Search engine optimization (SEO) can help you rank higher in search engines and earn more traffic, but many business owners struggle to succeed. They may feel like they’re spending too much, compared to the results they’re seeing. Or they may not be seeing any meaningful momentum on their positions in search engine results pages (SERPs) for their target keywords.
In any case, there are several strategies that can help you see better SEO results.
How to Get Better SEO Results
If you feel like your SEO campaign is struggling, try these techniques to see better results:
1. Pay attention to all elements of SEO.
First, understand the main elements of an effective SEO campaign, and make sure you’re devoting time and resources to all of them. Many optimizers get tunnel vision, focusing almost exclusively on writing onsite content or building links. In reality, your campaign will only be successful if you’re working on many different SEO pillars simultaneously. That means optimizing your onsite content, improving your technical SEO, writing onsite content regularly, and building links with the help of offsite content.
2. Work with an agency.
It’s also a good idea to work with an SEO agency. It’s pricier than doing the work yourself, but it can help you get a higher return on investment (ROI) in the long run. An agency will be able to help you figure out what’s going wrong, and they’ll have all the resources necessary to execute your campaign smoothly. On top of that, they can provide you with expert recommendations and ultimately help you get better results.
3. Invest more.
Some practitioners see limited results simply because their budget is limited. They’re not willing to invest in more content, more links, and better onsite optimizations. While SEO is a low-cost strategy, it still requires investment, so if you’re not seeing the results you want, consider increasing your spending.
4. Focus on quality, not quantity. I
t’s tempting to think that more is always better in the realm of SEO. And to be fair, writing more content, building more links, and adding more pages can help your campaign. However, it’s almost always better to focus on quality instead of quantity; a single, well-written post is better than dozens of mediocre ones. A single, high-domain authority (DA) a link is better than dozens of low-authority ones.
5. Revisit your keyword targets.
Much of your success depends on your ability to choose the right strategic keywords. If you’re targeting inappropriate or irrelevant keyword phrases, no amount of onsite content, links, or other tactics can get you optimal results. Revisit your keyword targets and consider choosing a new selection; be sure to pay attention to each keyword’s relevance to your brand, current competition rating, and of course, search volume.
6. Try a different niche.
If your current niche is too competitive, or if it’s just not paying off, consider targeting a different niche altogether. You might choose to target a different demographic segment or optimize for an entirely different selection of keywords. In any case, you’ll need to differentiate yourself.
7. Go local.
If you’re finding it too difficult to compete at the national level, or if you just want more locally relevant traffic, you could consider investing more time and resources into your local SEO strategy. Local SEO utilizes most of the same tactics from national SEO, but with the addition of local keywords, online reviews, local citations, and other tactics.
8. Scale your link building.
One of the best ways to see better results in an SEO campaign is to double down on your link building efforts. Try to earn more powerful links from higher-DA sources; even a single link from the right source could have the power to improve your visibility (and earn you referral traffic at the same time).
9. Clean up your site.
If you haven’t recently, clean up your site. Get rid of bad code, unnecessary pages, and other types of content that are no longer needed.
10. Diagnose potential issues.
Sometimes, a lack of SEO results is an indication that there’s a technical problem with your site or your strategy. For example, some pages of your site might be down, or there might be broken links no longer the passing authority. Make sure you diagnose these potential issues and correct them if necessary.
Invest in Other Strategies
SEO is a powerful strategy, but it’s not perfect. It takes a long time to develop, it’s subject to volatility from algorithm changes, and it’s not going to reach every target demographic. Accordingly, you should treat SEO as one part of your comprehensive online marketing strategy, investing in other tactics to complement it, accordingly. Even if SEO is your primary strategy, it pays to have several other strategies to support it.