The Ultimate Guide to Modern SEO Techniques

In 2023 when every single business is competing to be on the 1st page in Google, SEO is more important than ever. It’s evident that online visibility is the key to succeed  but how are you going to achieve it? This is the question that seems to have more answers to it. There is no right and wrong answer by the way, instead there are multiple strategies, some of them still undiscovered, some of them are really popular. What’s best for you is highly dependent on several factors; your business, time, budget, your competitors and of course your personal choice. No matter what company you go with, you are always the one that gives the green light. 

Let’s talk about the key factors: What makes SEO successful, what will eventually get your business right to the top? I’m sure you already know it will take time and work. Unlike PPC, SEO is a longer process.  Let's dive a little deeper here and find answers to a few common questions. 

User Experience is everything

Search engines, particularly Google, have made it clear that they prioritise websites that offer the best experience to users. Faster loading times, mobile-friendliness, intuitive navigation, and clear CTAs (Call to action).  Let’s break these down.

• Responsive Design: Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. With the majority of searches now happening on mobile devices, this is non-negotiable.
• Website Speed: Use tools like Google's PageSpeed Insights to make sure your site loads as quickly as possible. Consider optimising images, leveraging browser caching, and using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to boost speed.
• Engaging Content: Make your content not only informative but engaging. Interactive elements, infographics, and videos can hold a user’s attention longer.

Optimising for Voice Search 

We live in a modern world where technology evolves day by day. Voice search has grown tremendously, who doesn’t have a smart speaker or voice assistant on their phone? 

• Natural Language: Write in a conversational tone, try to anticipate how people speak rather than type.
• FAQs: Create FAQ sections that answer common questions directly related to your industry, product, or service.

What is SERP and how has it changed?

SERP is Search Engine Result Per Page. Every time you “google” something and hit enter you will have a page full of search results. That’s called SERP. The ultimate goal is of course to make it to the first page. What if I tell you there is something else that will be on the first page but it will be relatively different? Let’s talk about: 

Snippets and the so-called Zero Click Search

• Zero click search: When you put your question into Google and hit enter but you don’t actually click on any of the results and yet, you still get an answer to your question. How? 
• Snippets: This is how snippets come into the picture. The answer to your questions will be highlighted right at the top of the page. This way, you don’t need to click on any of the results and browse to get an answer to your question. 

Video Content Optimization

With platforms like YouTube being the second-largest search engine, optimizing video content is important.

• Engaging Thumbnails: An attractive thumbnail can increase click-through rates.
• Video Transcripts: Adding transcripts can make your video content scannable and provide more context for search engines.
• Keyword Optimization: Just like with written content, do keyword research specifically for video topics.

Understand and Implement E-A-T

What is E-A-T? Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. In short, this is how Google is assessing your content’s quality. 

• Author Credentials: Ensure that content, especially in sectors like health and finance, is written or reviewed by experts with verifiable credentials.
• Backlinks: Use backlinks from reputable sources, this way the authority of your website won’t be questioned.
• Transparent About Us and Contact Pages: Clear information about who you are and how to get in touch with your business.

Local SEO

For businesses that operate in physical locations or serve customers at specific locations, local SEO is a must have. 

• Google My Business: Keep your listing updated with accurate information, regular posts, and user reviews.
• Localized Content: Tailor content to the local audience, addressing regional concerns or interests.

Long-tail Keywords and Semantic Search

Rather than competing for highly competitive short keywords, aim for long-tail keywords that cater to more specific queries.

• Understand User Intent: Focus less on keyword density and more on addressing the intention behind the search.
• LSI Keywords: Use Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords to provide context to your content, aiding search engines in understanding it better.

Content that Satisfies your users

Today, it's less about keyword stuffing and more about satisfying the user’s intent. What was the purpose of their google search? This is the question content has to answer. 

• Comprehensive Coverage: Aim to be the best answer on the web for your topic.
• Regularly Update Old Content: Keeping your content fresh and updated signals that it remains relevant.

Backlinks Matter

Backlinks are a strong signal to search engines.

• Quality over Quantity: A few high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites are far more valuable than numerous low-quality links.
• Natural Link Building: Focus on creating spot on, unique content that people naturally want to link to.

SEO is merely dominated by changes. Content on the other hand is consistent  - something that always pleases both the user and the search engines too. Staying up to date with technology is something that no one can avoid in the digital marketing space.