SEO: Search Engine Optimization Techniques and Types

by Marketing | Apr 3, 2024 | Analytics and Reporting, Blog, Content, SEO, Strategy

What is SEO and why is it so important?

Welcome to the ultimate guide on SEO – the secret sauce behind boosting your online presence and driving more traffic to your website. Whether you’re a digital marketing enthusiast or a business owner looking to up your online game, understanding Search Engine Optimization and Marketing is crucial in today’s competitive digital landscape. So, buckle up as we dive into the world of Search Engine Optimization and uncover its best practices, techniques, and types that will help you climb the ranks in search engine results pages!

The success of search engines as businesses relies on the public perceiving their results to be tailored to their needs. As a search engine, such as Google, discovers more links from a certain type of content to a specific resource, it gains confidence in the relevance of that resource for related search queries. This leads to the determination that the resource should receive a high ranking when those queries are made. To aid in this process, there are four main categories of SEO: on-page, off-page, local, and technical. These work together to assist search engines in discovering, crawling, indexing, understanding, and ranking your content.

Best practices and techniques

When it comes to SEO, staying ahead of the game means keeping up with best practices and techniques. One key aspect is optimizing your website’s loading speed – a fast site not only improves user experience but also boosts your search rankings. Another important practice is creating high-quality, relevant content that resonates with your target audience.

Utilizing proper heading tags and meta descriptions can also enhance your site’s visibility in search results. Additionally, incorporating internal linking within your content helps search engines navigate through your site efficiently. Then reporting on why and how a site moves through search results is critical.

Don’t forget about mobile optimization – ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly is essential for ranking well in mobile searches. Lastly, monitoring and analyzing performance metrics using tools like Google Analytics and SEMRush can provide valuable insights for refining your SEO strategies.

Types of SEO such as technical, local, on-page, off-page

When it comes to SEO, there are several different types that play a crucial role in boosting your online presence.

Technical SEO focuses on optimizing the technical aspects of your website to improve its visibility and ranking on search engines. This includes factors like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and structured data.

Local SEO is essential for businesses targeting local customers. It involves optimizing your online presence to attract more foot traffic and leads from specific geographic locations.

On-page SEO revolves around optimizing individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic. This includes keyword optimization, meta tags, and high-quality content creation.

Off-page SEO refers to strategies implemented outside of your website to improve its authority and credibility. This includes link building, social media marketing, and influencer collaborations.

Each type of SEO plays a unique role in enhancing your online visibility and driving organic traffic to your website.

Keyword research and four types of keywords

Keywords are a fundamental aspect of Search Engine Marketing that cannot be overlooked. By conducting thorough keyword research and strategically incorporating relevant keywords into your content, you can boost your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic.

Informational: A person wanst to find information
Navigational: Includes searches for a specific site or page
Commercial: A person wants to investigate brands, products, or services
Transactional: The searchers want to complete an action (e.g., buy something or sign up)

In the world of Search Engine Optimization, staying up-to-date with the latest best practices and techniques is crucial for success. Whether you focus on technical optimization, local SEO, on-page strategies, or off-page tactics, implementing a comprehensive strategy tailored to your specific needs is essential for improving your search engine rankings.

Overall, mastering the art of SEO requires dedication, patience, and continuous learning. By following these guidelines and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of search engine algorithms, you can enhance your online presence and drive valuable traffic to your website. Remember: SEO is not just about ranking high on search engines; it’s about providing value to your audience and delivering an exceptional user experience.

Stay on top of your SEO plan

Monthly SEO Reports sent directly to you

Independent reports to manage consultants, departments, and agencies better from the #1 SEO tracking tool.

See how it works Our Insight Plans

Affiliations and Partnerships

Fundamentals of Keyword Research

by Marketing | Jan 12, 2020 | Content, Digital Marketing, Strategy

Good keyword research and analysis is a cornerstone of any SEO strategy, yet it can be a daunting thing to learn. People may find it intimidating due to the plethora of information available. It is a big subject, but not as overwhelming as it at first appears.

Keyword research is not some arcane art, understandable only to those with a Masters in marketing. Rather, it is something you can learn to do yourself, for every page or post you create. There are many approaches to keyword research, but it all starts with understanding the fundamentals. So let’s start with the ever-popular question:

What is Keyword Research?

Keyword research, in a nutshell, is about finding the words and search terms being used by the kind of visitors you wish to attract. It’s about matching what you have to offer with what users are searching for. Pretty simple, right? Hold on to your hat! Things will look a lot more complicated before they look simple again.

Guidelines for Keyword Research and Strategy Planning

Getting ranked for a keyword or key phrase, of course, depends on how many others are trying to rank for it. That is why single-word keywords are the most difficult to rank for, while phrases of four words or more (also known as long-tail keywords) are much easier and typically yield higher conversion rates. We’ll go into more detail on this later in the article.

Another major factor to consider is keyword search volume. How many people are actually searching for it? Just as too much competition on a popular search phrase is a bad thing, so is a phrase nobody is even searching for.

Keep in mind that getting ranked for a keyword or key phrase depends on how relevant the content is around it, and of course how well the search engine can understand it. That’s called on-page-SEO. Google has very sophisticated methods by which it analyzes a page. It looks not only at keyword density, but for related words, and can analyze the quality of writing as well. Having well-written copy with targeted content is imperative. However, don’t get distracted from the main target – your customer. It’s always best practice to write to the customer first, and the search engines second.

What you are promoting and what potential visitors may be looking for should always form the core of your keyword strategy planning. This is an important point to consider carefully.

If you are promoting a product, for example, which has already been strongly promoted to the point of recognition, then certainly the product name would be a likely keyword. However, good search engine marketing strategies seek to leverage the more generic terms which describe a product. Ranking high for “Acme Soap Friend” would not be nearly as valuable as ranking high for “soap holder for shower.”

Anticipating questions is an excellent approach to keyword strategy. As search engines become more and more sophisticated, users are learning to ask in more sophisticated terms. Common search terms these days are not just simple phrases, but often in the form of a question.

Remember not to overlook your competitors. Study the keywords they are trying to rank for. Perhaps you want to try to outrank them, or maybe you can find something even better. Staying on top of the keywords they are using can also yield peripheral information, such as early warning of a campaign or new product.

Keyword Research Techniques

The methods and tools businesses use to conduct their research vary greatly, and depend on many factors. Business size is certainly a factor, but more important are things like business model and overall marketing strategy. Generally, however, the process follows these general steps:

Brainstorm a list of all possible keywords related to your site and business
- These are also known as seed keywords
Refine this list to those which are most relevant
Consider all variations of your keywords
From these keywords, create phrases (long-tail keywords)
Analyze your keywords using a tool like Keyword Explorer
- Check the search volume of the keywords
- Check the difficulty in ranking for the keywords
- Research related search terms
- Perform competitive keyword analysis to see your competitor’s most important keywords
Check your results over time to determine the effectiveness of your strategy

Remember that search volume for some keywords may vary due to season or other factors. Effective tracking of results will greatly improve your understanding of which keywords are most beneficial to you.

Keyword Terminology

Here are some simple definitions of some of the jargon you will encounter in keyword research:

Head keywords

These are single-word keywords that are great in building your brand if you find a way to rank high for them. However, head keywords are extremely competitive.

Body keywords

These keywords are a step narrower than the head keywords. They’re mostly comprised of two or three terms. Many searches consist of only two or three terms. Body keywords are mainly targeted by established businesses that are well-known.

Long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords, also known as key phrases, contain four or more words. Competition is generally lower, and they are ideal for connecting newer sites to their target audience. Typically, they also result in higher CTR because they are fairly specific.

Keyword Research Tools

One very popular tool is Google’s Keyword Planner. However, it is only available through Google Ads, which is premium and will not suit everyone’s needs.

Rest easy, because there are many good keyword research tools that are free. These can be great ways to explore and learn without investment.

Keyword Explorer is an excellent free tool. Just using it and reading the documentation will teach you much of what you need to know. It is packed with features often only available in premium versions of tools. It is also part of the premium Moz Pro SEO analytics platform.

Keyword Tool is another highly promising free keyword research tool. The free version of Keyword Tool generates up to 750+ long-tail keyword suggestions for every search term. It’s easy to try out, because you don’t even need to create an account.

Google Search Console is certainly worth using as well. With it you can learn a lot about which phrases are sending you the most traffic, the click-through-rates (CTR), and more.

There are certainly plenty more out there, some broad and some highly specialized. Joshua Hardwick’s excellent article has some great suggestions, with useful details on what they do and how to use them. Might we also suggest, ahem, a Google search?

Get a plan in place

Our Approach Is Different

We listen
Work together
Measure success

We know how you feel, so let’s talk

Schedule a call

Create a plan

Move forward

Want to know more about us?

ABOUT | SERVICES | BLOG | CONTACT

Copyright © 2022 iCita LLC. All rights reserved.
Sitemap

One BIG Graphic – 7 Steps to Success with Content Marketing

by Marketing | Aug 20, 2019 | Commercial, Content, Digital Marketing

Thanks to our friends at Smart Insights and their massive graphic design department, we have a HUGE graphic about how to use content better. Enjoy the great tips…and the scrolling. ; )

The research shows the challenge of content marketing with:

Over two-thirds (67%) of businesses creating more content in 2016 compared to 2015
Only 11% feeling they have an optimised content marketing strategy.
Quality is still a challenge, with 58% still rating their content marketing as basic or inconsistent. This is a healthy improvement on last year though, as in 2015 68% rated their content marketing as basic or inconsistent. But there is clearly plenty of room for further improvement.

To tackle these challenges we believe you need a solid content marketing plan. Here are the 7 steps we recommend – a summary of our content marketing strategy guide.

Email Marketing is Dying – If You Play by the Old Rules

by Marketing | Jun 19, 2017 | Content, Digital Marketing, Strategy

I am reading tons of posts about how email is NOT dying, how 2017 is the year of email marketing, and how email is still a HUGE tool for business. Really? I have so many damn emails in my inbox from companies I’ve never subscribed to I blanket delete them all the time. If I only received email from the places I actually subscribed, reading them would be very manageable and meaningful. Today, we all skim emails by subject line, then by sender – just like Google search results. We’re looking for the right topic, then the credibility somewhere in between the lines. But those alone won’t guarantee a meaningful click-thru. There’s still something missing…

As you know, email marketing it’s a numbers game, which is great, I love analytics, but now they are diluted and we’re relying on them too much. Even with all that, I still don’t buy it. I don’t buy that email marketing is more effective than it was 5 or 10 years ago (or even 1). What we’re missing in all this is a new variable, not just a percent or number that shows a perceived value from a campaign. We need something deeper and I’m calling it the Interest Quotient.

The Interest Quotient is a non-linear measurement that is individually unique for each person. How do you measure that? I don’t know, my formula below is a crude generalization. The Quotient though is indicative of the one thing that sparks interest at a given time. There is a common thread despite the uniqueness – it is that there is a deeper Interest in a topic that highlights that message above all the junk. Here’s the most rudimentary formula I could come up with – though I haven’t calculated in any quantum entanglement theories just yet (I’m kidding).

Interest Quotient = (Subject + Sender) * Credibility / Depth of Interest

Start simple every day – Follow these rules on your email campaigns:

Refine your list, sending to smaller lists is fine.
Group your lists – don’t send one to all. Keep the segmented by interest, response, lead value, or customer.
Have depth to your message. It starts with Subject, then Sender and a high dose of credibility
Make friends with your lists – Like a good manager, know what moves and motivates each list, like a person.

Want to know more? Why not give me a call and we’ll discuss your ideas.

There’s infinite number of great ideas in each person.
Tom Smidt (tom.smidt@icita.net)
720.232.0917

Three Landing Page Questions that Must be Answered

by Marketing | May 11, 2017 | Content, Digital Marketing, Non-Profit Strategy, Strategy

Here at iCita we support Salesforce and Pardot for our clients. So I want to share some great information passed on by the Pardot team. Here are three simple, but very important questions when building a landing page.

What’s in it for me?
Bounce rates on landing pages can be very high, so capturing a visitor’s attention quickly is crucial. The easiest way to grab a visitor’s attention is to offer them something of value, such as an informative white paper or a free product trial. The value proposition should clearly explain the benefits of taking whatever action you are asking visitors to take.

How do I get it?
Landing pages are used to get a visitor to take a certain action. Usually this will be filling out a form or visiting a particular page on your site. Whatever the goal, make your intentions clear with a direct and compelling call to action. If a user has to complete a form to obtain a whitepaper, make the form short, prominently displayed on the page and easy to complete. You want to streamline the process as much as possible to improve conversion rates.

Why should I trust you?
Most visitors feel some degree of hesitation when it comes to turning their information over to a total stranger — especially a company that could potentially flood their inbox with emails for the foreseeable future. Add some social credibility to your landing pages with a short client list or customer testimonials. This will help build credibility and trust with the visitor and increase conversion rates.

Reference the page here: http://www.pardot.com/blog/3-questions-landing-page-answer/

SEO Team – How to test a new website before you launch it.

by Marketing | Oct 2, 2016 | Content, Strategy, Websites

1. 301 Redirects

Sometimes content is repurposed or gets moved to fit the new navigation structure of a site. If you have an existing site and you are changing the URL structure with your new site, you’ll want to make sure you’ve mapped the old URLs to the new ones.

The Screaming Frog spider mentioned earlier can be run on both the old site and the new. An Excel spreadsheet is a great way to document this effort. Column A has the old URL, and you place the new URL in Column B. Each row represents a redirect from old to new. On launch day, it’s time to execute.

2. Title Tags/Meta Data

This may sound like old news to some, but this easy-to-fix mistake happens every day. Make sure every page has a title tag, and make sure they are unique.

Also make sure each has a meta description. Although these snippets used in search aren’t necessarily a ranking signal, they will help a searcher decide whether to click-through or not.

3. XML Sitemaps/HTML Sitemap

Make sure your new website has an accurate site map in both XML and HTML format. You can upload your sitemap to Search Console, however most CMSs such as WordPress will automatically build a sitemap for you.

4. Analytics

Make sure Google Analytics or the analytics package you’re using, is set up and ready to go from day one so you can measure and analyse traffic to your site.

5. Structured markup

If you’re using Schema markup or any other structured data, is it rendering correctly in SERPs? You can check any errors and how to fix them in the structured markup section of Search Console.

6. Accelerated Mobile Pages

If you’re using Google’s AMP project to provide mobile searchers with faster loading web pages, you need to make sure these are rendering properly. Here’s a guide to implementing Google AMP on your website.

7. Social media integration

Do the social media icons on the site go to the correct pages? Do you have the right buttons and social plugins installed for what you are trying to accomplish and what you want the user to be able to do? (For example, does it ‘share a post’ rather than ‘Like’ your page on Facebook.)

8. SERP Display

Are the search engines displaying your pages correctly in the search engine results pages? Did you write proper meta descriptions, but they aren’t being used? Thoroughly investigate your visibility in Search Console.

9. PPC Setup

Make sure if you’re running any PPC campaigns that they’re set up and ready to go with the site launch. To avoid a lapse in service, if you have a Google PPC rep, you can set and pause all your campaigns to the new URLs prior to launch, and instead of the ads getting disapproved, your rep can approve them manually.

A part of the article posted on ClickZ here.