1. E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness
Why It Matters: Google wants to recommend content that users can trust. When deciding what sites to recommend to what searches, Google uses a combination of algorithmic and human review. Both the computer and human reviews of your site use a variety of factors to determine if your business will be recommended as a result of a certain search query. This is where E-E-A-T comes in. Websites with high experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness are favored by Google because they’re likely to provide accurate and helpful information.
How You Can Implement It:
- Experience: Showcase customer testimonials, case studies, or examples that prove you’ve successfully helped others.
- Expertise: Regularly publish content on your site that demonstrates your industry knowledge. Blog posts, how-tos, and FAQs are great ways to show you know your stuff.
- Authoritativeness: Build credibility by getting reviews, mentions in reputable publications, or collaborating with well-known industry experts.
- Trustworthiness: Make sure your site has clear contact information, an "About Us" page, and security features like HTTPS. Being transparent builds user confidence.
2. Find and Focus on the Right Keywords
Why It Matters: Keywords are the different words and phrases people type into search engines. As a business owner, you want to make sure your site appears as a result on the SERP (search engine result page) of keywords relevant to your business and services. It is important to have mentions of relevant keywords on your website, as if your site includes these words naturally, your chances of appearing in search results increase. What is equally important, which people often overlook, is making sure you have the right keywords. You want to make sure you are including the main keywords people are using when searching for your services, but you also need to make sure you aren't including irrelevant keywords. Doing research on what keywords those at the top of your field are using is a great first step to finding the right keywords for you to target for your business.
How You Can Implement It:
- Research Keywords: Use free tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to find out what keywords are relevant to your business. For example, if you run a bakery, terms like “best local bakery” or “fresh bread near me” might be valuable.
- Prioritize Long-Tail Keywords: These are more specific and longer phrases with less competition, like “cleaning services in [your city].” These keywords may get fewer searches, but they often attract higher quality leads.
- Optimize Content: Include these keywords throughout your site in areas like your page titles, headers, as well as having them appear naturally throughout your content. But don’t stuff your content with keywords—focus on making it useful for readers. Striking a balance between an appropriate amount of keywords and useful content for your customers is the key.
3. Create Backlinks: Have Associates and Partners Link to Your Site
Why It Matters: Backlinks (when other websites link to yours) act as votes of confidence in your content. Think of backlinks almost like a referral or letter of reference from another site vouching for your own. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more search engines trust your site.
How You Can Implement It:
- Partner with Other Businesses: Ask your suppliers, partners, or local business connections to incorporate a link to your site. Offer to do the same for them, creating a win-win situation.
- Guest Blog: Writing guest articles for other websites in your industry can help you get backlinks. Reach out to industry blogs or community sites and offer to write a post in exchange for a link to your site. There are a variety of publications that will accept guest writers, some for free and others for some sort of fee if you intend to use it primarily as an advertisement for your business. Look and figure out what websites work best and attract the most traffic in your niche.
- Create Shareable Content: Create useful and valuable resources like infographics, guides, or videos that others might want to share on their websites, linking back to you. When you make content that is not only interesting but also provides value, you are more likely to have your content shared organically by others.
4. Study Who Appears High on SERP in Your Niche and Why
Why It Matters: Your competitors who rank highly on Google are doing something right. Understanding what makes them successful can provide insights into improving your own SEO.
How You Can Implement It:
- Analyze Competitor Content: Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to see which keywords your competitors rank for and how they structure their content.
- Look at Their Backlinks: See who’s linking to your competitors and consider reaching out to those same sources.
- Evaluate Their Website: Notice what they’re doing with page layout, content length, visuals, and user experience. Use this as inspiration for your site’s design and strategy. Every site is different, and having a unique website can be a major strength, but researching what aspects of website creation are working for others helps you gain the knowledge to successfully create your own.
5. Utilize Software like Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Why It Matters: Half the battle of improving your website is figuring out exactly what about it you need to improve. After all, you can’t improve what you don’t measure. Free tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console give you data on what’s working (or not) on your website.
How You Can Implement It:
- Set Up Google Analytics: This tool shows you who visits your site, how long they stay, and which pages are most popular. This data can help you understand what’s resonating with your audience.
- Use Google Search Console: This tool tracks how your site appears in search results. You can see which search terms are bringing in traffic, identify issues like broken links, and submit sitemaps so Google indexes your pages.
- Monitor and Adjust: Regularly review these tools to identify trends and refine your SEO strategy. If a page isn’t performing well, tweak it and track the results.
Final Thoughts
Improving your SEO doesn’t have to be complex. By focusing on E-E-A-T, targeting the right keywords, building backlinks, learning from top competitors, and using data-driven tools, you can significantly boost your online presence. Even small changes can lead to big results—start implementing these strategies today!
