Ideally before aimlessly targeting a set of keywords the website needs to be in overall good shape, free from any technical issues. Holistically the site needs to be sound, yes google quotes “google ranks pages not sites’, however a greater user experience if your site is technically sound leads to longer time on site which will aid in higher rankings.

The basic SEO process, everybody will have a different opinion, methods and ideas on how too. However we must remember that we are just all reverse engineers trying to discover what bits are important n the 200 google ranking factors . I know they are just words, but here is one of my case studies on a successful ongoing campaign. Why you should invest in SEO.

A Succesfull SEO Audit

This is not just an automated turn and burn audit, (I can do them if you want for free) this is an audit to look deep into the site of why it does, or does not rank. What can be done to improve it, what could be hurting the site. I will need access to your google search console, (GSC) because without that data the audit is nearly a worthless exercise.

The Process Of Basic SEO

1. Site audit
   1. Technical automated x2
   2. Visual audit
      1. Fix any major indexing errors 
      2. Redirect loops
      3. Minor problems addressed later in the process 
   3. Site speed test 
   4. If WordPress check plugins for conflicts and bulk code
2. Content audit 
   1. Check for duplicate 
      1. Headers 
      2. Meta descriptions 
      3. Orphaned pages 
      4. Content 
   2. Thin content (remove/consolidate) 
   3. Cannibalisation of content 
   4. Basic on page practices 
   5. Usability of site  
3. Backlink Audit 
   1. General overview (strength)
   2. Check for any possible toxic backlinks (Google usually just ignores them and no action is needed)
4. Google Search Console 
   1. Analysis of data (KW used to find the site)
   2. Trends 
   3. Emerging new keywords
   4. Address any quick wins from keywords in position 11 to 20
      1. Use internal links to boost KW (if content is there) 
5. Keywords 
   1. Agree a loose set of keywords 
      1. products/services/locations /solutions 
   2. Competitor research 
      1. How did they get there
         1. Backlinks 
            1. See if you can gain any of the same links 
         2. Internal links 
         3. Good content 
         4. Overall site authority 
         5. Topical relevance 
   3. SERP results what ranks
      1. Article
      2. Product
      3. Service page
      4.  Video
      5. Other
   4. Plan competing content 
      1. Research SERP top 10 
      2. Analyse content H1 and subheadings, terminology used 
      3. Produce more insightful content 
6. Content strategy
   1. Plan long term for content, articles and long term goals
7. Backlinks 
   1. Research competitors to gain similar links 
   2. Niche relevant directories/forums 
   3. Produce quality linkable articles 
   4. Outreach emails (long term)

Repeat the process from stage 5 onwards for any given set of keywords. If content is added on a regular basis then repeat step 2 every 6 months. However if you get your content strategy correct then this will not be an issue. However, we know that google doesn’t always follow our plans so do check that articles rank for what you intended. Let’s talk SEO prices

Examples Of Results

The below screenshot is for a researched article brief, 4800 words long and published beginning of may 2020. It wasn’t until June 21st that it had its first impression in the SERPS. The article started slowly and eventually peaked 5 months later, it still ranks number 1 for many terms and traffic is generated by 100+ keywords.

The dip is the Christmas period.

The next screenshot (below) is from the same site and the content produced in the same way as the above. Published 1st September 2020 and has 1234 words. It starts to get impressions in September so it looks promising. However, it’s November  11th before it gets any organic traffic. 8 months later it does look like it might have some traction, but then it drops again. This article will be evaluated again and the process above repeated.

The old saying in SEO of “it depends” rings true, same site, same process does not bring equal result. Yes the word count is different but, the same formula was used to determine the amount of words needed to get to page 1.

What to look for when hiring someone to do your SEO