How to boost your visibility and traffic with SEO

Keyword Research

Keyword research means researching the words that come up most in searches when requesting answers or information about the topic your website covers. This research forms the foundation of any successful SEO campaign. Firstly, identify the search terms and phrases that your target audience uses when seeking information related to your products or services. Start by brainstorming potential keywords, then utilise tools like Google Keyword Planner or  SEMrush to refine your list and see which terms have the most traffic.

Focus on long-tail keywords specific to your niche and have lower competition. Long-tail keywords are phrases (so multiple words) that may have fewer searches, but they often secure higher conversion rates. Also, consider the intent behind each keyword—is it informational, navigational, or transactional? Tailoring your content to match its relevance will boost your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

On-Page Optimisation Boosts Visibility In The Right Places

On-page optimisation means making sure that individual pages on your website are also optimised to help them rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines like Google. To enhance or start using on-page optimisation, you’ll need to optimise your meta tags, including title tags, meta descriptions, and headers, to include relevant keywords. Ensure that your content is well-structured, easy to read, and includes semantic keywords related to your primary topic.

You’ll also want to check out your page load speed, how friendly your site is for use on mobile devices and user experience. Search engines prioritise websites that deliver a seamless browsing experience across all devices, whether that be desktop, laptop, mobile or tablet. To help your site appear more user-friendly, utilise descriptive URLs, include descriptive alt text with your images and implement schema markup (a code on the page which helps search engines like Google read the page) to enhance your site’s visibility in search results.

Content

Whatever your website is for, the whole reason people head there is for content, either to see what you’re saying or selling.

High-quality, relevant content is a huge aspect of successful SEO. Develop a content strategy that aligns with your target audience’s interests. You’ll want to create informative blog posts, videos, infographics, and imagery that provide value and help you gain authority in your sector.

Incorporate keywords naturally throughout your content, but avoid keyword stuffing (putting SEO keywords and phrases where they don’t read correctly in your wording), as this can harm your rankings. You want your content to engage with your audience, be sharable and encouraging for backlinks. Earning backlinks from reputable websites will increase your SEO, as you’ll be seen as a reliable source of information. To keep your website up to date, regularly refresh your content to reflect changes in your industry and stay relevant to your audience’s needs.

Off-Page Optimisation

Off-page optimisation refers to the activity which takes place outside of your website to improve its search engine rankings. This could include link building, social media marketing, influencer outreach, and online reputation management. Focus on gaining high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites within your industry to enhance your own SEO visibility.

Partaking in additional activities outside of your own business can also help to raise your profile off-page. Engage in guest blogging for other organisations, participate in online forums and communities, and use your business and personal social media platforms to raise awareness of your website content and attract more visitors to your website.  Carefully monitor and manage your online reputation, too, by showing you are actively engaging with your audience. Respond to reviews, address customer feedback, and ensure you are maintaining a positive brand image across all digital channels.

SEO Audits

Regular SEO audits will enable you to identify and address any issues that may negatively impact your website’s search results performance. Doing in-depth audits will help to evaluate your site’s technical health, on-page optimisation, content quality, and backlink profile. There are many handy tools that you can use, such as Google Search Console, SEMrush, and Screaming Frog, which will help to identify errors, broken links, and other issues that need attention.

If any technical issues arise, deal with them promptly to ensure you’re optimising any underperforming pages. Always keep refining your keyword strategies based on current trends and search engine algorithms. Ensure you regularly monitor your site’s performance metrics, including organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates, to track your progress and make data-driven decisions that will positively impact your SEO.

Traffic From Local SEO

If your business has a physical location or serves a specific geographic area, local SEO is crucial for attracting customers who are nearby. Optimise your website for local search by including your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on every page. You often see this as part of a website footer. Create a Google My Business profile and ensure that your information is accurate and up-to-date.

When engaging with customers or clients and receiving positive feedback, encourage these people to leave reviews on platforms like Google and Facebook, as these reviews can significantly impact your local search rankings. As mentioned before, make sure to utilise keywords, too and use local keywords and phrases in your content, meta tags, and headers to increase your visibility in local search results. 

Reporting

If you’re investing a lot of time and effort into your SEO, you’ll want to monitor it to ensure it’s causing the desired effect and benefiting your business. Regular reporting is essential for seeing how your efforts impact your website and allowing you to make any needed improvements. Utilise tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track key metrics such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, bounce rates, and conversion rates.

Generate in-depth reports that highlight your performance over time, identify trends and patterns, and provide actionable insights for optimising your SEO strategy. Share these reports with others in the business and your team members to ensure all efforts are aligned. 

Having a comprehensive SEO strategy requires a lot of planning, continuous optimisation, and a deep understanding of your target audience and industry landscape, but by focusing on the key factors listed above, you can significantly boost your website’s visibility and drive more organic traffic, ultimately leading to increased conversions and revenue.

Take a look at our other SEO blog posts for an even more in-depth look at how SEO can impact your business, boost your visibility and increase traffic to your website.