5 SEO tips that will turn your website into a conversion machine
When optimizing your website to achieve search engine perfection, there are some do’s and don’ts. Repeating the same search words over and over is no longer effective, and don’t even try to outsmart Google’s algorithms. Instead, use the data to tap into the minds of your customers, and give them what they need. But how? That’s what we asked search and site specialist Mikael K Jansson.
1. Don’t try to hack Google
Think long term when creating your content. Don't focus on cracking “the code of the month” to rank high on Google, even if it’s tempting. You’ll just end up in a cat-and-mouse game with Google that you can’t win. Good and well-crafted content works no matter what algorithms Google uses. It sounds like an old cliché, but it really is the only viable option for a sustainable, long-term SEO strategy.
2. Know your customer – and what they want
Be concise and focus on meeting your visitors' search intent when creating content. What is the motive behind a specific search and what does the user expect to see? Or to be honest: what does Google think the user wants? It’s a good idea to distinguish between content searches and commercial searches, to identify those that are close to a purchase decision. Depending on which one of the two you optimize for, you have to adjust your tactics.
3. Do you talk like your customers? You should!
What are people searching for? Do the research and find out what people are searching for related to your business. Does the content on your site match what people are interested in? Do you use the same words? This is an extremely useful exercise that often provides insights that carry value way beyond SEO work. We can guarantee that the results will amaze you!
Keep in mind that Google's algorithms like to highlight parts of a page’s content and show it around the regular search results. For example, it could be a text passage that answers a specific question, a list, or a photo. Formatting can play a role. Here is a great chance to be seen a second time. Take it!
4. Published doesn’t mean finished
Follow up and adjust. The work is not finished after you’ve pressed publish – it has merely started. To stay on top, you must keep track of your most important search terms and see how they rank. Adjust the content afterward. Follow up again and again. As Google constantly changes the rules of the game, you can’t sit and idle.
5. When all else fails: Site audit
Have you followed the tips, and still don’t rank as high as you hoped? Then it’s time for a Site Audit. Google not only looks at the content, but also at how the site works – both technically and according to what authority it has online. An example is how other sites link to your site, so-called backlinks. Work out a strategy that encourages people to want to link to your site because you have interesting content or products.
Google also focuses on a set of signals that measure users experience of a page, simply called Page Experience. It is worth examining a report in Search Console called Core Web Vitals. Here you can see how well you are performing on real usage data such as actual loading times, how long it takes before you can interact with a page after loading, or if there are unexpected layout shifts. Many of the things that affect ranking negatively are invisible to the naked eye.
And there you have it.
5 tips on how to fine-tune your website, get that sweet Google love, and give your visitors exactly what they want.