or were recently named one of the top wedding planners by reputable publications such as the Knot, Vogue, or Martha Stewart Weddings.

University faculty and professors. This is a great resource for a wide range of topics required for informational websites. Many universities have professors and staff who regularly speak to journalists for interviews. Look for the institution’s media page to find a list of faculty by expertise. For example, UCLA has this handy Media Guide to UCLA Experts.

Popular bloggers. If you want to feature information or advice from everyday people with experience in the topic you’re writing about, find an active blogger who is immersed in the conversation. If you’re writing about how to potty train your toddler, for example, it might help to have quotes or advice from a mother who is dealing with this issue today, as opposed to a pediatrician who simply gives generic advice. An active and popular lifestyle blogger who writes about motherhood is also going to give you fun, easy-to-digest information that might better appeal to your target audience.

Dos and Don’ts

Do pick more experts than you need. If the project requires interviewing two experts, reach out to five or ten. You never know who will respond, and it’s always a good idea to have backups in case someone flakes, gets sick, or simply has to cancel last minute. Another reason to reach out to more experts than you will need is that not everyone will give you the best information, and you’ll have a few options to choose from.

Do create a spreadsheet. Keep a list of experts you want to interview. Include the proper spelling of their name, company name, and contact information, including email, phone number, and website. Add a column for the date you reached out, the date they responded, if they agree to an interview, and if they agree to be interviewed regularly.

Don’t reach out to competitor resources. As tempting as it might be, it’s better to find your own experts and build relationships with people who are not contributing to your competitor’s websites.

How to Reach Out to Experts

It’s time to say hello. The way you reach out to busy industry experts matters, as does what and how much you say when you have their attention. You can use the telephone, but here’s why I prefer email along with the process that was most successful for me.

Send a brief but enticing email. Why email? When was the last time you picked up your office phone? It’s simply annoying to cold call someone and even more annoying to be the recipient of that call. Also, people don’t check their voicemails throughout the day, but they do check their emails several times a day. This means that an expert can read and reply on their own time, which makes it convenient for them, and you.

With one email, you can introduce yourself (your title and the company you work for), explain the reason for the interview (talk about the project, client, and benefits of being featured in the content), and let them know you’re reaching out to them specifically because they are an expert in their field. Include your deadline, and keep it open for a phone or email interview.

Personalize the email. You have time to personalize your emails, and there is an important reason to do so: you’re making a real relationship. You want them to feel as though they are your top choice. A generic email without the recipient’s name is insulting and exhibits lazy behavior on your part, not a good start to a relationship.

Create a template. What can save you time is creating a template, but be careful to highlight the dynamic areas of the email so that you don’t use the wrong name, which is also very insulting.

Here’s an example of the template I used to contact a luxury wedding planner.

Dear [the expert’s name] and the team at [the business name],

[The client’s name] is building its resource library for brides.

We’re looking for wedding and events experts to provide background on wedding invitation wording and etiquette. Are you interested in being a named expert in our series? The name of [the expert’s name and business name] will be featured in the piece in front of researching brides.

If you’re interested, I would like to set up some time to talk. Both phone and email will work for the interview. My deadline is [a date], so please let me know as soon as convenient.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
Content Writer
[Your company]
[Your website]
[Your phone number]

Tips on Conducting Interviews

These tips will help you conduct thorough interviews that will provide you with the unique, expert-level information you need to write quality content.

Here’s the prep work:

Research competitor content. Before I begin any SEO content optimization project, I want to know what my competitors are already writing about the topic or industry. Above, I mentioned competitor research is an important step to find the type of expert you need, but if you want to beat your competitors, you will need to write content that’s more valuable and useful, which means you will have the basics covered and then some. While reading competitor content, you’ll find content gaps and weaknesses, which can be the areas you can focus and expand on to capture your target audience.

Research past interviews or online content featuring your expert. If your experts have been interviewed before, read every single interview as well as the content they’ve contributed to. This is because the expert might give you a similar quote, and you don’t want to run into duplicate content issues or repeat what’s already available online.

Write down your questions. Even if the conversation flows out of order, a written list will keep you on topic and ensure you get all the information you need at one time. It also shows that you did your homework. Ask the who, what, where, when, why, and how, and then dig deeper with questions that will give you the unique information your target audience needs and wants.

When it’s time for the interview:

Email questions ahead of time. Whether it’s in person, by phone, or via email, the interview will go much smoother if the expert receives your questions ahead of time. In my experience, this extra step gives them time to think about the questions and produce better, more thoughtful answers. If you’re conducting an email interview, then send your questions along with a reminder of the due date. If you’ve scheduled a phone interview, remind them of the date and time of the interview and make sure you confirm time zone differences and that you have the right phone number.

Get personal. I love to open my interviews with a discussion of the expert’s recent contributions to the industry. There are many benefits to this approach, including possibly bonding over a common interest, breaking the ice with someone who’s just met, and opening the door for the expert to freely chat about their passions and work, a technique that’s provided me with tons of unexpected information I can then incorporate into the content.

Confirm the name and title of the expert. Don’t assume the owner of the company is the CEO, even if the website says she is. Always confirm the expert’s title as well as any qualifiers. Some wedding planners preferred “celebrity wedding planner,” while others requested “luxury wedding planner,” “event designer,” etc.

Thank them for the interview. Whether you conducted a phone or email interview, send a follow-up email thanking them for the interview, with a sentence about how you will inform them once the piece goes live.

Tips on How to Maintain Relationships

So far, so good. You’ve interviewed the right people, got some great information, and now it’s time to honor these relationships. Here are a few tips to help you foster and keep these relationships.

Stay consistent with tone and formality. Remain formal, even if the expert breaks out into casual communication. I’ve had experts write back in fragments and without punctuation, yet I remain formal because I aim to be respectful, and consistent and earn their trust as a professional. At the end of the day, this relationship is a formal business relationship and you want to earn their trust by being reliable and consistent with your communication style.

Follow up. If you don’t hear back within a few days, go ahead and send out a second email to follow up. With a few experts, I sent out more than one follow up, and it proved to be fruitful because my emails went into their spam folders, and they were so happy when they found out I was still interested in an interview.

Make notes. Consider this as being a good listener. With every reply and conversation, update your spreadsheet with information that helps your relationship. Identify the experts who’ve agreed to be interviewed and those who would like to be interviewed regularly.

You also want to add any new or specific contact information. For instance, 75 percent of the experts I reach out to refer me to their assistants and request to be CCd by all the correspondence; I record that in my notes.

As time goes by, you will also get to know how reliable and prompt your experts are. Those who continue to miss deadlines can be dropped off the list. Those who respond immediately and seem super eager to help can be relied upon for last-minute deadlines and special cases. I had one expert who would always fill in the gaps when others flaked.

Follow through. Once the piece is published or live on the web, email the link and thank them a second time. This is also a great time to ask them for a second interview if you need more information from them to clarify the first interview or for a different project. Let them know if you plan to interview them again in the future and ask if they have any favorite topics or ideas they want to contribute; this makes them feel a part of the project. I kept this process going with 10 experts, and interviewed each expert every other month.

Follow them on social media. Following experts on social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook not only shows support but also keeps you up-to-date on future projects that might benefit your content.

SEO Content Solutions and Takeaways

As an SEO copywriter, you never go into a project hoping to produce mediocre content. Yet even the best writers find it challenging to write that high-quality copy that satisfies both search engines and consumers. Why? Because high-quality content has many characteristics, and without a clear SEO content strategy, it’s easy to forget some of the ingredients that set copy apart from the competition.

Consider expert information as the solid research behind a good essay; by featuring original research and citing reliable sources, you can build trust with your readers and prove to be an authority on the subject.

Are you interested in learning more SEO content writing tips including how to optimize that content for search and set your copywriting apart? Our SEO training program will teach you SEO best practices to boost your content’s search rankings.

To find out about our content development services to help raise your webpage quality through new or refreshed content, contact us for a quote and free consultation.

Editor’s note: This page was originally penned by content writer Melanie Saxe, now updated and republished.

FAQ: How do I identify the right industry experts for my content?

Tapping into the expertise of industry authorities is the key to crafting content that informs, influences, and engages your audience. The process of identifying the right industry experts for your content involves a combination of strategic planning, research, and relationship-building.

The first step in identifying suitable industry experts is to define your content’s scope and target audience. Understand the specific topics and themes you’ll cover, then pinpoint the individuals whose knowledge aligns with these areas. Whether it’s through online forums, social media, or conferences, immerse yourself in the industry’s ecosystem to recognize the voices that resonate.

Once you have a list of potential experts, evaluate their credibility and authority. Scrutinize their professional background, achievements, and contributions to the field. Look for individuals with a consistent track record of sharing valuable insights and original research. Reading their published works, blogs, and articles will provide a glimpse into their expertise and writing style.

Beyond expertise, consider the relevance of the expert to your target audience. Are they addressing the needs and pain points of your readers? Are they able to simplify complex concepts into digestible content? The right expert possesses knowledge and understands how to communicate effectively with your audience, making your content more relatable and impactful.

Establishing a connection with chosen experts involves thoughtful outreach. Craft personalized emails highlighting their contributions and why you believe their insights would greatly enhance your content. Show appreciation for their expertise and express your desire to collaborate. Building a genuine relationship rather than a one-time transactional interaction lays the foundation for fruitful partnerships.

Lastly, be open to ongoing collaboration. Industry experts appreciate their insights being valued beyond a single piece of content. Consider involving them in interviews, roundtable discussions, or recurring features. Maintaining a consistent rapport builds trust and strengthens your content’s authority over time.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Identifying Industry Experts for Your Content

1. Define your content’s scope and target audience.
2. Research industry-related forums, conferences, and online communities.
3. Identify potential experts whose expertise aligns with your content’s themes.
4. Evaluate the credibility, achievements, and contributions of potential experts.
5. Study their published works and writings to understand their expertise and style.
6. Analyze the relevance of the expert to your audience’s needs.
7. Ensure the expert can simplify complex concepts for your readers.
8. Craft personalized outreach emails highlighting their contributions.
9. Express appreciation for their expertise and potential collaboration.
10. Explain the benefits of working together and how it aligns with their goals.
11. Establish a genuine connection before diving into collaboration discussions.
12. Plan out the specific type of content where the expert’s insights will shine.
13. Outline the value the expert’s contributions will bring to your audience.
14. Provide options for different levels of involvement (interviews, guest posts, etc.).
15. Be flexible in accommodating the expert’s availability and preferences.
16. Showcase their expertise prominently within the content you create.
17. Engage in ongoing communication and updates about the content’s progress.
18. Seek the expert’s input on promoting the content to their network.
19. Express gratitude for their contributions and showcase the final piece.
20. Maintain the relationship by continuing to provide value and collaboration opportunities.

By following these steps, you’ll be equipped to identify and collaborate with industry experts who can elevate the quality and credibility of your content, making it a valuable resource for your audience.

The post Guide to Leveraging Industry Expert Interviews to Write High-Quality Content appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

If you can optimize it, you should. And images are no exception.

The images on your website represent another way to drive organic search traffic. Image SEO can be just as important as optimizing your webpage text.

That’s because visual search is booming. Just look at the growth of image-centered platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. Especially on mobile devices, people want to look for information visually.

Search engines recognize this visual search trend. Latest statistics show that about 28% of regular Google search results contain images, up from 19% only two years ago. People run transactional and informational types of searches more and more frequently in Google Images search.

It’s no wonder the search engine continues to invest in new features to improve the Google Images user experience.

TL;DR: Google Images represents another path outside of regular web search for your audience to find your site and discover your content. Developments in Google’s image-ranking algorithms put more emphasis on quality and relevance. We provide a list of ways to optimize images for a website and drive traffic from image SEO.

How to SEO Images: Table of Contents

First, we’ll explain the latest news about ranking in Google Images:

• Where images can now appear in Google
• Updates to the ranking algorithm
• Improved features and visibility
• AI-Powered results in Google Images

Then we’ll dive into how to SEO images in 17 steps:

1. Track your image-based traffic
2. Create high-quality, original content
3. Use relevant images
4. Have a proper file format
5. Optimize your images
6. Always create alt text
7. Make use of the image title
8. Create an image caption
9. Use a descriptive file name
10. Implement structured data
11. Consider image placement on the page
12. Analyze the content around the image
13. Be careful with embedded text
14. Create page metadata
15. Ensure fast load time
16. Make sure images are accessible
17. Create an image sitemap
18. FAQ: How can I effectively optimize images for better search engine visibility and user engagement?

What’s New with Google Images

As I said, image search keeps evolving. So I’ll start with an overview of the latest developments and opportunities in Google Images search.

Where Images Can Now Appear in Google

Once you have images indexed in Google, they might show up in three different search environments:

1. Google Images search: People use this vertical engine specifically for visual searching, and it’s our primary focus.
2. Google Web search: The traditional SERP includes images whenever they seem relevant to the user’s query (which is often).
3. Google Discover: Large images (1200px wide or more) may surface in Discover as a preview of content to explore. This platform is new since I originally wrote this post. (And here’s what an image needs to qualify for this additional visibility.)

By the way, if you have images you do not want to appear in Google search, you can block them in your robots.txt.

Updates to the Ranking Algorithm

Google wants “to rank results that have both great images and great content on the page” (per this post).

We’ve all had the experience of finding an image and clicking through to a not-so-great webpage. To prevent this, the Google Images algorithm now considers not only the image but also the website where it’s embedded.

Images attached to great content can now do better in Google Images. Specifically, the image-ranking algorithm weighs these factors (in addition to the image itself):

• Authority: The authority of the webpage itself is now a signal for ranking an image.
• Context: The ranking algorithm takes into account the context of the search. Google uses the example of an image search for “DIY shelving.” Results should return images within sites related to DIY projects … so the searcher can find other helpful information beyond just a picture.
• Freshness: Google prioritizes fresher content. So ranking images will likely come from a site (a site in general, but we believe the actual webpage in question) that’s been updated recently. This is probably a minor signal.
• Position on page: Top-ranked images will likely be central to the webpage they’re part of. For example, a product page for a particular shoe should rank above a category page for shoes.

Improved Features and Visibility

Google Images results pages also have some new features:

• Captions: Image results now show more context. Captions include the website, title of the page where the picture is published, and even licensing information (more on how to do that in a bit).
• Quick facts: Extra information may appear below an image caption. These quick facts come from Google’s Knowledge Graph and could be a brief excerpt from Wikipedia or another source.
• Related searches: Google provides related search terms within the image search results as you scroll through them. Buttons at the top help users narrow their search, but “Related searches” links can also appear as you scroll down the SERP:

AI-Powered Results in Google Images

One futuristic feature that Google has already rolled out is its AI-powered Google Lens technology. It lets users identify objects of interest within images as they look through image search results. For now, the Lens feature works only from image search in mobile browsers, not in the Google app.

Using AI technology, Lens analyzes a picture and detects what’s in it. If you click an identified object, Lens brings up other relevant image results. Many of these link to product pages so you can continue your search or buy the item you’re interested in. On a mobile device screen, you can also outline any part of an image, even if it’s not preselected by Lens, to trigger related results and dive deeper into what’s in an image.

To show this in action, I searched for [diy fire pit], chose one of the results, and pressed the Lens icon (see the first image below). Lens automatically detected furniture items in the picture and offered related results (second screenshot). But I wanted the firepit, so I manually selected it to reveal a new set of image results (third shot):

All of this new AI technology encourages more image-based searches. It also increases the population of search results.

If Google can understand what’s inside, even non-optimized images, they might rank. So your images potentially have much more competition.

And … image SEO becomes even more important. It’s time to optimize your images so that they can stand out.

How to Optimize Images for SEO

How do you ensure you can get your share of visibility in Google Images?

First of all, Googlebot needs to be able to crawl, index, and understand what your images are about. Only then can they rank.

The latest updates to Google Images tell us that relevance and quality are more important than ever. That means providing the search engine with as much context as possible.

Here are 17 important steps to SEO images …

1. Track Your Image-based Traffic

You might be surprised to know how many visitors you already get through Google Images search.

You can track organic search traffic from Google Images using the Search Console Performance report.

How to track your Google Images search traffic:

1. Log in to Google Search Console for your website.
2. Under Performance, click Search Results.
3. Change the search type at the top to Image. This filters the data so you can keep an eye on your traffic from image search.

Alternatively, in Google Analytics you can use the Referral report. Google Images search traffic is broken out from other search traffic. The line with the Source/Medium “Google organic / images” is where you’ll find that data.

Take a baseline and watch your search traffic grow as you apply SEO to your images.

2. Create High-Quality, Original Content

Search engines want to reward high-quality pages. This applies to the information on the webpage that your image is hosted on, and to the image itself.

In its image best practices help file, Google discourages “pages where neither the images or the text are original content.”

So whenever possible, take your own photos and make your own graphics.

What if you have to use stock photos? There are a lot of ways to modify stock images to make them unique. You can add filters, crop them, overlay text, combine images, and much more.

Also remember that when you do use images from elsewhere, you must honor copyrights, license fees and/or trademark laws.

Google now includes metadata support for crediting images to the proper author and rights holder.

The image can even display a “Licensable” badge on the thumbnail in Google Images:

3. Use Relevant Images

Choose or create images that are helpful to the overall theme of the page. That might be an infographic, a diagram, an appropriate photograph, or something else.

Remember that search engines would rather rank a picture if it’s on a webpage that will satisfy the searcher’s intent with more relevant content.

4. Have a Proper File Format

Basic to image SEO, you need to use a file format that search engines can index. Beyond that, the file format you choose affects the quality and download speed. Both are important when optimizing images.

The three most common image formats used on the web are:

• PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is good for screenshots and images with graphics or text. For complex images, beware that PNGs may create larger files than the other formats. The PNG format uses lossless compression, which means the quality is preserved.
• JPEG, for “Joint Photographic Experts Group,” is good for most photographs. JPEGs create smaller files by using lossy compression, which means there will be a loss of image quality every time you save this file format.
• GIF (Graphical Interchange Format) is used to create animations. GIFs use lossless compression, which means the quality remains the same.

Other image file types that are becoming popular include:

• SVG. This is a scalable vector format. As opposed to the raster types mentioned above, vector graphics can be extremely small files that don’t lose quality no matter how much they’re enlarged. Vector images use specific commands or programs to construct the image from the ground up, so they are easier to scale and faster to load than raster images, which use bitmaps as a method of storing the information.

  

  SVG isn’t right for photos or complex images, but it works well for simple graphics with geometric shapes, such as a logo.

Now, next-generation image formats exist. These formats have better compression, are higher quality, load faster, and take less cellular data:

• JPEG 2000
• JPEG-XR
• WebP

WebP has been gaining attention lately. It’s possible to convert existing JPEG and PNG files to WebP. There are even WordPress plugins that can do this on the fly, making all your images lighter weight.

From the Google Developers FAQ page on WebP:

WebP is a method of lossy and lossless compression that can be used on a large variety of photographic, translucent and graphical images found on the web. The degree of lossy compression is adjustable so a user can choose the trade-off between file size and image quality. WebP typically achieves an average of 30% more compression than JPEG and JPEG 2000, without loss of image quality …

5. Optimize Your Image File Size

There’s no single best way to optimize images. For each one, you need to find the optimal balance between minimum file size and maximum quality. Here are must-dos:

• Resize and crop images to be no larger (in dimensions) than they’ll be displayed. With raster-style images (the most common type on the web), you might need to save several versions at various resolutions to work for different uses.
• Choose the most efficient file format per image (see my last point). It’s OK to mix different types of images on the same webpage.
• Use compression to reduce file size. When saving a JPEG, for example, slide the quality bar down as far as you can without losing visual quality. With an SVG file, Google suggests you minify it by running it through a tool like svgo.
• Consider replacing a picture with a different technology altogether. CSS effects can produce shadows, gradients, and more. Web fonts let you show text in beautiful typefaces, which actually improves your page’s usability and crawlability compared to an image.

I suggest you bookmark Google’s image optimization guide for more technical how-tos.

6. Always Create Alt Attributes

Accessibility for all users is important. That’s why adding alt attributes to images is part of our always up-to-date SEO checklist.

Alt text describes what the image is about to the visually impaired who use screen readers. It also can give search engines valuable information about the image’s contents.

Only when appropriate, use a relevant keyword you’re targeting to describe the image.

Remember that with linked images, search engines treat the alt attribute text as the link anchor text. For example, if you have a question mark icon linking users to your help system, include alt=”Help” in your image tag.

7. Make Use of the Image Title

There’s an optional title attribute that you can give to each image. Some tests have shown that Google does index image titles.

8. Create an Image Caption

Add a little extra context by describing the image in a caption. You can also give the image source here, if appropriate.

9. Use a Descriptive File Name

How should you name your images? This is an often overlooked step when optimizing images. But the file name does help search engines understand what’s in an image, so it matters for image SEO.

When you save your image file, accurately describe the photo in a few words or less. For example, ugly-christmas-sweater is a better file name than IMG01534.

In a webinar with Google’s Gary Illyes at Search Engine Journal, he pointed out that it’s just not feasible for large sites to have accurate file names for all their images (Pinterest, for example). Illyes said this was more of a nice to have than a requirement for ranking.

But more recently, John Mueller said the URL and file name do matter:

Use a good URL structure for your image files. Google uses the URL path as well as the file name to help it understand your images.

Also, if you move or rename an image file, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one.

10. Implement Structured Data

Google Images supports structured data markup for a product, video and recipe. If you specify any of these types in your content, Google Images results will show this right on your image previews.

When you add structured data to your webpage’s HTML, your image results can be richer. Extra bits of information can show along with the image. And that can encourage more clicks and visitors to your site.

What about licensable images? Google now supports structured data for an image’s licensing information. Adding this gives credit to the license holder and also makes it easy for users to learn how to license the image.

11. Consider Image Placement on the Page

In its image best practices page (linked to earlier), Google says that “when it makes sense, consider placing the most important image near the top of the page.”

But in the SEJ webinar, Illyes said that you can put an image “pretty much anywhere on the page” and it can be picked up and shown in Google Images if it’s relevant to the query.

12. Analyze the Content around the Image

Consider the body text around the image. Does it give context to what the reader is looking at?

In the SEJ webinar, Illyes called the content around the image (on the page or in a caption) “critical” to understanding the image.

A$: The big one for me is to get the accessibility right with the alt text, then build around that with good captions and other related text near the image, Then add in a good file name and the image title. #SEOChat

— Paul Thompson (@thompsonpaul) October 11, 2018

13. Be Careful with Embedded Text

In that new video on image SEO embedded above, Google’s John Mueller cautions against embedding important text in an image. For example, don’t put a menu item or page heading in an image; put that text on the page instead.

Not all users and search engines can parse text in an image, and translation apps can’t read it. So it’s better that your navigation, headings, and other important words you want indexed be on-page text.

This is not to say you can’t ever overlay text on a photo (memes, anyone?).

Can Google read text in images? In a word, yes. Google uses optical character recognition (OCR) to read text in images, such as in Google Photos and Google Lens. We’ve tested this repeatedly with Google Search and confirmed that words in images do get indexed. However, OCR may not be 100% accurate. For effective image SEO, you still need to include descriptive text in all the places mentioned in this guide.

14. Optimize Page Metadata

Google shows relevant information about the webpage (where the image appears) in Google Images results.

So when you’re optimizing images, don’t skip the page’s metadata, including title and meta description. They give the user and search engine more context — just like in the regular search results.

There’s no guarantee that Google will use your metadata word for word. But they’re definitely part of its information processing. Google’s image best practices says:

Google Images automatically generates a title and snippet to best explain each result and how it relates to the user query. This helps users decide whether or not to click on a result.

We use a few different sources for this information, including descriptive information in the title, and meta tags for each page.

15. Ensure Fast Load Time

Performance is a huge consideration for image SEO, especially with Google’s Page Experience update around the corner.

Large images can drag down page load time. Here are tips to avoid that:

• Keep image files as small as possible (see Optimize Your Image File Size above).
• Make images responsive. Basically, that means they automatically change size to fit the user’s device. You can read more about responsive images here and in the “responsive images” section of the image best practices page.
• Consider lazy loading, which Google recommends as a way to combat slowness.
• Specify how much space the image is going to take up. Knowing this enables a browser to load the surrounding page content while the image file is being requested. There are several ways to do this, including: with a
  <div> container; in the CSS code; or with height and width attributes in the <img> tag.*

*TIP: Not specifying height and width attributes for images is problematic for another reason, too. It’s the most common cause of cumulative layout shift (CLS), or the unwanted movement of content parts as a page loads. CLS is one of the core web vitals that can impact your page experience and potentially hurt your rankings.

16. Make Sure Images Are Discoverable

Make sure that search engines can access the images on your site. When they can’t, the robots.txt file is often to blame.

Google Search Console’s “Inspect URL” feature can help you test this. You can also use Google’s mobile-friendly test tool to discover how your pages, including images, work for mobile.

Also, images have their own URLs that can be indexed. So to preserve existing image rankings, be sure to use a proper 301 redirect if you ever need to change an image URL.

17. Create an Image Sitemap

As an optional step, you can create an image sitemap that lists the image files on your website. This can help Google discover them.

You can create a separate XML sitemap for images or include them in your regular sitemap file. (Learn more about this in our creating a sitemap tutorial.)

In the webinar at SEJ, Gary Illyes said that image sitemaps “help enormously” with the image discovery process.

I recommend including only original images, and not all site images, in your sitemap. Listing images from any external source may be a waste of the search engine’s processing budget. Google will find them on your pages anyhow. Taking crawl time, as if they have changed, is not needed.

If an image is unique to your site and revised or new, then include it in your image sitemap. If it was already crawled and not altered, a recrawl is simply wasting time.

Summary

The changes to Google Images are positive for users and for SEOs. Google has once again elevated the standards for websites to create quality content.

Image SEO will evolve — but many of the basics still hold true. The goal is to create the best experience for users visiting your site.

• Present original, useful content with high-quality, relevant images.
• Make a fast website that doesn’t make users wait for pages to load.
• Optimize your images so that search engines can index them properly.

Apply the techniques in this article to optimize images. You may get a leg up on the competition and more eyeballs on your webpages.

(Learn more about how to optimize multimedia content. Check out our search engine optimization guide for more best practices.)

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FAQ: How can I effectively optimize images for better search engine visibility and user engagement?

Image optimization is pivotal in today’s digital landscape, influencing search engine rankings and user experience. When executed effectively, it can significantly boost the visibility of your content in search results and captivate your audience. Let’s explore some key insights into how you can master image optimization for optimal search engine visibility and user engagement.

Understanding Image Optimization

Image optimization involves a series of techniques to reduce images’ file size without compromising their quality. This is crucial because larger image files can slow down website loading times, leading to a poor user experience and potentially affecting your search engine rankings. Compression, resizing, and format selection are the cornerstones of effective image optimization. By striking the right balance between file size and visual quality, you ensure your images load quickly and appear sharp across devices.

Strategic Use of Descriptive File Names and Alt Text

When search engines index your content, they rely on textual cues to understand its context. This is where descriptive file names and alt text come into play. Instead of generic names like “image123.jpg,” use meaningful names that reflect the image’s content. Additionally, craft concise yet informative alt text that accurately describes the image. This not only aids accessibility for visually impaired users but also provides search engines with valuable information to index your images effectively.

Leveraging Image Sitemaps

Search engines use sitemaps better to understand the structure of your website and its content. Similarly, image sitemaps specifically provide search engines with metadata about the images on your site. Creating and submitting an image sitemap ensures that search engines accurately crawl and index your images. This can improve image search rankings and increase visibility in relevant search queries.

Page Load Speed and Responsive Design

User engagement is closely tied to page load speed and responsive design. Mobile users constitute a significant portion of online traffic, and images that are not optimized for various screen sizes can deter engagement. By employing responsive design principles and optimizing images for mobile devices, you create a seamless browsing experience. Faster load times and a responsive layout contribute to lower bounce rates and higher user satisfaction.

A/B Testing and Continuous Improvement

The landscape of search engine algorithms and user preferences is ever-evolving. Consider conducting A/B tests with different image formats, sizes, and placements to stay ahead. Analyze metrics like bounce rates, time spent on a page, and conversion rates to gauge the impact of image optimization changes. Continuous improvement based on data-driven insights will help you refine your image optimization strategies over time.

Mastering image optimization is an art that combines technical prowess with a deep understanding of user behavior and search engine algorithms. By optimizing images for fast loading, providing descriptive metadata, embracing responsive design, and iteratively refining your approach, you can enhance both search engine visibility and user engagement. Stay attuned to industry trends and algorithm updates to ensure your image optimization strategies remain effective in the dynamic digital landscape.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Effectively Optimize Images for Search Engine Visibility and User Engagement

1. Choose an Appropriate Format: Select appropriate image file formats like JPEG or PNG that correspond with the image type and level of detail, such as JPEG and PNG.
2. Compress Images: Use tools like Adobe Photoshop, TinyPNG, or Squoosh to compress images while maintaining quality.
3. Resize Images: Adjust dimensions to fit various screen sizes without distorting the image’s aspect ratio.
4. Use Descriptive File Names: Rename image files with descriptive, relevant keywords instead of generic names.
5. Craft Informative Alt Text: Write concise and accurate alt text that describes the image’s content and purpose.
6. Prioritize Accessibility: Ensure that alt text is meaningful for visually impaired users who rely on screen readers.
7. Create Image Sitemaps: Generate an XML image sitemap and submit it to search engines using Google Search Console.
8. Implement Responsive Design: Design web pages to be responsive across devices, optimizing image display.
9. Optimize for Mobile: Resize and compress images for mobile devices to improve loading speed and user experience.
10. Test Different Formats: Conduct A/B tests with different image formats to determine the most effective for your audience.
11. Analyze User Engagement: Monitor metrics like bounce rates, time on page, and conversions after implementing changes.
12. Monitor Algorithm Updates: Stay informed about search engine algorithm changes that could impact image optimization.
13. Iterate and Refine: Continuously improve your image optimization strategy based on performance data.
14. Monitor Loading Speed: Regularly assess page loading speed and make necessary adjustments.
15. Utilize Lazy Loading: Implement lazy loading to defer off-screen images, enhancing initial page load speed.
16. Use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): Distribute images through CDNs to improve loading times across geographies.
17. Minimize Plugins and Scripts: Reduce the use of unnecessary plugins and scripts that could slow down your website.
18. Leverage Browser Caching: Configure browser caching to store images and improve load times for returning visitors.
19. Regularly Audit Images: Remove or update outdated images to keep your content fresh and relevant.
20. Stay Updated: Stay current with industry best practices and evolving search engine trends to maintain effective image optimization strategies.

By following these steps, you can strategically optimize images to enhance search engine visibility and user engagement, creating a seamless online experience that resonates with your audience.

The post How to Improve Google Image Search Ranking appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

You want your website to rank. And content is a huge part of that. But how do you go about creating winning SEO content — content that will help you gain more visibility in the search results? I’m here to show you how in five steps:

1. 1. Do Keyword Research
   2. Study the SERPs
   3. Silo Your Website
   4. Create Content in Accordance with E-E-A-T
   5. Optimize to Meet or Beat the Competition

FAQ: How does keyword research contribute to effective SEO content creation?

1. Do Keyword Research

The first step is to understand what search terms your target audience uses when they search for what you offer. Keyword research gives you clarity on this.

To start:

• Brainstorm a list of words and phrases you believe describe what you have to offer.
• Use a keyword research tool to analyze that list and discover more terms that may be useful.
• Refine your list based on things like how often the queries are used and what the competition is for those queries (focusing on higher search volume and lower competition). Note that some lower volume words may have a very high ROI for you, so keeping high return and high converting words is good. But the other words may not help as much.
• Talk to your PPC team to find out the top 20% of exact match keywords that have the greatest conversion rates. Also, ask about negative keywords so you will know what keywords suffer from ambiguity (query deserves diversity) issues.
• Query each selected keyword and analyze the competition for those target keywords. If they offer what you offer, you are headed in the right direction. Take any new keywords the well-ranked competitors discuss, as these may need to be sprinkled throughout your content.

For more, see:

• What Are Keywords?
• Keyword Research: How to Select Keywords

2. Study the SERPs

Once you know your target keywords, it’s time to start analyzing the search engine results page for each term. This helps you understand what type of content is ranking for the term. For instance, are the results primarily transactional or informational? It makes a big difference for your content strategy.

Also, do you see videos and images? Featured snippets? A knowledge panel? You’ll want to note these SERP elements. This helps you create a roadmap for the type of content you need to create for each query.

For more, see: How to Use the Search Results for Key SEO Research

3. Silo Your Website

SEO siloing is a way to organize your website content within distinct sections in a hierarchy. The goal is to make a site relevant for a search query to have a better chance of ranking.

In fact, Google wants website publishers to have a well-organized website, and that’s one of the things SEO siloing achieves. If you don’t believe me, just check out this quote from Google’s SEO Starter Guide:

Make it as easy as possible for users to go from general content to the more specific content they want on your site. Add navigation pages when it makes sense and effectively work these into your internal link structure. Make sure all of the pages on your site are reachable through links, and that they don’t require an internal “search” functionality to be found. Link to related pages, where appropriate, to allow users to discover similar content.

And for search queries that Google calls “your money or your life” terms in its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (think finance, health, etc.), siloing is critical.

For more, see:

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

4. Create Content in Accordance with E-E-A-T

You want to be sure your website passes the Google quality test. As part of that, your website needs to exude experience, expertise, authority, and trust as outlined in the Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines.

Your content and the website as a whole should be created by experts in your subject. This one recommendation goes a long way toward establishing your site as a trustworthy authority on the topic.

For more, see: The Complete Guide to the Fundamentals of Google’s E-E-A-T

5. Optimize to Meet or Beat the Competition

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: SEO should beat the competition, not the algorithm. That means looking at Page 1 of the search results and really digging into the competitors that are ranking.

You’ll want to understand things at the page level, such as:

• What type of content it is
• How many words are on the page for ranking
• Optimal meta information
• Other on- and off-page factors (use our SEO checklist)

SEO tools can get you this information faster, but you’ll still need to do some manual analysis.

For more, see:

• Want Customized SEO Advice per Keyword? There’s a Plugin for That!
• How a WordPress Plugin Can Help You Optimize Your Content with Keywords
• SEOToolSet Multi-Page Analyzer (tool)

Bonus: Structure the Content

Creating website content is about balancing your visitors’ needs with that of the search engines. In doing so, you have the opportunity to create a good user experience and to rank better in the search results.

So for this bonus tip, I want to highlight ways you can further optimize your webpages using structured data and structuring the page itself:

• Also known as schema, structured data is a technical SEO practice that clarifies to the search engine what type of information is on the page.
• On the other hand, how you structure the visitor-facing content on the webpage can make it more readable for visitors and more understandable to Google. Getting this right could mean ranking for featured snippets.

For more, see:

• How to Use Schema Markup
• 3 Surprising On-Page SEO Techniques You May Not Know About

Want more information on creating SEO content? Check out our SEO Guide for a complete tutorial on optimizing your website. Also, subscribe to our blog and stay up to date!

We provide content for many of our SEO clients. If you would like to know more, see our Content Services page and request a free consultation today.

FAQ: How does keyword research contribute to effective SEO content creation?

Crafting compelling content is just half the battle won regarding content creation. To truly succeed online, keyword research is required. It serves as a foundational pillar for effective SEO content creation.

Effective SEO content creation hinges on the selection of the right keywords. Keyword research involves identifying the words and phrases users will likely type into search engines when looking for information. This step forms the bedrock of content strategy, ensuring that what you create resonates with your target audience. By using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs, you can uncover valuable insights into search volume, competition, and related keywords.

Long-tail keywords are more specific phrases that can drive targeted traffic more effectively. Understanding user intent is crucial here. For instance, if someone searches for “best running shoes for marathons,” they’re likely in the research phase, seeking detailed information. Crafting content tailored to address this specific query showcases your expertise and authority in the niche, establishing trust with the audience.

Transitioning from keyword research to content creation involves seamless integration. While keywords are essential for search engines, the content must remain readable, relevant, and engaging for human readers. Keyword stuffing, a practice of overloading content with keywords, alienates readers and can incur search engine penalties. Instead, focus on creating high-quality, informative content that naturally incorporates the chosen keywords. This is the sweet spot where the marriage between keyword optimization and valuable content takes place.

Keyword research is the compass that guides your content creation ship through the vast digital sea. It’s more than just finding popular words; it’s about understanding your audience, foreseeing their needs, and addressing their queries with finesse. This amalgamation of research and creativity sets the stage for improved SEO performance, higher organic traffic, and better user engagement.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Leverage Keyword Research for Effective SEO Content Creation

1. Understand the Basics: Familiarize yourself with the concept of keywords, search intent, and their relevance in content optimization.
2. Utilize Keyword Research Tools: Explore tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz Keyword Explorer to discover relevant keywords in your niche.
3. Identify Long-Tail Keywords: Recognize the value of long-tail keywords in attracting targeted audiences.
4. Analyze Search Volume and Competition: Gauge each keyword’s search volume and competition level to prioritize effectively.
5. Focus on User Intent: Put yourself in the user’s shoes to grasp their intent behind specific keyword searches.
6. Build a Keyword Strategy: Develop a strategy that aligns your content with the identified high-potential keywords.
7. Seamless Integration: Integrate keywords naturally into your content while maintaining readability and coherency.
8. Craft Compelling Content: Create informative, valuable, and engaging content that addresses user queries.
9. Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Steer clear of keyword stuffing; maintain a balanced keyword density in your content.
10. Monitor and Adapt: Continuously monitor the performance of keywords and adapt your content strategy accordingly.
11. Update Regularly: Keep your content fresh and up-to-date to maintain its relevance and search engine ranking.
12. Use Variations and Synonyms: Incorporate keyword variations and synonyms to capture a broader audience.
13. Leverage Headings and Subheadings: Organize your content using headings that include relevant keywords.
14. Optimize Meta Tags: Craft compelling meta titles and descriptions that include your target keywords.
15. Content Optimized for Mobile Experience:  Make sure your content is both responsive and mobile-friendly.
16. Links: Use both internal and external links to strengthen the credibility of your website.
17. User Experience Matters: Prioritize user experience to reduce bounce rates and increase engagement.
18. Regular Audits: Periodically audit and update your content to align with evolving search trends.
19. Social Sharing Integration: Encourage social sharing to amplify the reach and visibility of your content.
20. Stay Informed: Keep abreast of SEO trends and algorithm updates to refine your keyword strategy continually.

The post 5 Steps to Create Winning SEO Content That Gets More Visibility in the Search Results appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

Content is one of the most important — if not the most important — ranking factor. So, reviewing the content on your website should be a regular activity. You want to be sure you’re getting the most from it in terms of visibility in the search results, engagement, and conversions.

Here, I’ll go over a 13-step content audit you can perform using a few simple tools.

• Why do a content audit?
• Divide and conquer? 
• Audit & improve your web content
• FAQ: How can I effectively conduct a content audit process to improve my website’s performance?

Why Do a Content Audit?

As websites add more content, it’s important to ensure quality and not just quantity. Remember, Google is laser-focused on quality.

A content audit identifies weak and underperforming content on your website so that you can improve it. For any website, performing a regular content audit is key to maintaining a quality site. And there are a few activities that can boost your visibility in the search results and increase your traffic faster.

Divide and Conquer

The first thing to do is to get a big-picture view of your content. You’ll need to create a spreadsheet with all your page URLs listed together with their data. There are tools you can use to do this.

Our SEOToolSet can provide keyword rankings and a list of your URLs along with associated content like titles and meta descriptions (go to Site Analysis > Meta Tags). Google Analytics can show you the top webpages on your site (go to Behavior > Site Content > All Pages). A crawler like Screaming Frog or SEMrush can scrape the data of your choice. Used together, tools like these give you plenty of information on your webpages to get going.

Once you have your list of URLs, you’ll divide your content into three categories:

• Webpages that garner the most rankings and traffic (like those on Page 1 of the search results)
• Webpages that have the potential to get better rankings and traffic (for example, those on Page 2 of the search results)
• Webpages that perform poorly and aren’t in either of those categories

Once you have these buckets, focus on strengthening the content in the first two categories. Then, you can figure out what to do with the rest, the poor-performing content. Some webpages may need a content refresh or rewrite, while others may only need a little optimization to give them new life. And some content may need to be slashed altogether (like with a 301 redirect).

Audit & Improve Your Web Content

Starting with the top-performing pages or those pages that may need a boost, here are some steps you can take right away with each webpage.

1. Define the Purpose

According to Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, the purpose of a page is the most important factor when rating a webpage’s quality:

The purpose of a page is the reason or reasons why the page was created. Every page on the Internet is created for a purpose, or for multiple purposes. Most pages are created to be helpful for users, thus having a beneficial purpose. Some pages are created merely to make money, with little or no effort to help users. Some pages are even created to cause harm to users. The first step in understanding a page is figuring out its purpose. Why is it important to determine the purpose of the page for PQ rating? … The goal of PQ rating is to determine how well a page achieves its purpose.

Assuming the intent of your webpage is to help users and not be deceitful, the next step is to ensure the content on the page (including the text, images and media and the way it’s laid out) is supporting the purpose of the page. If not, how could it do better?

2. Assess “Needs Met”

Is the webpage content meeting the needs of your visitor? “Needs met” is a rating in Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines that highlights the importance of this. Working on this means assessing the intent behind the keywords you are targeting for the webpage.

3. Evaluate Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trust

Another concept in Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines is experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (aka E-E-A-T). E-E-A-T is a quality metric that looks at individual webpages or sites as a whole. Determine if the webpage (or website content as a whole) is living up to the criteria laid out in E-E-A-T.

For more, read:

• The Complete Guide to the Fundamentals of E-E-A-T
• SEO Siloing: What, Why, How

4. Optimize Based on Your Competition

While SEO has its best practices and testing is key, it’s not just about throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks. It’s about making strategic moves based in part on what the competition is doing in the search results. So rather than following general guidance, mine the search results to get more data on what the top-ranked webpages are doing for your keywords. This includes analyzing things like content readability, word count, meta information and more.

To learn more, check out:

• Want Customized SEO Advice per Keyword? There’s a Plugin for That!

5. Ensure Keyword Optimization

Ensure the webpage text has keywords appropriate to the page and that they appear in a natural manner.

For more, read:

• How a WordPress SEO Plugin Can Help You Optimize Your Content with Keywords

6. Update the Content

Decide if the information on the page is as up to date as possible. First, make sure there isn’t any false information or outdated offerings. Then, find out if there have been developments in the topic of the page. This is especially important when you are dealing with what Google calls “your money or your life” pages (legal or medical information, for instance). But it’s also important for user experience. If your popular pages aren’t offering the most useful, evergreen information to your users, they aren’t delivering a high-quality experience.

7. Check the  Links

You can identify broken links with a tool such as Xenu Link Sleuth. Also act as a user and look at all the clickable elements on the page, including videos, banners, etc. Check your outbound links on this page to make sure none are broken (there are many browser plugins for this). The SEOToolSet Link Reports can also check your link profile.

8. Add Media

Think about opportunities to add more engaging media. Aside from just the text on the page, what else can you add? Think imagery, video and more. Keep your users engaged as best you can when they are on the page and don’t forget to use Google’s best practices for optimizing multimedia content such as images and videos.

For more, read:

• A CMO’s Guide to Google Image Search in Less Than Five Minutes

9. Implement Structured Data

Determine if there are elements on the page where you can use schema. Structured data clarifies for the search engine what content on your page is about. Specifically, it helps the search engines understand what type of information you’re presenting. This, in turn, can improve your webpage’s visibility and garner more clicks.

For more, read:

• How to Use Schema Markup to Improve Your Website Visibility in Search

10. Review Page Experience

Ensure you serve the best experience possible by better understanding Google’s page experience metrics and thresholds. The goal is a high-performing website that users can engage with right away — and smoothly.

For more, read:

• Page Experience: Google’s New User Experience Algorithm Update

11. Fix Duplicate Content

Find out if the page is duplicated anywhere else. Assuming you are not scraping content from other sites and claiming it as your own, you’ll be looking at duplicate content between two or more pages on your website only.

For more, read:

• Understanding Duplicate Content and How to Avoid It
• How to Get Rid of Duplicate Content in WordPress

12. Analyze Conversions

What conversions are you hoping to achieve on the page? Does the layout and the text best support it? Are there missed opportunities where an offering might be appropriate but is not on the page? Sometimes, it’s as simple as moving key conversion elements around so they are more visible. Then, make sure your Google Analytics is set up properly in goals to track.

Also using your Google Analytics account, go to Behavior > Site Content > Exit Pages. There, you will find the top-exited pages for the site. Even if many of your top-exited pages are the same as the pages with the most pageviews, and even if you’ve run through the entire list already to optimize those pages, there’s still an opportunity to do more.

The goal is often to get people to spend more time on the site or to further engage with the company even after they leave the site. So, use the top-exited pages as a place to offer up engagement long after users have exited. Have social media profiles? Have a newsletter? Have an ebook? Offer something of value to them on those top-exited pages to keep them thinking about your brand.

13. Review Your Content Strategy

Doing a web content audit shouldn’t just stop at optimizing the pages you already have. Now is the perfect time to review your whole SERP strategy to see if there is an opportunity to create additional content to enhance your visibility in the search results.

For more, read:

• What Is a Whole-SERP SEO Strategy

Our free SEO Guide explains search engine optimization tips on 18 different topics, step by step. If you’d like help producing content that performs, we offer content services. Contact us to request a free quote.

FAQ: How can I effectively conduct a content audit process to improve my website’s performance?

A content audit involves systematically reviewing and evaluating all the content on your website to ensure its relevance, accuracy, and alignment with your goals. This process guides you toward a more effective and user-friendly online presence.

Assessing Your Current Content

Examine what content is already in your possession. Divide this by type: articles, blog posts, videos, and infographics. Evaluate each piece based on relevance, accuracy, and engagement metrics. This assessment will help you identify high-performing content, pinpoint gaps in your strategy, and determine what needs to be updated or removed.

Setting Clear Goals

Before diving into the audit, establish clear objectives. Are you aiming to improve search engine rankings, boost engagement, or align content with a new brand direction? Defining your goals will guide your audit process and allow you to measure your efforts’ success accurately.

Keyword and SEO Analysis

Optimizing your content for search engines enhances your website’s performance. Perform keyword research to identify relevant terms for your industry. Integrate these keywords naturally into your content, focusing on improving both on-page and off-page SEO. Additionally, ensure that your meta descriptions, title tags, and headers are optimized for search engines.

Content Refresh and Creation

Develop a plan to refresh, repurpose, or create new content based on your audit findings. Update outdated information, improve formatting, and enhance visuals. Repurposing content into different formats, such as creating infographics from blog posts or vice versa, can widen your content’s reach and appeal to diverse audiences.

Consistency and User Experience Enhancement

A cohesive user experience is key to retaining visitors. Ensure consistent branding, formatting, and tone of voice across your content. Remove any broken links or outdated references to maintain a seamless navigation experience. Focus on creating content that addresses your audience’s pain points, provides valuable insights, and encourages interaction.

Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Conduct a Content Audit Process

1. Define Objectives: Clearly state the goals you intend to achieve through the content audit.
2. Compile Content Inventory: Generate an inventory of your website’s entire contents, such as titles, URLs, and types.
3. Categorize Content: When organizing content, categorize it based on topics like blog posts, product pages, or landing pages.
4. Evaluate Relevance: Evaluate each piece of content against its relevance to your current goals and audience.
5. Analyze Performance: Examine engagement metrics, such as page views, bounce rates, and social shares.
6. SEO Analysis: Conduct keyword research and optimize content for relevant keywords.
7. Assess Visuals and Formatting: Evaluate each piece of content’s visual appeal and formatting.
8. Check for Accuracy: Ensure that all information presented is accurate and up-to-date.
9. Identify Gaps: Pinpoint areas where your content is lacking or could be improved.
10. Content Refresh: Update outdated content, correct errors, and enhance visuals.
11. Content Repurposing: Identify opportunities to repurpose content into different formats.
12. New Content Creation: Develop a plan for creating new content to fill gaps in your strategy.
13. SEO Optimization: Optimize meta descriptions, title tags, headers, and URLs for SEO.
14. Consistent Branding: Ensure uniform branding elements across all content pieces.
15. User Experience Check: Test for broken links and improve navigation and readability.
16. Audience-Centric Approach: Tailor your content to address your audience’s needs and pain points.
17. Quality Control: Proofread all content for grammar, spelling, and style.
18. Social Sharing Integration: Include social sharing buttons to encourage content distribution.
19. Regular Updates: Implement a schedule for regular content audits to maintain performance.
20. Monitor and Adapt: Continuously monitor content performance and adapt your strategy accordingly.

Following this comprehensive content audit process can elevate your website’s performance, improve user experience, and achieve your digital marketing goals effectively.

The post The 13-Step Web Content Audit to Boost Visibility in the Search Results appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

The answer is not always clear: Should you create great content and put it on someone else’s site, or keep the best content on your website? In this article, I’ll explain the factors that you need to consider if you want to produce the best results from the time and effort you put into your content.

• Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust: 3 golden SEO rules
• Your website vs. their website
• FAQ: How can I effectively use an SEO content strategy to maximize my website’s expertise, authority, and trust?

Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust: 3 Golden SEO Rules

Before we dive into whether to publish on your site or another site for the best results, let’s talk a little bit about the concept of E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness). This will help set the stage for our conversation.

E-E-A-T is a concept forged by Google that shows up in its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (SQEG). Google uses E-A-T within the SQEG as a guideline to evaluate website quality.

The SQEG allows Google to better understand if the changes it’s making to its search algorithms are producing quality results. This can act as a feedback loop for Google engineers to make further tweaks to the algorithm.

If a brand wants to be relevant in the search results and drive traffic, E-E-A-T is something every website should strive for.

For more on E-E-A-T, read our Complete Guide to the Fundamentals of E-E-A-T.

To briefly summarize, let’s look at two key elements of E-E-A-T important to our discussion here today: expertise and authoritativeness.

• Expertise is one way Google assesses quality, and it mainly has to do with the expertise of the content creator.
• Authoritativeness (shortened to authority) builds on expertise and takes three things into account: 1. The authority of the content creator, 2. The authority of the content itself, and 3. The authority of the website as a whole. To achieve authority, one must be a recognized expert in the field on the matter, whether a brand or a person. Links and mentions are important contributors, though not mentioned directly in the SQEG.

Why E-E-A-T matters when considering where to publish: You cannot build your website’s expertise and authority without great content and great links. If you do not have expert and authoritative content, your site has less of a chance of ranking in the search results.

We also know that links serve a role in building your authority. Let’s briefly talk about links next.

Links: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Many website publishers mistakenly think that the more links you have, the better positioned you will be. That is not true. It’s about the quality of your link profile as a whole. We have seen sites with fewer than 100 quality links beat sites with 10,000 mediocre links.

Still, many brands believe that building links by publishing content on other sites will help them build their authority.

“Link building” is not the way to be thinking about acquiring links. In fact, when someone asked Google’s John Mueller if link building in any way was good, he said:

In general, I’d try to avoid that … We do use links as part of our algorithm but we use lots and lots of other factors as well. So only focusing on links is probably going to cause more problems for your web site than it actually helps.

Instead, Google wants you to build high-quality content that people want to link to and share. That way, you earn backlinks naturally. Of course, SEO is an excellent strategy to drive traffic to your website so that people discover your content.

About links from guest posts: When it comes to guest posting for links, back in 2013, Google’s John Mueller advised to <nofollow> links from guest posts.

I think one thing you could probably do is to think about whether or not this is a link that … would be on that side if it weren’t for your actions there. And especially when it comes to guest blogging that’s something where you’re essentially placing links on other people’s sites together with this content, so that’s something I kind of shy away from purely from a link building point of view. I think sometimes it can make sense to kind of guest blog on other people’s sites and drive some traffic to your website — if the people really like what you’re writing and kind of interested in the topic and they click through that link to come to your website but those are probably the cases where you’d want to use something like a rel nofollow on those links …

Then in 2014, former Googler Matt Cutts said to stop it with the spammy guest posting strategies.

In other words, if you want to contribute content as a way to add value to a community, fine. But don’t expect it to build quality links or boost your website’s authority.

And remember that Google is smart. It can detect if your guest posting strategy is a way to manipulate links, which would leave you open to a manual penalty.

How links factor into where to publish: You want to build authority, and you need links. But there are good links, bad links, and downright ugly links. The good links you earn naturally by creating great content on your site that people want to link to. The bad or ugly links are usually those that come out of a “link-building” program.

Your Website vs. Their Website

At this point, it should be clear that in order to build the expertise and authority of your website, you need expert content that people want to link to.

Now let me explicitly answer the question of publishing on your website versus others. Lots of brands believe they need to get their content out there on other networks so that they can build a name, and get links and clients.

I believe that giving away all your best content to other sites is a mistake, and here’s why.

When you create expert content and put it on someone else’s site, what you are doing is building that website’s expertise, not yours. You drive traffic and potential revenue away from your site and onto someone else’s.

I’m not downplaying the value that sharing content in other communities can have. But it’s not a solid SEO strategy (and it might not even be a good business strategy).

Say you publish an article on someone else’s website. You may get a link, but it may be a <nofollow>. Let’s say the article on their site gets 1,000 views. Maybe a few of those people actually go to your bio and click through to your site.

Meanwhile, their site gets the credit for expert content, ranking in the search results, engagement, and more … and you get a few visits.

On the other hand, if you create the content, optimize it, and publish it on your site, you build the expertise of your website. And then you can earn natural, quality links because people want to share your content.

Bonus: You get to keep all the potential rankings, traffic, and revenue as a result. Those 1,000 visitors are all yours.

It’s for all of these reasons that we believe strongly that your content should be on your own site.

Of course, this requires a content strategy and SEO. That, in turn, requires keywords and a strong content architecture with a siloing strategy. And that requires persona development, and the list goes on. Not to mention that high-authority links often come as a result of other brand-building activities — many of which originate offline.

The Bottom Line

You need to create quality, optimized content on your site. The byproducts include building expertise and driving traffic to your site. And having shareable content is how you attract links to build authority. All other efforts that take your time and focus away from this publishing strategy are largely a waste.

If you’d like help with your content strategy, contact us for a free quote.

FAQ: How can I effectively use an SEO content strategy to maximize my website’s expertise, authority, and trust?

Achieving success online hinges on more than just attracting visitors to your website; it’s about becoming a trusted industry leader. To maximize your website’s expertise, authority, and trust (E-A-T) in the eyes of search engines like Google, a well-thought-out SEO content strategy is paramount.

1. Content Quality Is King

Create top-quality, engaging content that has been thoroughly researched. This will bring more viewers in. Your articles should address the needs and questions of your target audience comprehensively. Regularly updated, authoritative content resonates well with both search engines and readers.

2. Keyword Research and Optimization

Conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant keywords for your niche. Integrate these keywords strategically into your content, titles, headings, and meta descriptions. Ensure they flow naturally and don’t disrupt the readability of your content.

3. Consistency Matters

Maintain trust by sharing regular posts that keep your audience up-to-date. It also signals to search engines that your website is active and relevant.

4. Optimize User Experience

A user-friendly website is crucial for SEO and user trust. Ensure your site is mobile-responsive, has fast loading times, and is easy to navigate. Incorporate clear calls to action and provide a seamless browsing experience.

5. Link Building for Authority

Develop a strong backlink strategy by acquiring high-quality, relevant inbound links. Guest posting on reputable websites, earning mentions, and creating shareable content are excellent ways to boost your website’s authority.

6. Social Signals

Engage actively on social media platforms relevant to your niche. Sharing your content, interacting with your audience, and building a loyal following can indirectly impact your website’s E-E-A-T.

7. Expertise Showcases

Highlight your team’s expertise by featuring author bios and credentials. Encourage industry experts to contribute guest posts to your site, further establishing your authority.

8. Monitor and Adapt

Use analytics tools to monitor the performance of your content strategy. Adjust your approach based on the data you collect to continuously improve your E-E-A-T.

Mastering the art of SEO content strategy is pivotal in maximizing your website’s expertise, authority, and trust. By focusing on content quality, keyword optimization, consistency, user experience, link building, social engagement, and showcasing expertise, you can elevate your digital presence and position your website as a trustworthy source in your industry.

Step-by-Step Procedure: Implementing an Effective SEO Content Strategy for E-E-A-T

1. Begin by conducting comprehensive keyword research to identify relevant keywords for your niche.
2. Develop a content calendar to maintain a consistent posting schedule.
3. Produce informative, high-quality content tailored specifically for your audience.
4. Optimize your website for an effortless experience, which means ensuring it is mobile-friendly and has a fast loading time.
5. Strategically integrate keywords into your content, titles, headings, and meta descriptions.
6. Implement a backlink strategy to acquire high-quality inbound links from reputable sources.
7. Actively engage on social media platforms related to your industry, sharing your content and interacting with your audience.
8. Showcase your team’s expertise through author bios and credentials.
9. Encourage industry experts to contribute guest posts to your website.
10. Monitor your content’s performance using analytics tools.
11. Use the data collected to adapt and refine your content strategy.
12. Continuously update and refresh your content to keep it relevant and authoritative.
13. Ensure that your website is mobile-responsive and provides an excellent user experience.
14. Maintain a regular posting schedule to signal your website’s relevance to search engines.
15. Actively seek out opportunities for guest posting and backlink acquisition.
16. Engage with your audience on social media platforms to build a loyal following.
17. Highlight the expertise of your team members to bolster your authority.
18. Analyze the performance of your content strategy regularly and make data-driven adjustments.
19. Stay up-to-date with SEO trends and algorithm changes to adapt your strategy accordingly.
20. Never compromise on content quality, always aiming for high standards of research, accuracy, and engagement.

This article was updated on December 20, 2023.  

The post Where Should I Publish My Content for the Best Results? appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..

If you’re like millions of other WordPress publishers, you’re either using or have at least heard of the Yoast SEO plugin. This plugin has allowed publishers from all backgrounds to easily integrate basic SEO into their sites.

It is a favorite, clearly a market leader, and one that we recommend. If you are not using it, you are missing out on a great tool. And even though Yoast is a household name in the world of plugins, and our recommendation, many others have come onto the market. It’s not uncommon for website owners to select a handful of their favorite SEO plugins to accomplish everything they need to do on their site. So I am sure that it will be one of many plugins that you use.

We launched our own WordPress plugin last year to help plug the gaps left by other WordPress SEO plugins out there — including Yoast SEO.

But the good news for Yoast SEO fans: You don’t have to choose between our plugin and theirs. The Bruce Clay SEO plugin is fully compatible with Yoast SEO.

We add more power to WordPress by providing non-competing information. We simply give you more data.

Now I’ll show you exactly where our SEO plugin fills in the gaps, including:

• Real-time SEO guidance
• Custom meta information
• Custom word count data
• Custom readability scores
• Performance tracking
• Compatibility with Yoast SEO: How it works
• FAQ: What makes Yoast and Bruce Clay SEO plugins stand out among WordPress SEO tools?

Real-Time SEO Guidance

The biggest difference between Yoast SEO and the Bruce Clay SEO plugin is that our plugin is powered in real time. Our software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools give advanced analysis right in WordPress.

Our robust SEOToolSet^® is the force behind the plugin. And, this is complemented by Google Analytics and Search Console data.

What that means is that all recommendations are calculated, in real time, based on your specific competition in the search results and your website — not general recommendations.

Why is this necessary? It’s because each search query produces different search results and a new set of competition to analyze. We wanted to make sure that the SEO guidance was specific to the insights found when looking at the pages that are ranking right now.

This SaaS functionality impacts every feature of the plugin that I’ll highlight today.

Meta Information

Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO’s snippet preview allows you to view what the page’s meta information (title plus description) might look like in the search results. It will serve a message if the meta info is too short or too long based on SEO best practices. It will then allow you to see what your meta description would look like in the search results within a preview tool.

Image source: How to Craft Great Page Titles for SEO, Yoast.com

Bruce Clay SEO WP

Our SEO plugin ensures your meta information is on par with the top-ranked pages for your keywords. After analyzing the search results in real-time, you get a recommended word count for your title and meta description.

You can then switch back to Yoast SEO to view your proposed meta title and description in the snippet preview tool.

Note: For websites that don’t use Yoast, the Bruce Clay SEO plugin lets you edit meta information. But we keep those features tucked neatly away if Yoast is active, to avoid any conflicts.

Content Word Count

Yoast SEO

While Yoast SEO offers a great many ways to optimize content, one feature it’s lacking is the ability to properly target word count for your webpage.

Bruce Clay SEO WP

Our SEO plugin gives you the target word count for your article before you start writing based on the top-ranked pages in the search results. We use patent-pending technology to review top-ranked pages for your keyword phrase. This competitive analysis determines what characteristics the search engine is rewarding.

This lets you know, for example, if the top-ranked pages fall into the 2000-word range or the 800-word range. There’s no use creating a monster webpage in hopes of ranking if the top-ranked sites all have shorter webpages.

Content Readability

Yoast

Yoast SEO can give you guidance on the readability of your content, and show you where you can improve it. This is based on Yoast SEO’s research and opinion of what makes text readable.

Image source: How to Use the Readability Analysis, Yoast.com

Bruce Clay SEO WP

Our WordPress SEO plugin adds to this the reading level of your content compared to your competition’s.

It computes the reading grade level to target based on the currently ranking pages in the search results for your keywords. This effectively tells you what readability level Google thinks is appropriate for the subject matter. This is useful because an author commonly writes to their own level, not that of their target personas. Now you can see if the grade level is too high as it is being written.

You can then use Yoast’s readability analysis to pinpoint where you might be able to improve the readability, then recheck your score in our plugin. Or you could use the Hemingway App to get your content to the grade level it needs to be. In my opinion, the Hemingway App with our tool is always a starting point.

Performance Tracking

Yoast

Yoast does not currently have content or mobile performance tracking within its plugin.

Bruce Clay SEO WP

Rich analytics powered by Google tools can be viewed right within our plugin.

A flagship feature of our plugin is the ability to track content performance — by post or by author. For the first time, writers can see the market response to their work, right in WordPress.

You can discover your top-performing content across the entire site by looking at things like:

• Average ranking position
• Impressions in the search results
• Click-throughs from the results

Also, if you have multiple authors adding content on your site, it can be useful to see which author has the top-performing content based on things like:

• Page views
• Time on page
• Bounce rate

This data is critical to content managers struggling to manage large writing teams. It can also offer some fun competition as writers compare their performance.

Another feature identifies any issues with the site’s mobile usability and performance.

Compatibility with Yoast SEO: How It Works

By now you’re probably thinking of all the ways you can use Yoast SEO and Bruce Clay SEO WP plugins together. But you may be wondering how to actually do so.

When you install our plugin, it detects whether you also have an active Yoast SEO plugin. Then the Bruce Clay SEO interface automatically hides any overlapping features. That avoids conflicts and stepping on each other’s toes. (Did I mention I like their tool?)

That way you can continue to use features you know and love in Yoast while getting the added benefit of our features. And both are right within your WordPress page editor.

Bruce Clay SEO WP + Yoast SEO = Better SEO

It is obvious to everybody that you will not get every feature you want in a single WordPress SEO plugin. But the good news is that you don’t have to worry about that.

Using Yoast SEO and our plugin together gives you better SEO insights and more functionality.

Here’s where you can get your free trial to the Bruce Clay SEO WP plugin.

FAQ: What Makes Yoast and Bruce Clay SEO Plugins Stand Out Among WordPress SEO Tools?

Yoast SEO and Bruce Clay SEO plugins are exceptional WordPress plugins. Let’s unveil what makes these plugins stand out and why they are essential for optimizing your WordPress website.

Yoast SEO: Mastering On-Page SEO with Precision

Yoast SEO, a household name among WordPress users, is renowned for its precision in on-page SEO. Its snippet preview allows you to visualize how your meta information will appear in search results, ensuring your website’s title and description meet SEO best practices. What truly distinguishes Yoast is its real-time guidance, offering suggestions tailored to your specific competition and website. This dynamic approach ensures your SEO strategy is always aligned with current search trends.

Bruce Clay SEO: Bridging SEO Gaps with Cutting-Edge Tools

In the world of WordPress SEO, the Bruce Clay SEO plugin emerges as a formidable contender. What sets it apart is its ability to bridge the gaps left by other SEO plugins. With real-time analysis powered by Google Analytics and Search Console data, it delivers advanced insights right within WordPress. It calculates recommendations based on the latest search results, making your SEO efforts relevant and effective.

The Power of Synergy: Yoast and Bruce Clay Together

The beauty of these plugins is that they can coexist harmoniously in your WordPress arsenal. When using both Yoast and Bruce Clay SEO plugins, you get a holistic approach to SEO. Yoast’s expertise in on-page optimization complements Bruce Clay’s real-time data analysis. Together, they empower you to fine-tune your content, meta information, and overall SEO strategy with unparalleled precision.

Elevating Your WordPress SEO Game

The choice between Yoast and Bruce Clay SEO plugins isn’t about one being better than the other; it’s about synergy. These plugins complement each other, filling in the gaps to create a robust SEO strategy.

Step-by-Step Procedure to Uncover the Superiority of Yoast and Bruce Clay SEO Plugins in WordPress:

1. Begin by understanding the importance of SEO plugins for WordPress.
2. Research and identify the key players in the field, including Yoast and Bruce Clay.
3. Explore the unique strengths and functionalities of Yoast SEO, focusing on its precision in on-page SEO and real-time guidance.
4. Delve into the features of the Bruce Clay SEO plugin, emphasizing its real-time data analysis and its ability to bridge gaps in SEO.
5. Understand the power of using both plugins together and how they complement each other.
6. Recognize the synergy achieved by combining Yoast and Bruce Clay SEO plugins.
7. Make an informed decision about incorporating these plugins into your WordPress website.
8. Implement Yoast SEO for on-page optimization, utilizing its snippet preview and real-time guidance.
9. Set up the Bruce Clay SEO plugin and explore its real-time data analysis capabilities.
10. Assess the specific SEO needs of your website and how Yoast and Bruce Clay plugins can address them.
11. Integrate both plugins seamlessly into your WordPress toolkit.
12. Fine-tune your website’s content, meta information, and SEO strategy using the insights provided by these plugins.
13. Monitor and track the impact of the plugins on your website’s SEO performance.
14. Continuously adapt and optimize your SEO strategy based on real-time recommendations.
15. Measure the improvements in your website’s SEO rankings and visibility.
16. Share your success story with others in the WordPress community.
17. Educate fellow website owners on the benefits of using Yoast and Bruce Clay SEO plugins together.
18. Encourage others to embrace a holistic approach to SEO.
19. Stay updated on the latest developments in SEO and plugin enhancements.
20. Enjoy the rewards of a well-optimized WordPress website with improved search engine rankings and user engagement.

The post Yoast SEO: Plug In the Gaps with Bruce Clay SEO WP appeared first on Bruce Clay, Inc..