With the overwhelming information available online, we tend to implement any tools or plugins that will help us to catch up with the newest SEO algorithm and trends, for examples: video/image SEO, structured data, local SEO and AMP, to name a few.
But SEO is more than just tools and LESS than these “I need to adapt fast enough mentality” as well.
SEO strategies actually have three very basic principles: User experiences, Powerful contents, and Core keyword planning
These are the three basic and key principles in SEO, and everyone could easily learn and utilize them.
They are OLD SCHOOL approaches that will still work wonder and really not hard to learn.
Focus on User Experiences
User experience, is an evaluation process on how users feels when interacting with the website, and it focuses on not what the users could learn from the website, but actually how they engage with the website.
For example, could they navigate easily? How stable is your website? Why would they return to your website and how to utilize these information to further make your website better?
Some metrics included are the CORE WEB VITALS:
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
- Cumulative Layout Shifts (CLS)
Also, whether the website is mobile-friendly or not, and does it have an SSL certificate are also important.
Ask yourself these questions if you want to improve your user experience:
- Does the page load fast?
- Does the website answer the user’s question?
- Can users find answers easily and quickly?
- Is it easy to learn more about the site if the user is interested? (is the website navigation user friendly?)
Write powerful words
Words and contents has a lot to do with user experience. Good writings can move people’s hearts. Just a small adjustment to the wording can make a website from “nobody” to “somebody”.
For example, using “I” and “you” when delivering a thought creates friendliness. Referencing from authority figures (hyperlink to credible websites) could make your writing more powerful and believable.
How to write good contents
First and most importantly, you need to think for your target audience, think from their perspectives, and understand what they want to know about could help with product positioning and knowing what attributes will interest them, and write content that will appeal to them.
Also, you should periodically review your contents to rewrite more engaging headlines, more persuasive call to actions, and adjust your excerpts and update your contents to make you stand out in the SERPs.
Remember not to blindly write something based on stuffing in keywords, thinking about keywords all the time will limit your creativity.
Because Writing for Google Search Console and writing for your audiences are not the same.
Instead, think of what your audiences might want to know, and write about it:
- Provide unique point of views
- Answer questions
- Give interesting insights
- Remember to use powerful and moving contents!
Build a Core Keyword Strategy
Keywords are crucial, but they shouldn’t limit your writings, instead, they should serve as a pivot to what you could write.
A core keyword strategy refers to developing a set of keywords for a specific topic in a field, hoping to cover all the questions people will ask about the topic.
For example, let’s say you run an organic produce brand. Instead of trying to rank for all keywords that include “organic” and “produce”, you should start with a niche keyword that differentiates you, and be the go-to source of information in this field: “organic produce” and “environmental-friendly packaging” might be a better pair and reach to a group of people easier.
Don’t compete for big keywords, instead, cover the smaller ones and steadily increase your topics is better.
Conclusion
- Focus on user experience
- Write powerful words
- Build a Core Keyword Strategy
If you are still not sure about SEO, just remember that the most important of the three above is the first point:
Optimizing your website for your users.
If your SEO strategy is based on the standpoint of being helpful and meaningful to your users, then you will have long-term success.
The second and third point will be helpful as well, especially when talking about providing great user experiences.