The 4 Components of a Successful SEO Strategy
Written by Courtney Raguso, Social Media Content Creator
SEO, also known as search engine optimization, is a key component of having a good online presence. Many people have misconceptions about what SEO is. According to our SEO Manager Anthony, people often confuse SEO with Google Ads. The main difference between the two is that SEO is a monthly service where Google Ads require a monthly budget. As Anthony says, “With SEO you create a foundation in Google, but it takes time to get to the top. With Google Ads, you become a ghost the second your ad budget runs out.” Optimization is not an overnight process and does take time. That’s why having a strategy is key because without one, you will not be able to track your progress, and see what’s working and what isn’t. In this blog, we’re going to discuss 4 types of SEO that all work to create a high ranking in search engines.
The 4 components of a good SEO strategy include several types of SEO. The first type is Technical SEO. This type of search engine optimization is about ensuring your search engine can read your content and explore your website. It’s essential that Google can crawl and index your site because if it can’t, then it will not give your website a good ranking since it can’t read what it is or would be relevant to. If the Googlebot can’t crawl your website, then it will not be indexed in the search engine and therefore will not appear in the results. Aside from that, you also want to make sure your website is optimized for mobile, has fast loading speeds, and has good content structure. Having a mobile-friendly website makes it much easier for visitors to navigate your site while on their phones. When visitors can’t properly view the content on the page or read the text, they will likely leave, increasing your bounce rate. When speaking about content structure, we’re referring to hierarchy. This means, with better content structure, Google can crawl better and index the content in order to return it in search results.
On-Site SEO is another type of search engine optimization. Similar to the technical aspect, on-site requires structure and organization including meta titles, meta descriptions, content optimization and site navigation just to name a few. This is for both your user’s experience as well as Google’s ability to properly rank your site in reference to its relevant content. Meta titles and descriptions are probably the most important sections of a website when optimizing for SEO because they convey the primary topic and purpose to the user. Google crawls a website and displays the meta title and descriptions in the search results, which is why keywords are often found in those tags. They are what appear in the search results before you click to visit the site. Marketers can even place keywords within the tags, which usually boosts the rankings for those keywords tremendously. In regards to content optimization and navigation, these factors matter more to the user because they’re what enhances the user experience. If your site has too much text, doesn’t have a good variation of keywords, looks messy, or isn’t linked properly, your bounce rate will be high and you won’t have a good ranking.
Content is the third component of a good SEO strategy. Earlier we mentioned how content optimization matters for SEO. This type of SEO is slightly different whereas instead of content structure, it’s more about the content itself. Your website serves its purpose as an information hub for your customers. Your content tells people things like what you do, where you’re located, and your product or service. A website should look professional and have credible content that’s accurate and positions you as the expert. It’s important to note that content shouldn’t be structured around keywords, meaning that you shouldn’t create content just for the sake of using those keywords. If your content is scattered and unorganized, search engine bots will have a harder time indexing your site, identifying your area of authority, and ranking your site pages. We recommend you start off by creating content you know your audience is interested in and is searching for. This is different from creating content around keywords because instead, you are thinking of the customer rather than what keywords you think will work. A blog is a great way to build relevant content on your site because it offers customers value and insight as well as gives you the opportunity to use more keywords. Over time, you can then track your content’s success and see what resonates the most with your visitors. Just always remember to fact-check everything and make sure all your content is up-to-date. To keep up with all this, it helps to create and refine a monthly content plan.
The last component we’re going to discuss is Off-Site SEO, which focuses on links directed to the site from elsewhere on the internet. With this type, it involves everything aside from making changes to your own website, and you’ll need to earn external backlinks to help build your domain authority. The number of backlinks a site has from reputable sources helps you build trust with search algorithms. Content is a key component of generating backlinks to your site. Some ways you can start is by sharing links with local businesses in exchange for links to their own sites, or you can share your blog posts on different social media platforms. There are many other ways you can build external links including social media, appearing on podcasts, landing reviews, guest posting, and forums. The concept of Off-Page SEO can be compared to a person’s reputation when looking for a job. The more references they have, the more reputable they are as a candidate. It’s the same idea for SEO because the more mentions you see elsewhere about your brand, the more reputable it will be to Google and give your site a better ranking.
Without any of these 4 components of SEO, you can’t have a working strategy. Each component has a purpose and plays a key role in achieving higher search rankings. Just like with anything else, the SEO landscape is constantly changing and evolving. So it’s important to always stay on top of the latest trends and practices to ensure the best efficiency and performance. This process takes time and effort, and you won’t just be able to get the ideal ranking overnight. It takes time and effort to track your metrics and adjust your strategy as needed. Once you have a solid foundation, you should always continue to track your progress and optimize your keywords.
At MSM DesignZ, we put in the time and energy required for success, so you can ensure you are using every dollar for maximum return. With over 20 years in the business, we have watched marketing evolve from traditional to digital. Whether you need a website refresh, more attractive email, or a quality online presence, we can do it all. When we take on a client, we put in 110% and treat every brand as if it’s our own. We will always continue to place our clients’ needs at the heart of our operations. From web development to social media management, we’ll work directly with you to build a personalized strategy to not only retain but also gain business. We are assisting in all areas for our clients. Visit our contact page at https://www.msmdesignz.com/contact/, and we’ll work with you to devise a custom plan that will keep your brand alive and well. We look forward to working with you!
Sources:
https://www.semrush.com/blog/off-page-seo/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/seo-strategy