It is easy to feel lost trying different strategies. Maybe, the question "why isn't my website ranking" has become way too common, as search engines, and especially Google, update hundreds of times a year. In 2022 alone, Google’s algorithm reportedly changed a whopping 729 times.
You need to optimize many parts of the process when performing search engine optimization to seo my site. Doing an seo audit of my site helps improve the chances of being found in search.
Building a Strong Foundation for Site SEO
Technical SEO: The Base Layer
On-Page Optimization: Content is Still King
Mobile Optimization
User Experience (UX)
Off-Page SEO Strategies
Building High-Quality Backlinks
Social Media Engagement
Online Reputation Management
Monitoring and Adapting:
Using SEO Analysis Tools
Tracking Keyword Rankings
Analyzing Website Traffic and User Behavior
SEO Audits
Conducting a Comprehensive SEO Site Audit
Identifying and Fixing Technical Issues
Improving On-Page and Off-Page Elements
Advanced SEO Techniques
Long-Tail Keywords
Schema Markup
Link Building Strategies
Staying Ahead of Algorithm Changes
Conclusion
Before seeing explosive growth, it’s good to first grasp the fundamentals. Building a good website is like constructing a building. Your website needs a strong foundation.
Think of your website as a house. A solid foundation, strong walls, and a well-designed roof are the core.
Technical SEO focuses on the backend of your site. It focuses on things like your site load speed and site structure.
Google has stated clearly for years, site speed is part of its algorithm in mobile and regular search. According to Google, they continue to add criteria, which can help improve the user experience.
Making sure search engines can access, crawl, and index your content helps your website rank. It’s like making sure the postal service knows your address so they can deliver mail.
Here are things you need to know to address those areas of the site:
Site Structure: Group similar pieces of content and products together. Avoid having products listed without a higher-level folder in the website structure.
XML Sitemaps: Help give crawlers a map of where pages reside on the site, the date of the latest update, and how often a page is likely to be changed. The frequency is not taken into account, however.
Robots.txt File: You can control crawler behavior using a robots.txt file. But, know, not all robots or crawlers will honor a request in a robots.txt file.
URL Inspection Tool: Sometimes content needs a friendly reminder it exists. Use the tool within Google Search Console, to check if the URL is indexed by Google. If not, there is a place within it to request a crawl.
When people search for answers to their problems and find yours quickly, then they feel great. After technical SEO issues are addressed, users need answers next.
On-page SEO involves optimizing individual web pages. You need relevant and high-quality content.
Keywords, titles, meta tags, headers, content, and images can all make a difference. It’s all important stuff and impacts your rankings.
It's more than adding popular words from keyword tools, however. A free SEO checker can help get you started.
Here's what truly matters when focusing on the on-page optimization, like:
Keyword Research: Find what words people use. Be relevant to what people are searching for.
Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Titles are important, so write them to pull in the searchers. Meta descriptions also, pull readers from search, but they are not used by Google for ranking purposes.
Header Tags (H1-H6): Think of headers and content like writing an outline in high school. The better you are with structure, the easier it is to get a better grade and reader engagement.
URL Inspection Tool: Sometimes content needs a friendly reminder it exists. Use the tool within Google Search Console, to check if the URL is indexed by Google. If not, there is a place within it to request a crawl.
Image Optimization: Optimize images well for the search. Also, make them load quicker by resizing the dimensions or file size by using sites like Imagify to minimize it for the internet. Make sure to include descriptive alt attributes.
Internal Linking: Connect pages with internal links. Internal links also spread page rank throughout a site.
Give users a great user experience. Do not skip things. A great user experience goes a long way toward improving SEO, usability, and even repeat visits to the website.
Nearly all website traffic globally comes from mobile sources. People need access using the devices they have, especially mobile.
Be ready to create a positive user experience no matter the size. Making the font size readable, spacing apart clickable elements, and testing forms helps with optimization mobile experiences.
You should also test on multiple devices to see what the user experience looks like.
Ultimately, it is crucial for site users to find what they need quickly. Design goes a long way toward reaching goals with design, functionality and content.
Make sure it is clear how users can find what they are looking for.
Off-page SEO involves working off of your site, that could result in links back to the website. Getting noticed often comes from outside.
Links help people find you when you get attention elsewhere. It can come from multiple sources like guest blogging, reviews, comments, or more and it is very important for engine optimization.
You can use a backlink checker to evaluate how you and competitors are doing.
Using social media is helpful. You have more chances of attracting visitors, by being in front of your potential clients and engaging with your brand, especially as an industry expert.
Consider options such as a YouTube SEO Tool. Then you might have a higher probability of viewers discovering your video and, from there, your brand.
A user can then find your site from there, or click on to buy your product. The more you increase discovery of your site in different ways, the better chances of growth you will see, and improved conversions from multiple different places on the web.
Online reputation matters because people see it. Search engines might give some weight too in rankings, but your users will appreciate it as well.
Monitor reviews and engage with your audience where possible.
One might guess what keywords a user is searching for. Testing assumptions makes for great strategies and avoiding bad decisions by using an SEO analyzer.
SEO site checker tools, and analysis, help identify any missing pieces of data. Some popular examples are SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, Screaming Frog and many others. A free SEO report may be a good place to start for some.
Tools don't show every possibility and need context. Tools still do not replace expertise, however. You will need a detailed review to piece it all together.
There is one common mistake web owners tend to overlook. Did you know there could be SEO issues hiding in plain sight on your website?
Ranking is feedback and important when trying to track impact. Be aware however, many keyword ranking tools do not show correct results since the personalization is so great these days.
Despite the limitations, SEO ranking information provides some actionable data.
Look beyond Google Search Console (GSC), Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or even traditional website analytics. The reason being, that users will hide search queries to "protect" their identity. There are a number of reasons why users may do this.
Look for ways to evaluate on-site activity through clickmaps or recording to see user behaviors on a website. Data tells the stories to improve over time.
Don't expect any perfection, ever. Data from using a website SEO checker can greatly assist you with next steps.
You might find, for example, that customers trying to place an order in your shop just keep going around and around, failing to place their online order of your wonderful TOTAL BODY ELIXIR POWDER My Site. Perhaps the real answer comes from simply getting rid of all those hurdles between a happy potential customer - ready to hit that BUY button - and completing a transaction on their screen.
An SEO site audit takes some work but helps improve an entire website or just portions that need improvement. Start with gathering information from multiple places. Gather all relevant data so you do not miss anything important.
Use tools or review sites manually to audit. Many SEO tools offer this.
Often an SEO checker, and tools, only help discover part of the possibilities. Data from many systems gives better guidance of actual problems.
Check to make sure site functions like speed or security have an issue or a possible security risk. Find any missing components, duplicate content, or 404 pages.
Many systems miss things though. It's critical to keep looking to SEO issues easily.
Imagine seeing things like your web host doesn’t give you access to your site. Do not panic. The right actions will give a way forward.
Focus instead on using tools as a helpful, guiding friend and start. Then work from the most common, highest priority fixes first by making use of analysis tools.
Make the user experience smooth on all parts of your business. Optimize the areas that impact the audience directly or indirectly, for great rankings and more growth opportunities. Look at competitors' SEO to get an edge.
There are also great and lesser known strategies for "seo my site" to think through beyond just SEO factors alone. You should think about the long term goals and what your customers might be doing years from now.
Long-tail keywords may not always be great for the sole goal to rank highly. There can also be a purpose of relevance, even with zero search volume.
It may still convert, at a lower cost than more expensive, more commonly sought out terms, especially for small businesses. Consider targeting long-tail keywords that align with user intent.
For instance, targeting "mushroom supplement for brain fog" could be more effective and realistic than simply aiming for "supplements"—attracting a focused, conversion-ready audience.
Use code and the vocabulary called Schema.org to add details of structured data into search engine results or snippets. Schema can greatly impact how you appear in search.
Google has supported data such as breadcrumbs, sitelinks searchbox, events, products, videos, local business, job postings and more, for a long time. Be sure to check the guidelines frequently as it does change regularly.
Here are some types of Schema you may want to add:
Product Display product information, like price and availability, directly in search results.
FAQ Answer common questions, making it easier for users to get a quick overview on topics.
HowTo Show step by step instructions that may help your customers make decisions or solve issues.
Getting more traffic helps get traffic. There are lots of ways such as digital PR or influencer marketing that supports getting that exposure, rankings and then growth.
Think through creating shareable content or finding great resource mentions. Add your brand as a great additional resource for audiences and brands with guest blogging or guest contribution of videos.
SEO is constantly changing. Stay up-to-date. Look for a knowledge base that has a lot of data to keep you informed.
Look for patterns by tracking what other industries and search systems are testing with artificial intelligence (AI) and traditional changes. Stay proactive and think ahead of changes by monitoring the larger search engines.
Be ready to pivot.
Learning how to "seo my site" is an iterative process of optimizing. You now see there are lots of strategies, systems, and even advanced techniques to get it growing and take your website performs to new levels.
Search is constantly changing. Keeping up is critical, and do it, so you can be ready.
Staying nimble, agile, and working in an iterative process helps to address new algorithm shifts, like Google and many of its changes over the year. This also means being able to analyze your entire website quickly with things like a SEO toolbox.