Search Engine Optimization, also known as SEO, is imperative to successful digital marketing campaigns.

The key to a successful SEO campaign is implementing the right SEO techniques. Search Engine Optimization is a strategy that involves a careful understanding of search engine algorithms.

Once you know what modes work, your rank will increase and you’ll experience more website traffic than ever before.

There are many types of SEO techniques to implement into your digital marketing strategy. Are you using them?

What Is SEO?

SEO allows business owners to increase website traffic through organic search results. It’s the science of ranking high on search engines.

Since Google is the most widely used search engine in the world (accounting for 79% of all searches), most SEO strategies are geared towards that platform. However, SEO applications can be applied to other search engines, like Bing and DuckDuckGo.

While you can pay to implement click ads on search engines, SEO accumulates organic (non-paid) traffic. It uses high-quality content to engage and attract customers to your website.

SEO is a marathon, not a race. It takes four to six months of steady and consistent content for business owners to see results.

Types of SEO Techniques You Need to Be Using

Since SEO is a science, it’s constantly changing. Below are 17 SEO methods guaranteed to boost your search engine rank right now.

1. Write Content Users Want to Read

First things first, develop an SEO content plan that revolves around your target audience. Instead of writing blogs and web pages as topics cross your mind, put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What would they want to read?

One of the best content strategies is a question-and-answer method. Title your blogs with frequently asked questions about your business and industry. These are likely to be searched by your customers and rank well in Google.

When you develop content, stick to in-depth articles. Short and fluffy blogs may be quick to read, but they engaging. Incorporate interesting statistics to back up your points and validate your reasoning.

Keep in mind the point of a website full of content is to attract and engage your target audience. High-quality blogs and helpful articles build consumer trust and boost brand awareness among customers.

2. Include Images With Alt Tags

Photos add dimension to your article. They make your content more engaging and easier to read.

Visual search is common Google, so make sure you incorporate alt tags to every photo. An alt attribute (alternative text) appears if the image cannot be displayed. It allows readers to understand what the image would have been had it loaded correctly.

Alt text improves your SEO because search engines can read it. Google requests websites to use “descriptive text” on photos so its algorithm can link users to it. Therefore, the more descriptive alt tags you incorporate, the better your overall SEO will be.

3. Write Effective Titles

Your page’s title tag carries the most weight in the content’s SEO. Google uses titles to match search queries. Title tags are displayed on search engine result pages (SERPs).

Your title tag must be accurate and applicable to your content. It should be under 60 characters and include your article’s keyword.

Mention the keyword organically in the title. Since 20% of all Google searches are voice searches, keep your title conversational and not too complex.

4. Implement Breadcrumb Navigation

Breadcrumbs allow website visitors to easily find their way back to pages they previously visited or your home page. They should appear at the top of your page.

Breadcrumb navigation should be a top priority when it comes to your website. Breadcrumbs improve user experience as well as increase search engine rankings.

Search engines prefer user-friendly websites, which is why breadcrumb navigation should be implemented into your SEO strategy. They improve keyword search and increase the number of internal links on your website.

Schema markups are used to describe breadcrumbs. They signify to search engine bots where breadcrumbs are located and often appear in SERPs.

5. Use Internal and External Links

Internal linking organizes your website’s structure and improves SEO. As Google’s spiders easily navigate through your website, you receive a better SEO score.

Include relevant internal links to other blogs and service pages. Don’t overdo it, but naturally sprinkle a few links in to boost user experience navigation.

External links send users to credible, third-party sources. Like internal links, outbound links should fit seamlessly into your content. Your SEO score increases as you connect users to relevant and credible outside sources.

When it comes to outbound links, make sure the pages open in a new tab. That way, users can easily navigate back to your website.

6. Get Backlinks

Backlinking is one of the most important and underused SEO techniques. It’s considered off-page SEO, which means it takes place outside of your own website.

Just like you want to connect users to credible sites, you want secure sites linking to your page, as well. Backlinking improves your domain authority and helps you outrank the competition.

You can incorporate quality backlinks by writing guest blogs for other websites or collaborating with social media influencers. If you produce a steady stream of high-quality content, websites will backlink to your articles without you having to do a thing.

7. Research Keywords

Optimal SEO writing incorporates strategic keywords to rank content as high as possible. Google and other search engines use keywords to match search queries.

When you use the right keywords, your content matches what people are searching and appears higher than others.

8. Create SEO Landing Pages

Landing pages allow you to turn a website visitor into a sales lead. You can design specific landing pages for your content that appeals directly to your audience. The more customized your landing pages are, the higher your conversion rate will be.

Landing pages are designed to gather information about users. Once you have their information, (phone number, email address, etc.) you can turn a user into a sales prospect. Landing pages produce high ROIs and are imperative to an effective SEO campaign.

9. Include Infographics

Did you know 65% of people are visual learners? In order to appeal to both contextual and visual users, incorporate infographics into your content.

Infographics allow you to display complex information in an understandable fashion. You can display statistics in a way people can easily absorb them.

Adding infographics to your text increases engagement and boosts website traffic. In fact, infographics are 30 times more likely to be read than a regular text article.

The human brain processes visual data quicker than textual data, making infographics a simple way for people to absorb information.

Remember, your content needs to fit your target audience. Improved user experience and content engagement result in higher SEO rankings. You can use an infographic maker for making these infographics.

10. Write 1,890 Words

Got writer’s block? Too bad. The most high-ranking content on the web has around 1,890 words.

Content with over 1,500 words is shared more on both Facebook and Twitter than shorter content.

Of course, don’t fill in your content with nonsense or repeat the same point to make it fit the word count. Instead, cover a topic in extreme detail so the reader values every part of it.

11. Increase Traffic Through Social Media

Use social media to boost online credibility for your website. Plus, incorporating social media into your SEO strategy will help you acquire and maintain a following.

Of course, there are obvious social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. But go beyond these and reach high-quality audiences through Quora, Slideshare, and Medium as well.

The more places you post your content, the higher the number of clicks your website will receive. As more people share and enjoy your content, search engines will start ranking it higher.

12. Use the Bucket Brigade Writing Technique

If you get a user to your website, you want to keep them engaged for as long as possible. Bucket Bridgade keeps the content flowing. It captivates readers and guides them through an article.

Bucket Brigade was originally designed as a sales tactic. Now, professional SEO writers use it to increase on-page engagement and generate inbound marketing leads.

Bucket Brigade writing significantly lowers bounce rates. Users who implement proper Bucket Brigade techniques see customers spend an average of four minutes on their web pages.

Since most users leave a website within the first fifteen seconds, that’s an outstanding average.

13. Update Old Content

Updating old content makes your website more credible. The more credible your website is, the higher it will rank in search engine queries.

Go through old blog posts and articles. Is there anything that has become outdated over the years? Perhaps you wrote a trending topic blog that should be updated with new developments or an article about an industry trend that needs to be tweaked.

Update the content, so it’s relevant to today. While you’re at it, check the article’s SEO. Chances are, if you wrote the piece years ago, its keywords, title tags, and links might need to be altered to rank higher.

By updating old content, your website will suddenly gain more content that’s still relevant to customers today. It’s a much faster way to increase your content load compared to writing a bunch of new articles from scratch.

14. Optimize Content for RankBrain

RankBrain is Google’s search result algorithm. It attempts to understand search queries like a human to gather relevant results.

The algorithm uses past searches to filter what you’re looking for. For example, if you’ve recently searched “different types of camping equipment” and the next search you performed was “flashlight,” Google’s algorithm would most likely show you flashlights designed for outdoor camping.

Understanding RankBrain is an important aspect of SEO. Once you understand how the algorithm filters results, you can design your content accordingly.

15. Improve Page Loading Speed

Google wants to send users to safe, responsive, and fast places. Websites that produce a greater user experience always rank higher than those that do not.

A large part of excellent user experience is the website’s loading speed. Google has stated it takes site speed into account when ranking pages in a search query.

Not only can a higher page speed increase your rank, but it also increases conversions. Slow sites have high bounce rates since users don’t wait for the page to load. Customers are more likely to explore your website, read your content, and check out your inventory if everything loads quickly.

16. Install an SSL Certificate

Have you noticed how the top search results in Google are usually safe, secure, and credible websites? Since 2014, SSL certificates have played a crucial role in determining a website’s rank.

An SSL certificate signifies your website is secure. It’s unlikely users will experience computer viruses or have their personal information stolen while on your site.

17. Host a Responsive Website

Responsive websites adapt to the technology being used. Whether it be an iPhone, Andriod, or laptop, responsive websites conform to fit the device. This allows for better navigation, readability, site speed, and improved user experiences.

The more responsive your website is, the higher its Google rank. Responsiveness lowers your bounce rate and keeps customers engaged. It encourages customers to explore your website and learn more about your business.

Improve Your SEO

There are so many different types of SEO methods available, it can be overwhelming to try and use them all. That’s where the professionals come in.

Local Finder is your go-to SEO team. We’ll create and implement an SEO strategy so effective you’ll be ranking higher in Google than ever before.

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The 17 Types of SEO Techniques You Need to Rank Higher in 2019