We recently shared the importance of measurement as it pertains to continuous improvement. This is especially important when it comes time to improve upon your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.
With that being said, it’s often hard to get started without a fair amount of trial and error. This article will present the fool proof basics for getting started with SEO campaign implementation and measurement.
Step 1: Perform SEO Keyword Research Yourself
You know your industry and its terminology better than any third party. Sit down and write out every influential keyword and key phrase for which you feel your prospects are searching.
With this list in hand, head over to the Google keyword tool. Enter your keywords, line by line, and take note of competition and local monthly searches. These numbers will give you an idea of the opportunities that lie in your keywords, and they will also tell you whether or not achieving those keywords is worth trying for.
This keyword tool will also recommend alternative keywords that are related, but not exactly the same. These suggestions can be invaluable when looking to diversify your keyword base and can lend valuable insight to new keyword frontiers.
Step 2: Implement Keywords Strategically
Implementing a SEO keyword strategy can be a daunting task, and it sure shouldn’t be taken lightly. Identify pages that are most relevant to valuable keywords and keyword phrases. Be sure to never “stuff” your content with keywords just to get ahead. Doing this can actually hurt search results and will result in an awkward reading experience for readers.
Keywords can also do a lot of heavy lifting in page and post title tags, alt tags (for images), and meta descriptions. Be thorough and complete when implementing keywords. A good SEO strategy is only as good as the sum of its parts.
When writing blog posts, it’s a good idea to target “long tail keywords,” which are highly-specific phrases that capture visitors who search with a specific pain in mind. Long tail keywords are great for drawing in highly qualified traffic, and they’re usually pretty easy to dominate in rankings.
Step 3: Get Started with SEO-Centric Analytics
Once you’ve selected keywords and implemented them strategically, analytical tools like Google Analytics become invaluable. Using javascript embedded in the header or footer of your website, these services will track the keywords that are used by visitors to land on your company site.
By examining analytical data, you can clearly see which keywords are effective, and which ones need a bit of fine tuning.
[box type=”note” border=”full”]Note: When examining visitor sources, it’s not unusual to see ‘not provided’ in the place of one of your top keywords. Don’t panic, this is simply the result of visitors who use secure search and cannot be tracked.[/box]
Step 4: Compare Month-to-Month SEO Growth
Top spots in organic search hold valuable stock, and can draw valuable qualified leads to your site.
It’s not enough to set keywords and never look at them again. It’s important to sort through each of your keywords on a monthly basis and compare growth and performance over time. Take note of your competition’s ranking and make efforts to out rank them for competitive keywords.
SEO is a process, and great decisions come as a result of disciplined research and analysis.
Get To It!
Every great marketing plan takes time and effort to implement, but it’s important to put your time and elbow grease where it will do the most good. Develop and measure an SEO campaign that will allow you to be quick to adapt and measure, and only then will you be one step closer to SEO dominance!