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In today’s digital world, search engine optimization (SEO) is an essential part of your marketing strategy. Just how technical does SEO get? And what kinds of optimizations should you make on your website? Let’s talk about technical SEO and how it fits into your SEO plan.

What is the difference between technical SEO and SEO?

The field of SEO is expansive. There are four types of SEO, and technical SEO is one of them. As a whole, “SEO” also includes on-page, off-page, and local SEO.

Technical SEO refers to the process of optimizing your site’s backend to improve your rankings on the search engine results page (SERP). While technical SEO is its own category, all four types of SEO have technical elements.

Examples of the overlap between technical SEO and other SEO types

Here are some technical SEO examples that illustrate its overlap with the other types of SEO.

Technical SEO overlap between on-page and off-page SEO

How to do a technical SEO audit

If you’re familiar with SEO strategy, you know how important it is to audit your existing content and optimize new pieces. The technical side is no exception. A regular technical SEO audit can help you ensure that your digital content is getting the exposure it deserves.

Here are 6 types of technical SEO to include in your audit:

  1. Site speed optimization: A faster load speed signifies a better user experience to Google’s crawlers.
  2. Mobile optimization: The majority of internet traffic is now mobile, so algorithms put significant weight on mobile-friendliness.
  3. Clear site structure: Simplifying your structure benefits both people and search engines. Clear up convoluted pathways to content and use short, descriptive URLs.
  4. Minimal crawl errors: Broken links, missing pages, and duplicate content all hurt your site’s chances of ranking on the SERP.

As discussed, there are technical SEO factors that overlap with on-page and off-page SEO. You can include these in your technical SEO audit to make sure your bases are covered.

5. Keywords in metadata: Your focus keyword should appear in your content’s title, headers, body, meta description, URL, image tags.

6. Backlink anchor text: As you work with publishers and partners to post backlinks, it’s crucial to specify the anchor text as best you can.            That means making sure your focus keyword appears at the beginning of the text linking to your content

Why a technical SEO audit is important

The benefits of technical SEO are significant, but it’s often more “behind the scenes.” Marketers are less likely to notice issues and opportunities. For example, if you’re in your CMS every day managing your website, you might not notice that your site structure has gradually gotten a bit messy.

That’s why it’s important to perform regular audits - we recommend at least quarterly.

Is technical SEO part of on-page SEO?

Technical SEO and on-page SEO are considered two different categories under the same umbrella. The difference between technical SEO and on-page SEO is simply the level of technicality.

On-page SEO is typically more content-focused. It involves some technical aspects but centers on choosing the right keyword and creating content that will appeal to search engine algorithms. It includes activities like:

Technical SEO applies to specific pieces of content but also to your broader website in terms of optimizing a holistic user experience. Many overarching aspects of technical SEO affect every single piece of content on your site, such as:

While technical SEO can be part of your on-page SEO process, it also expands beyond that into sitewide optimizations.

Technical SEO is essential to your marketing plan

As a modern marketer, it’s important to be comfortable with the technical aspects of SEO as well as the non-technical ones. While technical SEO is considered its own SEO category, there are technical elements in every other category, too. So don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves and get technical - the algorithms (and your chief revenue officer) will thank you!

When you work hard on excellent content, you want to get the most out of it. But an SEO strategy without technical SEO is like a beautiful car without a functioning engine. It might look great, but it won’t get you where you want to go.

Technical SEO is one of the four types of SEO and it’s indispensable to your content marketing strategy. What does it involve and why is it so important? Let’s get technical.

What is technical SEO?

Technical SEO is the process of optimizing your website’s technical infrastructure to improve its visibility and appearance in search engine results. The human side of SEO is crucial to your marketing efforts, but in today’s digital world, you can nail high-quality content and still lose by ignoring the technical side.

Why is technical SEO important?

Simply put, technical SEO is important because SEO is important. Ranking higher in search results can drive more potential customers to your website and increase conversion rates.

We’ve said it before - at its core, SEO is all about user experience. When it comes to technical SEO, this is still true, but we have to broaden our definition of “user” a bit.

Optimizing the technical side of your website can impact regular ol’ human users as much as on-page SEO. Picture this: You’re on a new site, and it is impossible to navigate. You’re just looking for that one page. It should be easy to find, and the fact that it’s not… well frankly, it is frustrating.

Even if you eventually find it, you’re unlikely to use that site again or trust the brand at all. That’s why straightforward website design is so important.

For technical SEO, there’s another “user” to consider: search engines. Your website’s pages must be easy for search engine spiders to crawl and index. And robots don’t do well with nuance. For this reason, a clear design is doubly important.

How is technical SEO done?

The most effective technical SEO techniques focus on one of four goals for your website:

  1. Improving usability. Optimizing the technical infrastructure of your site makes it easier for users to navigate. And (louder for the folks in the back) a better user experience can improve your site’s SERP ranking.
  2. Increasing speed. You can have the most insightful content in the world… but if it takes 90 seconds to load, very few users will ever see it. Nobody has time for that.
  3. Ensuring accessibility. If search engine crawlers can’t find and index your website’s pages, you’re missing a huge opportunity.
  4. Improving mobile-friendliness. Since 2017, more than half of all traffic on the internet is mobile. We’re not saying every website should be designed mobile-first, but mobile experience should be a tip-top priority regardless of your audience.

To get started evaluating and improving your own technical SEO, a checklist is your best friend. Most of the big players are doing this right - we like this checklist from SEMRush. 

SEMrush SEO checklist

What are some examples of technical SEO?

The field of technical SEO spans deep and wide. Large enterprises can hire a full-time marketer focused on technical SEO. But if you’re not there yet, here are a few technical SEO factors that are often low-hanging fruit.

1. Website speed optimization

Run your website through Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to get an idea of where your site excels and where opportunities lie.

2. XML sitemaps

To display your content on the SERP, search engines need to know where your most important content is. A sitemap tells them explicitly instead of leaving them guessing. You can create a sitemap manually, but many content management systems (ex. WordPress, Webflow) automatically create one for you. Submit your sitemap using Google Search Console.

3. Canonicalization

If you have a large amount of content on your site, you might have more than one page targeting the same keyword and intent. This is called keyword cannibalization, and it affects your content’s ability to rank. To correct this issue, you can merge or redirect one of the pages. You can also mark the more important page as the canonical URL to let search engines know it’s the preferred content to rank.

4. Structure and navigation

An SEO-friendly URL structure makes it easy for search engines to crawl your pages. Keep your URLs descriptive and short.

5. Broken links

Nothing screams “poor user experience” like broken links on your website. Even the most reliable external links occasionally move around or break for some unexpected reason. You should do regular broken link audits on your website (we recommend at least quarterly).

Run your SEO plan like a well-oiled machine

There are a variety of free or inexpensive technical SEO tools that help in each of the above areas. A simple Google search can get you started. If you’d prefer to keep everything in one place, check out more comprehensive tools like SEMRush or Moz.

Technical SEO isn’t rocket science, but it must be part of your SEO-powered content strategy to get the most value from your digital content. Once the backend of your website is optimized, your SEO car will be ready to hit the road.

It’s 9 o’clock on Monday morning and an email slides into your inbox. It’s the weekly report from your advertising agency. Yikes, your budget is almost drained. Your ad strategy is sound and it’s generating sales, but you’re beginning to wonder… is it sustainable? Is it scalable?

Or perhaps it’s time to revisit those three little words: search engine optimization. You suspect you could be doing more in this area, but is it a worthwhile investment? Where should you begin?

What is SEO in simple terms?

Simply put, SEO strategy refers to the practice of improving your website’s rank and appearance on the search engine results page (SERP). SEO’s meaning in a business context is working to make your content appear higher in search results so more people will visit your website. This can lead to more prospects, conversions, and sales.

What is SEO marketing?

SEO marketing is an essential piece of your digital marketing strategy. It includes tactics like:

There are four types of SEO marketing: on-page, off-page, technical, and local. The best SEO marketing strategies integrate all four types.

On-page SEO

On-page SEO involves creating high-quality content centered on one keyword theme. Optimize your content by including the keyword in your page’s title, URL, meta description, and headers.

Off-page SEO

To master off-page SEO, you must build your backlink strategy. Once you’ve created linkable content, identify external sites where your audience hangs out. Then, ask for a backlink (be sure to clarify what’s in it for them and their audience).

Technical SEO

Technical SEO might sound complicated, but it’s really as simple as providing a good user experience. Follow web design best practices when it comes to your site structure and mobile-first design. Work with your technical experts on optimizing elements like load speed and security.

Local SEO

If your business serves customers in a particular geographic area, local SEO is critical. Incorporating local keywords into your content and having an active social media presence can help your brand show up to in-market searchers nearby.

The importance of SEO in digital marketing

Recent research reveals that the average working-age internet user now spends 6 hours and 37 minutes online each day. That means your target audience spends at least a third of their waking time online. And one of your primary marketing goals is to get them to spend a little piece of that time on your website.

Organic search is the primary source of web traffic for many businesses. Using SEO to improve the visibility and ranking of your website in search results can generate more traffic. And the best part is, it’s organic - meaning you didn’t pay for it with ads.

Not only is generating organic traffic easier on your marketing budget, but it’s also a more stable tactic. By investing some time up-front to optimize your site for search and create high-quality content, you can generate search traffic for months and years to come, without paying a dime (okay, Warren Buffet).

The importance of SEO for small businesses

Small businesses shine in many areas - agility, passion, and innovation, to name a few. One thing they often don’t have? A huge operating budget. Luckily, in terms of return, SEO is one of the most cost-effective business investments you can make.

In addition to its crucial role in digital marketing, SEO has even more benefits for your small business. It can:

SEO for business growth

Now that you know how SEO plays into marketing strategy and your business’s success, using it to grow your business is a no-brainer.

By improving your SERP ranking, you can increase your website traffic. More website traffic leads to more sales by sheer numbers. But since SEO also improves user experience, it can increase your conversion rate as well.

That means SEO can impact growth in at least two ways. Here’s an example.

How SEO can grow your revenue

Let’s say your website gets 1,500 visitors per month from a mix of organic and paid sources. Your conversion rate is 5% and your average sale is $85.

1,500 * 3% = 45 sales * $85 = $3,825 per month

By implementing some simple SEO strategies, you increase your number of visitors to 2,800 per month. Your revenue is now:

2,800 * 3% = 84 sales * $85 = $7,140 per month

Get after it! Your revenue’s climbing, but you’re not done yet. Because organic search traffic converts at a higher rate than paid, you also see your conversion rate increase. So in a few months, your equation looks like this:

2,800 visitors * 4% conversion rate = 112 sales * $85 = $9,520

You’ve more than doubled your revenue without any changes to product or pricing. This simple illustration shows the enormous impact SEO can have on your bottom line.

How to do SEO marketing

Knowing the foundations of SEO is vital, but enough with the theory already. How can you get started with SEO marketing in practice?

Here are a few SEO steps for beginners:

  1. Research keywords
  2. Incorporate the keywords into your content
  3. Create a plan to build new content
  4. Implement a link building strategy

Your SEO strategy doesn’t have to be airtight to start with some of these tactics today. Integrate SEO into your marketing strategy as a complement to your other channels, and watch your numbers soar.

Today’s marketers know that search engine optimization is table stakes for a successful integrated marketing strategy. Here are some examples of how to strengthen your plan with SEO strategy .

Examples of search engine optimization

SEO is a wide field that involves technical optimizations on the back end and improvements to the reader’s experience on the front end. There are four types of SEO : on-page, off-page, technical, and local.

What are examples of SEO marketing?

Here are some examples of how to incorporate the four types of SEO into your marketing.

Example of on-page SEO

You probably know that SEO marketing involves keywords. The most common example of on-page SEO is optimizing a piece of content to a specific keyword. For example, if you’re publishing a blog post about making your own ice cream, your keyword might be “homemade ice cream.” You’d include that keyword in your post’s title, slug, meta description, headers, and body.

Examples of SEO keywords

In this example, your keyword is “homemade ice cream.” This is an informational keyword. If a user searches for it, they’re probably looking for information on how to make homemade ice cream. Once they find the info they need, their search will be complete.

Keywords are all about intent. Here are some other types of keywords:

Understanding a users search intent will help you tailor your content to their goals and amplify your SEO performance.

Example of off page SEO

Your off page SEO strategy involves link building – links from external sites to the web page with your content. Also known as backlinks, this seo tool can help you gain visibility from social media or other websites. Once you’ve published your article on how to make homemade ice cream, you can maximize backlinks by:

Example of technical SEO

The goal of technical SEO is to help search engines index your site more effectively. One example of technical SEO is submitting a sitemap. A sitemap helps Google index your site by telling it where the most important content is. Even if you’re not a developer, you can create an XML sitemap file and submit it using Google Search Console.

Example of local SEO

One of the most ubiquitous examples of local SEO is claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile. If a user searches “where to get ice cream,” several Google Business results show up. Your Google Business Profile is a complement to your website and social media. Claim your profile to ensure your business appears on the SERP for users looking for your products or services in your area.

SEO marketing strategy

Some of your goals in digital marketing strategy are to increase website traffic and increase conversions to bring in more revenue for your business. SEO can help you achieve all these.

How is SEO used in digital marketing?

Creating high quality content that’s optimized for search can grow your organic traffic over time. And best of all? It’s not just random traffic. You can control who your SEO content brings to your website.

How? By getting clear on the intent behind your keywords. Before you start creating your content, you should know its keyword and the searcher’s intent. This will help you target exactly the kind of user you want to bring to your site – one who’s more likely to take the action that will help you reach your goals.

What is bad SEO?

All SEO tactics are not created equal. The foundation of “good SEO” is user experience. Publishing quality content and making your website easy to use are examples of good SEO.

On the other side of the coin, some techniques are considered bad SEO or “ black hat SEO .” Generally, if your intention is anything other than being helpful, your tactic is probably sketchy. This includes activities like keyword stuffing, sneaky redirects, buying links, and pages with malicious behavior.

Do bad SEO tactics work? You might see some SEO success, but it's not sustainable. And tinkering with them can damage your brand’s reputation with both users and search engines. Google’s algorithm gets more sophisticated with every update, and these activities are all on the naughty list.

SEO example website

What does a well-optimized website look like in practice? Most mid-sized companies have put significant effort into SEO. But some of the best examples out there are B2C companies offering high-ticket products and services. The value of getting a user to their website is astronomical.

One of our favorite examples? Personal injury lawyers. For a masterclass in SEO, Google “got hurt at a theme park” and check out any of the top results.

Find examples of SEO marketing in your industry

To spark ideas for your own business, simply search the relevant keyword you’re targeting with your own SEO strategy. Now that you know what to look for, your cup will runneth over with optimizations to make on your own website.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a key element of digital marketing. You might know that an effective SEO strategy involves optimizing your website to improve its rank in search engine results. But did you know that there are four types of SEO?

If you’re new to SEO, consider starting with our primer, What is SEO marketing for beginners? If you’ve mastered the basics and are ready to dig deeper, you’re in the right place. Let’s dig into the four types of search engine optimization.

What are the 4 types of SEO?

Search engine optimization can be broken down into four categories:

The most effective SEO marketing strategies use all four types in tandem. Let’s take a look at how each SEO technique helps you get more qualified traffic to your website and build your brand.

1. On-page SEO

On-page SEO includes the SEO tactic you probably think of first when you hear “SEO.” It starts with high-quality content. Typically a blog post, high quality content helps position your brand as an industry leader. Search engine algorithms are more sophisticated than ever, and Google gets better at recognizing truly valuable content with every update. The days of tricking search engines with black hat SEO techniques are dead and buried (RIP). If you want to show up in a search result, practicing white hat seo techniques is key.

What is high quality content? You’re on the right track with your content if it:

High quality content is also easy to read. Think proper grammar, short sentences, numbered lists, scannable headers, and credible outbound links.

Including keywords in your content

Your focus keyword and closely-related keywords should appear in all the following areas:

Including your keyword shouldn’t be difficult or unnatural. If you’ve created a focused, high-quality piece, it should happen almost organically. But it’s important to review all these elements before finalizing your content to ensure it’s optimized.

How do you decide which keywords to focus your content around? Ask yourself: What would a users search intent be if they were looking for this content? What types of keywords would they use – informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional?

4 types of KW

Here are a few tips for researching keywords :

2. Off page SEO

You can spend all day talking about how great your own content is. But there’s a reason why 82% of consumers trust reviews , and only 4% trust ads – credibility.

Search engines look for signs that other users have found your content helpful: backlinks (links from external sites). For this reason, creating linkable content is the foundation of off page SEO.

Wait. What’s the difference between high quality content and linkable content? If your content meets the quality indicators above, you’re halfway there. But as Barbra Streisand lamented, “being good isn’t good enough” when you’re trying to get to the top of the SERP.

Linkable SEO content has been specifically crafted to attract attention and – you guessed it – earn backlinks. It might include:

Building your backlink strategy

Once you’ve crafted your high-quality, linkable content… you’re not done yet. Your content will likely earn some backlinks just because it’s amazing (like you). But to get the most out of the content you worked so hard on, you should try to get as many backlinks as you can.

Link building isn't just about having great SEO content. To get more backlinks, identify trustworthy, popular sites within your space. Track down who’s responsible for their digital content, and craft an email. Ask them to consider linking to your content. Include a summary, how it benefits their readers, and where the link could go. Be specific, including the anchor text (the text that links to your content) you’d prefer them to use.

3. Technical SEO

After keyword optimization, technical SEO is probably the next thing that comes to mind when you hear SEO. To make the most of your content, it’s important to make sure your website meets modern technical requirements. That means optimizing elements like:

These components are important to search engine algorithms because they impact accessibility and user experience. Your content might be brimming with unique insights… but if it takes 90 seconds to load, most users won’t stick around to find out.

Run a SEO analysis and make sure you’re following web design best practices. Your topics and audience should be clear. Simplify your site structure as much as possible to focus on the essentials. To get a sense of technical performance, run your site through Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool .

4. Local SEO

The fourth type of SEO is local SEO . This area doesn’t apply to all businesses, but it’s could benefit a small business or any business that serves customers in a particular geographic area. The most important factors in local SEO are proximity, relevance, and prominence.

In general, improving the first three types of SEO will help boost your brand in local SEO results as well. You’ll want to focus on these particular areas:

Optimizing for local SEO can lower your content marketing expenses since it allows you to focus on targeted geographic areas.

What is the most important aspect of SEO?

There’s a lot to learn when it comes to SEO in marketing , and there are specialists in each of these four categories. So what’s the most important lesson here?

In the end, SEO strategy is all about the user experience. As search engines become more sophisticated, the gap closes between what’s prioritized by the algorithm and what’s helpful to the user.

When it comes to SEO best practices, the most important is making sure your website is easy to use and meets your audience’s expectations. Keeping your customers top of mind is a north star that won’t steer you wrong as you navigate the deep waters of SEO.

 

 
 

 

In 2023, Google celebrates 25 years of helping users find answers on the internet. By now, you’ve probably heard of search engine optimization (SEO). But if you’re new, SEO marketing for beginners might seem like a mysterious power that only seasoned marketers can wield.

The truth is, there’s no magic formula that gets you to the top of a Google search result. And SEO isn’t just for marketing experts. Thanks to marketing automation, you can use SEO strategy to get more traffic to your website and increase sales. 

So if you’re just getting started, here are some SEO basics for our beginners out there.

What is SEO?

Search engine optimization is the practice of improving your website’s rank and appearance on the search engine results page (SERP). Optimizing your site’s content for search engines takes a multi-pronged approach. Let’s start by digging into the role of search engine optimization in digital marketing.

The importance of SEO in digital marketing

Digital marketing encompasses a lot, from advertising to public relations to content marketing strategy. SEO is just one piece of your overarching marketing strategy – but it’s a crucial one. Here’s why.

Why is SEO important?

Today’s world is digital. Your target audience lives, laughs, and learns online. Your website is likely your primary online real estate. No marketer will tell you they don’t need more qualified web traffic – that is, people who are likely to be in-market for your product at some point.

Sure, you can use advertising to get those folks to your site, but that can get expensive. And while advertising can boost brand awareness, it simply can’t buy brand affinity . Plus, when you stop advertising, that traffic stops flowing in.

By contrast, an investment in SEO is a gift that keeps giving. Yes, your website will need some attention to ensure it’s still optimized. But as your content earns more traffic, it will gain more authority, making SEO a truly evergreen tactic.

What is basic SEO? Steps for beginners

SEO marketing is a vast field. We’re talking James Webb Space Telescope vast. You could hire a full-time expert or even a full-service SEO agency. But you don’t need to go that far to take your first steps toward optimization. To reach SEO success, you need to:

1. Perform Keyword Research

There are SEO tools dedicated to keyword research. But as a beginner, don’t over-complicate this step. When optimizing your website content to keywords, go with what you know best – your business and your customers. Ask yourself:

If you sell clothing for dogs, some keywords that might come to mind are:

For more inspiration, google search some keywords and see what’s suggested. If anything jumps out to you, add it to your list. It's important to pick a relevant keyword based on the search intent. And don’t worry about including every keyword under the sun – four or five keywords might encompass your offering.

 

Dog clothing search results for What is SEO marketing for beginners?

2. Work the keywords into your web content

Match each keyword up to a web page on your site. If a keyword is on your list but doesn’t fit any of your content, that’s a sign that you might need a new page for that topic.

Once you’ve paired each relevant keyword with a page, make sure it appears in these key areas:

Incorporating your keyword shouldn’t be difficult or sound unnatural. If you have a hard time working it in, it might not be the best keyword for that page.

3. Create a content plan

Because search engine algorithms prioritize fresh content, you should consider starting a blog if you don’t have one. Posting a high-quality blog post consistently is one of the most effective ways to build your credibility and start ranking higher for the keywords that are important to your business. 

Thanks to the keyword brainstorming you’ve already done, you should have some good ideas for topics. Keep your team on track by putting together a simple content calendar with each article’s topic, author, and target publish date.

Your SEO content plan should also include regular reviews of your static web pages. Depending on how dynamic your organization is, auditing your website content two to four times per year is usually enough.

4. Link building

One of the main signals search engines use to determine your authority is your number of backlinks – that is, how many times other sites link to yours. Link building is a great SEO tool to support your SEO efforts. If your content has a lot, people likely find it helpful and reliable.

Once you’re consistently publishing high-quality content, you’ll collect some backlinks without trying. Look at you go! But to really take your SEO strategy to the next level, you’ll need a link-building plan.

Earning a backlink can be a simple off page SEO technique. Start with these steps:

How SEO works for business

The first result on the SERP has a click-through rate of more than 28% . The tenth result? Only 2.5% of users click through. That means to have a significant impact on your business results, you’ll need to muscle your way to the top few results.

Done well, your SEO efforts can benefit your business in many ways. It can:

Simply put, SEO helps you bring more people to your website who are actively interested in topics related to your products and services. From there, it’s up to you what to do with that traffic. So, in a way, it is a little bit like magic. 

You know what they say: Nobody’s perfect. Marketers are no exception. But when it comes to your SEO strategy, the first five organic search results get nearly 70% of the clicks. When ranking is more important than ever, mistakes can cost you.

Here are some of the most common SEO mistakes and how to avoid them.

What is the main mistake of SEO that companies make?

The journey to the top of the SERP is a winding road, and there are many opportunities to wander off the path. What is the most common SEO mistake companies make?

If you take a wrong turn in the first five minutes of a road trip, everything you do after that will be off. Your SEO strategy is the same way. The early steps are where mistakes can have the biggest impact.

We’ve found the main SEO mistake companies make is targeting the wrong keywords. It’s not that these folks are totally off base. They’re not cosmetics companies targeting pet food keywords.

They’re just… not totally on base either. They’ve missed the mark on identifying the most valuable keywords with the most opportunity.

Companies making this mistake have often based their keyword strategy on shooting for the stars. They target the keywords with the most volume. After all, that’s the biggest pie - surely there’s a little sliver available for them?

Unfortunately, those keywords are also the most difficult to rank for. The brands at the top of the SERP are usually monoliths with decades of built-up authority and marketing budgets in the millions.

How to choose the right target keywords

How can you narrow down your target keywords and choose one you actually have a chance of ranking for? Look for longer-tail keywords that are specific to your audience and content niche.

Don’t be afraid of low volume keywords. These show up in your keyword research tool as having low search volume, but the truth is that these can be amazing opportunities. The “low” just means volume data is unavailable because a low number of people are searching for that term. In reality, you could convert a large portion of those users with the right content.

Which are the most costly mistakes in SEO?

SEO is “organic,” but that doesn’t mean it’s free. It takes time and expertise to pull off a comprehensive SEO strategy. And all the moving pieces are connected - so mistakes in one area can throw off progress in another. From this point of view, any major SEO problems can cost your organization.

However, the most costly SEO mistakes occur when you start putting a ton of resources toward a promotion tactic without also first focusing on content quality. This might mean buying low-quality backlinks or churning out low-effort content just for the sake of backlinks.

How to earn backlinks with high-quality content

Creating linkable, high-quality content is an essential first step to building backlinks. The best backlinks are earned, not bought. But that doesn’t mean it won’t take effort to earn them.

The bulk of your backlink strategy should be organic through creating great content and pitching it to publishers. Relationship building can make this process much smoother.

What are some on-page SEO mistakes?

Many common mistakes happen “on page” - right there in your content. These are usually issues with on-page or technical SEO. One of the top essentials that some beginners miss is including the target keyword in meta data fields.

Another common on-page SEO issue is not matching content to keyword intent. We’ve seen excellent content that’s optimized to the target keyword… but it doesn’t match the keyword’s search intent.

For example, a user who searches for “best running shoes for long distance” probably intends to make a purchase with the information they find.

If you write content that talks generally about what makes a good long-distance running shoe, it could rank for that keyword. But it’s lacking key information that the searcher will miss: top brands, specific shoes, reviews and ratings.

In this example, the searcher would likely look at your content, see that it doesn’t have what they need, and click back to the SERP for another resource. This is a big red flag to Google’s algorithm and it will start to notice that your content isn’t meeting expectations.

How to optimize content to keyword and search intent

To optimize your content to both keyword and intent, refresh your knowledge of the different types of keywords. Is your target keyword informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional?

Once you’ve aligned your content with the searcher’s intent, use a standardized checklist to include your keyword in all the appropriate fields:

Checking these fields will help you fix one of the top technical SEO issues we see.

Practice makes perfect

Your digital content will never be perfectly optimized. And as soon as you get close, Google will announce a big algorithm update. Despite it all, marketers will keep striving for SEO perfection from technical optimization to keyword research.

By avoiding the common pitfalls we’ve discussed, you can continue fighting the good fight to bring more organic traffic to your website.

Search engine optimization is a fast-moving field. To keep up, marketers must stay on top of trends, algorithm updates, and new tools. Have you updated your SEO strategy lately, or is it stuck in 2019?

Is SEO still relevant in 2023?

For those in the back, the answer is a resounding “yes!” Between artificial intelligence and algorithm announcements, the SEO marketing conversation is alive and spicier than ever. But how will SEO change in 2023?

What is the future of SEO in 2023?

Here are a few of our predictions for how SEO will change in 2023 and how you can get ahead of them.

Algorithms continue to prioritize helpful content

We saw an important Google algorithm update in September 2022. The “helpful content update” confirmed Google’s intention to focus on people-first content.

As search engines become more and more sophisticated, the gap between black hat SEO techniques and truly valuable content is now a chasm. With the new algo update, creating content with the sole intention of ranking on the SERP will, ironically, help you rank even less.

Instead, Google recommends creating content that leaves readers satisfied and feeling like they’ve learned enough to achieve their goals. The helpful content update comes on the heels of Google’s addition of a second E to the E-A-T quality guideline. These updates show that Google will continue to rank helpful content demonstrating experience, expertise, authority, and trust.

Googles E-E-A-T

Navigating artificial intelligence and content automation

AI naysayers might have cheered as Google recommended against “content written for search engines.” Do AI and automation tools have a place in creating content that’s by humans, for humans?

Yes, absolutely. And they’re not going anywhere. SEO tools have been around for years, and AI is the latest addition to the toolbox. These tools can help ensure a data-driven SEO strategy while saving significant time on previously-manual processes like:

Savvy marketers will start incorporating AI and automation into their content strategy ASAP while still putting people first.

New heights of technical performance

Content-centered algo updates and AI-generated content are the sexy trends in 2023. But your website’s technical SEO performance is still as important as ever. And the bar is getting higher and higher.

These days, users simply won’t stand for a website that loads slowly or looks off in any way. They can easily go back and click the next search result. Google announced its page experience update at the end of 2021, and will continue to emphasize performance in 2023 and beyond.

Continuous scroll and higher CTRs for lower-ranking content

At the end of 2022, Google finally introduced continuous scroll on the desktop SERP. Now, users no longer have to click to see a new page of results. While this won’t change much with your SEO strategy, it is good news for content targeting competitive keywords. Content that sneaks into the 11-20 spots will likely start to see higher click-through rates this year.

How can I improve my SEO in 2023?

Here are some of the most prudent SEO techniques for 2023. (Sorry, but it looks like you’ll be doing a lot of auditing.)

The content audit

Content marketing took off in the early 2010s. That means marketers have been diligently creating content for well over a decade. If you’re working for an established brand, you have a lot of content on your site. Like, a LOT of content.

Do you regularly audit that content and look for ways to optimize and repurpose it? Does it need a refresh based on Google’s helpful content update? Kicking off 2023 with a full content audit is definitely a good idea.

The keyword audit

As they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. And unfortunately, 2019’s treasure keywords might be trash in 2023. If your content focuses on an outdated keyword, you have a glowing opportunity to refresh that content with a cutting-edge keyword in mind.

The process audit

With the explosion of new automation tools, your SEO and content creation process deserves a fresh look. If you keep the same old process in place, you’ll fall behind your peers who are exploring time-saving tools. In other words, what got you here… won’t get you there.

The technical audit

Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool will continue to be essential for assessing how your site stacks up against the latest technical standards. Look for new opportunities to optimize load speed and cater to users on a variety of devices.

User experience: Always has been, always will be

Here’s the bottom line. In 2023, SEO will change in the same ways it changed in 2022. And in 2021, and before. Search engine algorithms will continue to refine the definition of quality to identify content that delivers an incredible user experience. As marketers, we’ll continue to find new ways to educate, entertain, and delight.

An SEO strategy is a plan to improve the ranking and appearance of your digital content on the search engine results page. The role of SEO strategy in digital marketing is to generate more organic traffic to your website over time.

What are the different SEO strategies?

There are three primary SEO marketing strategies: technical optimizations, keyword-driven content, and backlink building. Let’s dig into all three.

A technical audit and optimizations

It’s critical to build a solid technical SEO foundation before you start creating and promoting content on your website. If you’re new to SEO or developing a strategy for a new organization, a technical audit should be the first step in your plan.

What does a technical audit include? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel on this one. Look for resources from the big names in SEO. We like this technical SEO checklist from Moz because it prioritizes each element and suggests tools to help.

Here are some technical details to evaluate in your audit. 

Copy of On-page and technical SEO

A keyword-driven content strategy focused on quality

High-quality content is the backbone of SEO. By itself, however, it’s not enough to get the best results from your hard work. Your content must be rooted in thoughtful keyword research to ensure you’re reaching the right audience and meeting their expectations with your content.

There are many keyword research tools to get the ball rolling. Google’s free keyword planner is a great place to start, and for deeper insights, try Ahref’s keyword generator.

From your research, choose focus keywords that match your audience’s intent. One of the most common SEO mistakes we see is a mismatch between content and search intent.

For example, a user who searches for “best running shoes for long distance” probably intends to make a purchase with the information they find. If your content lacks key info like reviews and ratings of specific shoes, it won’t meet the searcher’s expectations. Google will notice this based on user behavior and demote your content.

Once you’ve targeted a keyword and identified the intent behind it, it’s time for content creation (finally). Today, search engine algorithms are better than ever at identifying helpful content. Here are some traits they look for:

A robust backlink strategy

Search engines look at the backlinks your content has earned to help determine whether others have found it helpful. For this reason, your SEO strategy should include a proactive plan to get backlinks from trustworthy sources.

How do you get backlinks? Keeping up with owned web properties outside of your website is one way. Share your content on your own social pages with engaging posts that foster sharing and discussion. If your product or service appears on directory websites, claim those profiles.

The primary way to get backlinks, though, is to strategically ask for them. Follow these steps:

  1. Identify target websites with content that’s related to your own.
  2. Find a piece of content where a link to your content would fit well.
  3. Reach out to the publisher - a specific person when possible.
  4. Share a summary of your content and why it’s valuable for their readers.

You can also ask these publishers about opportunities to guest blog on their site. These might be paid or free opportunities - or the pub might not accept guest content at all. But you won’t know until you ask.

What is an example of an SEO strategy?

A simple plan would incorporate the SEO tools and techniques described above. Here’s an example:

  1. Start with a technical SEO audit. Identify the high-priority issues and opportunities. Make those optimizations to ensure you’re creating content on a solid foundation.
  2. Perform thoughtful keyword research that includes analyzing search intent. Target keywords for your content.
  3. Create high-quality, engaging content that incorporates your target keywords. Focus on helping your audience solve their problems.
  4. Deploy a backlink building strategy to gain authority and credibility for your content.

How do I create an SEO strategy?

Overall, an effective SEO strategy can increase your website traffic, build brand trust, and increase conversion rates. By following the steps and strategies we’ve discussed, you can create an actionable plan using SEO techniques in digital marketing.

Today, search engine algorithms are more sophisticated than ever. You’ve probably tried a few SEO tactics here and there. But were they part of an integrated SEO marketing strategy? Did you get the results you expected?

A solid SEO strategy is one of the best investments you can make in your brand. Nearly 70% of online experiences begin with search. As a marketer, if you don’t have a plan to become part of those experiences, you’re missing out on huge growth opportunities.

Here’s how to develop and execute one.

What is SEO marketing strategy?

Search engine optimization is the practice of improving your website’s ranking and appearance on the search engine results page. But what is SEO marketing strategy’s meaning in the broader context of your marketing plan?

The importance of SEO strategy in digital marketing is that it complements paid traffic acquisition. Most companies have a mix of paid and organic traffic visiting their website. Paid traffic comes from advertising and sponsorships, and organic traffic comes from everywhere else.

Paid vs. organic traffic

Both traffic sources have their place, but organic traffic is often considered more valuable for a few reasons. First, you haven’t paid for organic traffic directly. You’ve earned it through your branding and content strategy efforts. Those efforts do require investing resources, but that investment pays dividends over time.

Organic traffic also tends to have a higher conversion rate, because those visitors are actively seeking out your content, products or services. For these reasons, SEO marketing is seen as a long-term investment in your brand that increases in value as you keep putting in the work.

How do you develop an SEO marketing strategy?

It’s important to develop an SEO marketing strategy rather than taking an ad hoc approach. SEO is a holistic discipline - changes in one area will impact other areas. The more you can come at it with a multi-pronged methodology, the more your results with will multiply.

How to implement SEO

You could find an SEO strategy template online, but the best plan will be tailored to your market and organization. To develop and implement an SEO marketing strategy, it’s important to understand the different types of SEO and how they help you achieve your goals.

What are the different types of SEO marketing strategies?

There are hundreds of SEO tactics you could include in your plan. Most of them fall into one of three main buckets:

  1. Technical SEO
  2. On-page SEO
  3. Off-page SEO

Each of these types of SEO corresponds to an overarching strategy. Let’s dive into the definition of each, and some SEO marketing strategy examples.

What are the three strategies of SEO?

SEO strategies are typically categorized based on where they take place. Technical optimizations take place on the backend of your website. Content strategy happens “on page” - that is, where users can see it. Finally, backlinks take place “off page,” which means somewhere other than your website. Here are some strategies of SEO to help start optimizing your website:

Strategy 1: Perform technical optimizations on your website

Technical SEO is the foundation on which the rest of your SEO strategy is built. It’s not sexy, but it holds up the rest of the metaphorical house. These optimizations might not be apparent in your content, but your readers will definitely notice them.

Wait. Technical optimizations? That sounds like a job for the web team, or even IT… right? Not quite. While you might partner with these internal teams on technical SEO, your perspective as the strategist is crucial.

You might not have the skillset to roll your sleeves up and improve that cumulative layout shift score. But your job is to understand each task, prioritize its importance, and advocate internally to get it done.

SEO Checklist

So, how can you tackle technical SEO? Because your website has so many moving pieces, we love a good checklist for technical SEO. A resource like this also helps you align with those internal teams if needed. Here are a few common first steps.

  1. Improve website speed. You must immediately capture your reader’s attention if you want them to stick around. Slow load speeds are a cardinal sin of technical SEO. Use Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool to gauge your baseline here. Some common page speed issues are large media files, unnecessary code, and large network payloads.
  2. Clarify site structure and navigation. If your website has gotten convoluted over time, it might be time to do the hard work of simplifying your nav. It can be a significant undertaking, but a clear site structure helps human users and search engine crawlers understand and navigate your content.
  3. Design with mobile in mind. The majority of web traffic today is on mobile devices. You’ll leave traffic on the table if your site isn’t responsive and easy to use on a phone. Think large buttons, clear content hierarchies, and mobile-friendly links.
  4. Improve accessibility. Your users are different types of people on different types of devices. They could be accessing your website with a screen reader or smart device. They could have a slow connection. To ensure accessibility, use proper headings, image alt text, color contrast, and other meta tags.

Google PageSpeed Insights tool example

Strategy 2: Follow a keyword-driven content strategy

On-page SEO encompasses everything from your topic to keywords to embedded media. If technical SEO is the house’s foundation, on-page is everything inside it - from the furniture to the trendy wallpaper. And solid on-page SEO starts with a thoughtful, keyword-driven content strategy.

To get your content strategy rolling, follow these steps:

  1. Identify your content niche. Think about your target audience. What keeps them up at night? What problems interrupt their daily flow? Aim to create content that alleviates their pain. And remember: Your goal isn’t to directly sell your product. It’s truly to help your audience and establish your authority in the space.
  2. Research keywords. Find out what your audience is searching for and how they’re talking about your niche. There are lots of free tools out there for keyword research. You’ll also benefit from some good old-fashioned digging around. Snoop on your competitors’ blogs, SERP snippets, and ad copy to see the terminology they’re using. Read customer survey results and forum threads to learn exactly how your prospects speak.
  3. Create high-quality content. You could read a whole book on producing quality content. But at its core, high-quality content is easy to read, educational, entertaining, insightful, and credible.

Utilize E-E-A-T

One framework to help make sure your content stands out as credible and valuable is E-E-A-T. Coined by Google in 2014, E-A-T stood for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. In December 2022, Google announced the addition of another “E” to the framework: experience. E-E-A-T content exhibits:

Optimize for Keywords

Of course, you didn’t do all that keyword research for nothing. Each piece of content should also be optimized around a focus keyword. That means using the keyword and related terms throughout the body of the content. Try to anticipate and answer readers’ most common questions about the keyword.

Finally, put your technical SEO hat back on for a bit to make sure the focus keyword is naturally woven into these areas:

Executing a well-planned content strategy is an impressive feat. It takes hard and soft skills: creativity, intuition, quantitative analysis, and technical savvy. Accomplish this, and you’re more than halfway there.

Strategy 3: Acquire backlinks

Acquiring backlinks is part of your off-page SEO strategy. What are backlinks? Simply put, they’re links from external domains to your content. Search engine algorithms view backlinks as an indicator that other users find your content helpful.

The best way to earn backlinks that will help boost your content’s ranking is to ask for them. This might sound simple, but it requires a thoughtful plan to get the results you want. 

Backlink Outreach

So, sit down and create a plan to optimize your outreach efforts. Your backlink outreach plan should look something like this:

  1. Identify popular, authoritative websites where your audience hangs out. Look for sites publishing content that’s related to the topics you write about. You might be tempted to target big-name publishers, but niche sites can be just as effective here. If you’ve done your research to identify a great fit between their audience and your content, you’ll likely see a higher success rate with smaller publishers. That means more backlinks with less legwork.
  2. Look for the best way to contact whoever’s in charge of their digital content. Finding an individual is the best approach here, because relationships will turbo boost your link-building efforts. In fact, the best time to form a connection with the content manager for a target publication is before you need a backlink. But if your content is ready to go and you need backlinks, like, yesterday, cold outreach can still be effective.
  3. Reach out to your contact with a personalized message. Introduce your content with a summary and spell out how it benefits their audience. Then, suggest a specific spot and anchor text for a link to your content. Personalization is absolutely key - if you copy and paste the same message to five different publishers, it’s obvious. Take the time to build relationships.
  4. If your contact does place your backlink, return the favor whenever possible. Are there opportunities to link to their content on your site? If not, is there any other way you can help promote the publisher?

Some tools, like SEMRush, even have backlink builders you can use as a starting point.

SEMrush backlink builder example

Linking to your content from your own social channels is also an effective piece of your backlink strategy. You can use one 800-word piece of content to generate a whole slew of social media content. Listicle? Repurpose each list item as its own separate social post. Long-form educational piece? Each subhead topic can be its own post, and you can pull the most salient points out as quotation graphics.

What kind of SEO trends to look for in 2023

Technology is advancing faster than ever, and marketing professionals are always at the forefront of new trends. In 2023, look for SEOs to shift their focus to:

What’s not changing in 2023?

There’s one thing that won’t change in 2023 or anytime soon, and that’s the heart and soul of SEO marketing strategy: user experience. A strategy built on understanding your audience and investing in insightful, high-quality content will never go out of style.

While testing new tactics is important, keep your focus on a technically-sound website, keyword-driven content, and relationship-based backlink plan. By building a solid foundation with these three SEO strategies, you can keep your content alive and well on page one of the SERP.

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