4 Quick SEO Wins : Leverage easily attainable opportunities to enhance your search visibility. Here are four suggestions to assist you in initiating the process.
Achieving search optimization requires dedication and hard work, a sentiment echoed by the majority of SEO professionals.
Gaining a competitive edge and surpassing well-established rivals in search rankings can be a time-consuming process that may span months or even years. During this time, established competitors who have been consistently optimizing their websites may hold a dominant position. However, it’s important to note that numerous websites have the opportunity to enhance their search visibility by capitalizing on easily accessible strategies.
By seeking guidance from SEO experts or utilizing user-friendly tools, you can uncover untapped potential and seize advantages that were previously overlooked. To kick-start your journey, here are four ideas to consider.
1. Fix your title tags (on WordPress)( Quick Win Seo )
Surprisingly, there are instances where individuals, including those with a strong grasp of technology, tend to overlook critical on-page SEO techniques in today’s digital landscape.
Yes, I am referring to title tags, an essential aspect of on-page SEO that plays a crucial role in optimizing web pages for search engines.
- When you bookmark a page, you save it for future reference, allowing easy access to the content without the need to search for it again.
- When web pages are bookmarked, their titles often appear in the tab section of a web browser, making it convenient for users to identify and switch between multiple open tabs.
- On search result pages (SERPs), title tags are prominently displayed as clickable headlines that provide a concise summary of the web page’s content. These titles serve as an important factor in attracting users’ attention and influencing their decision to click on a particular search result.
Title tags serve three primary purposes, and the level of focus on each can impact your SEO performance to varying degrees.
Suppose your objective is to prioritize displaying the brand in tabs and bookmarks, while also replicating the actual menu structure.
Then you may end up with something like This :
- “Example (Burnup.in)” – Topic – Specific KeywordHowever, when aiming for optimal SEO outcomes, it is preferable to prioritize placing the most important keyword first in the title tag.
- Specific Keyword – Topic – “Burnup.in“
However, challenges may arise when your brand or domain name is excessively long, which can pose difficulties when crafting effective title tags.
Including lengthy and less relevant domain names like “allothershortdomainnameswerealreadygone.com” in the title tag does not contribute to its effectiveness or assist in optimizing search visibility.
In such situations, it may be more preferable to utilize a simplified structure for the title tag, focusing on essential keywords rather than incorporating lengthy brand or domain names.
- Specific Keyword – Topic
In WordPress, it is worth noting that certain themes still follow the practice of placing the brand name first in the title tag. Additionally, many themes tend to append the website’s domain, such as “Burnup.in,” to the end of each title tag.
If the brand or URL mentioned in the title is equal to or longer than the specific keyword and topic, it can potentially lead to duplicate content problems.
The Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress offers a free solution to conveniently and efficiently customize the structure of the title tags.
Alternatively, manually modifying the WordPress theme to adjust the title tag structure is not advisable as it can become complicated and disorganized.
However, it’s important to note that title tags hold significance beyond their role in preventing duplicate content.
Despite their reduced importance as a ranking signal in recent times, the title still serves as the initial point of contact for searchers, making it a crucial element to consider.
In cases of laziness, which is common among many WordPress users, there is a tendency to use the H1 heading as the title. This approach can be effective, particularly when the H1 heading is optimized well, as it holds significant influence as a ranking signal for Google.
However, it’s essential to understand that headlines primarily cater to readers who are already on the page or those browsing through social media. As a result, headlines often become excessively long to effectively serve as title tags. Consequently, this can lead to suboptimal title tag structures that may not fully align with SEO best practices.
In certain instances, headlines may prioritize clickbait tactics over including the most relevant keywords, thereby concealing the true topic of the content :
You will not believe what happened then! THIS!”
In such cases, where the example lacks any relevant keywords, manual editing of the title tag becomes necessary to incorporate appropriate and meaningful keywords.
2. Monitor your position in search results using Google Search Console( Quick Win Seo )
One of the initial steps in SEO is to establish a connection and review your website’s performance through Google Search Console (GSC).
Regardless of your level of expertise, utilizing Google Search Console will provide you with a plethora of valuable data and insights.
Indeed, it is important to acknowledge that the data provided by Google Search Console is not exhaustive, and it represents only a portion of the overall picture. However, by understanding this limitation and not overly relying on it, you can leverage the insights it offers for as long as they prove beneficial to your SEO efforts.
One of the most effective ways to leverage Google Search Console is by identifying and capitalizing on readily available opportunities that require minimal effort, often referred to as “low-hanging fruit.”
Google Search Console provides valuable insights by revealing a wide range of long-tail keywords that your website is already ranking for, including even the more obscure ones. Additionally, it presents the average estimated position your website holds for those specific keywords.
To access the desired information, navigate to the Performance section, which is displayed as the top graph on the Google Search Console homepage upon logging in and selecting the relevant project. Alternatively, you can access the Performance menu item from the left-side menu for a detailed report.
By default, the Queries section in Google Search Console will display a list sorted by Top queries, providing insights into the keywords that generate the highest volume of traffic to your website.
According to numerous reports, it is widely acknowledged that the data available in Google Search Console is somewhat restricted, particularly when it comes to certain keywords, especially those with a local focus. This limitation is primarily due to privacy concerns and the deliberate hiding of specific keyword data.
You might be surprised by the keywords that drive the most traffic to your website. It is not uncommon to rank well for off-topic content, which can lead to a significant influx of irrelevant traffic.
Efficiently search for relevant keywords that offer significant potential while requiring minimal effort.
To discover hidden valuable keywords, you can reveal hidden gems by sorting the Top queries table in Google Search Console based on Impressions, By selecting the relevant option situated on the right side of the table :
The provided screenshot showcases data from the Google Search Console (GSC) of my personal blog.
Surprisingly, the keyphrase “Google sucks” has been generating a considerable number of clicks and impressions, making it one of the most popular phrases in the list. Additionally, numerous other anti-Google phrases appear prominently in the rankings as well.
The presence of phrases like “Google sucks” in your analytics can be attributed to user-generated comments on your long-standing and highly-ranked article about Google search alternatives. While the comment itself may not reflect the overall sentiment or relevance of your content, it can still impact the visibility and ranking of your article.
Despite generating a significant amount of traffic and receiving a considerable number of comments, predominantly expressing dissatisfaction or anger, the impact on business inquiries appears to be minimal or non-existent.
You won’t believe what happens next, though.
To refine the results and concentrate on your offerings, you can apply a filter in Google Search Console to display keyphrases that do not include the keyword “Google.”
Despite receiving over 3.9k impressions for the valuable keyword pair “SEO acronym,” there have been no clicks recorded. A similar trend is observed for the keyword “ethical SEO,” which also has a high number of impressions but no corresponding clicks.
The keyword “ethical SEO” has the potential to represent genuine business prospects, whereas “SEO acronym” might predominantly signify incoming links and not necessarily direct business-related engagement.
The term “ethical SEO” holds the potential to serve as both an informational query and a transactional query, suggesting a promising opportunity worth exploring.
Although “SEO acronym” may primarily cater to informational purposes, its potential to attract valuable links still renders it a valuable keyword worth considering.
One evident observation is that a substantial number of keyphrases receive high impressions but fail to generate any clicks, indicating a significant imbalance between visibility and user engagement.
The underlying reasons for the lack of user clicks on these keyphrases remain unclear and require further analysis to determine the factors contributing to the low click-through rates?
There are so many reasons people don’t click your link in search results:
- One possible explanation for the lack of user clicks could be that your content might not align with the user’s intent, resulting in a perceived irrelevance that discourages them from clicking.
- Another factor that could contribute to the low click-through rates is the possibility that your title tag and meta description may not be compelling or enticing enough to capture the user’s attention and encourage them to click on your content.
- An additional aspect to consider is that the “published” or “last updated” date of your content may be significantly distant in the past, potentially diminishing its perceived relevance and freshness in the eyes of users, thereby impacting click rates.
The primary reason for not receiving clicks is often attributed to the lack of impressions, indicating that your content is not being prominently displayed in search results to attract user attention and engagement.
Searchers could potentially encounter your page in the search results, but if it is positioned too far down in the rankings, it may not receive the necessary visibility to capture their attention and prompt them to click on it.
Guess what?
This is precisely the situation with the first example, “SEO acronym,” where the average position of your page is 15.9, indicating that it appears relatively lower in the search results, potentially contributing to the lower click-through rates.
You were able to ascertain this information by personally clicking on the keyphrase and examining the ranking statistics displayed in Google Search Console (GSC).
By selecting the checkbox located on the right side of the Average position metric, you can also access the ranking fluctuations, allowing you to gain insights into the changes in your page’s position in search results over time.
The data reveals that in the past few weeks, your page has consistently been ranked around positions #12 to #13 in search results.
This ranking corresponds to the top of the second page of search results or just below the visible area when viewing continuous scroll results from the U.S. (Note: As I am currently located in Germany, I can only access these results using a VPN service).
Ranking close to the top 10 and receiving a significant number of impressions serves as an invitation to take action. You can enhance your article by updating it and expanding its content, incorporating the following additions:
- Expert quotes.
- Visualization.
- Current data.
- More outgoing links.
To further enhance the value of your content, you can consider making it more helpful or increasing its exposure by reaching out to other bloggers and engaging in outreach efforts to promote your existing content.
For optimal results, it is recommended to combine techniques, as solely pitching legacy content without introducing new insights may prove to be ineffective in gaining traction and engagement.
A potential solution to improve the ranking of the content that is already close to the top 10 is to incorporate relevant internal links from your existing content, directing users to the page that is on the verge of reaching a higher ranking position.
3. Conduct a thorough evaluation of your website by utilizing a free tool to perform an audit. ( Quick Win Seo )
An SEO audit is typically one of the primary services that an SEO expert will provide, offering a thorough analysis and evaluation of your website’s optimization and performance.
Rather than referring to it as an SEO audit, it is more appropriate to term it as a website audit since it encompasses a broader scope, encompassing aspects beyond strict SEO considerations that may have been traditionally limited by old-school practitioners.
In recent times, I have expanded my services to include an online presence audit, which takes into account a brand’s comprehensive presence across the web, going beyond the traditional scope of an SEO audit.
The online presence audit encompasses not just a single website, but often multiple websites, along with the utilization of various third-party services such as social media platforms and directories, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of a brand’s digital footprint.
While your own website may be impeccably optimized, having duplicate copies of the same content elsewhere on the internet can lead to detrimental duplicate content issues that may impact your overall SEO performance.
By conducting a thorough website audit, particularly with the assistance of an experienced SEO expert, numerous issues can be uncovered, leveraging their expertise to diligently identify any potential gaps or shortcomings, akin to the pursuit of finding a needle in a haystack, as an old Polish idiom aptly describes.
For instance, a prevalent mistake in the current landscape is the tendency to allocate a significant portion of content to third-party platforms while neglecting one’s own website. This trend can be observed among bloggers who predominantly publish on platforms like Medium, LinkedIn, or even Facebook, as well as photographers who showcase their best work on Instagram.
However, this phenomenon extends beyond visually-oriented creators, as even less glamorous content creators find themselves disproportionately investing time and effort in building the digital empires of others. An illustrative example is a B2B brand that hastily determined it must have a presence on Instagram simply because “everyone else does.” Unfortunately, this decision resulted in the diversion of the brand’s illustrator, who was previously responsible for creating visual content for the blog, to now create content from scratch for Instagram, leaving limited time for other crucial tasks.
It is not uncommon for business professionals to be captivated by the allure of new and shiny platforms, inadvertently overlooking the potential consequences. Conducting a comprehensive website audit can shed light on the areas that have been neglected as a result. These audits often reveal significant untapped potential that arises from avoiding such imprudent mistakes and addressing other noteworthy issues.
If you currently lack the resources to invest in professional auditing services, you can begin with the utilization of free website auditing tools, which are abundantly available. Among the notable options in the market are the following:
- Woorank offers a convenient text input field that allows you to quickly check your website URL. However, to access detailed results beyond basic information about your homepage, you are required to sign up for a 14-day free trial.
- HubSpot Website Grader offers a free website grading service where you can assess your website in exchange for providing your email address.
- Sitebulb provides a 14-day free trial, allowing users to get a preliminary evaluation of their website during this period.
- ContentKing requires users to sign up for a free trial before gaining access to the assessment.
- To obtain a website audit from Sitechecker, users must sign up for a 7-day trial.
SEOptimer is an example of a lesser-known tool that may provide direct insights for website analysis, despite not being as sophisticated as other options.
Certain comprehensive SEO tool suites, like Semrush, provide site audit functionalities that offer a wide range of data points to enhance your website. To access these features, you need to sign up (which can be done using your Google account) to gain access to the valuable insights they provide. Similarly, Ubersuggest also offers valuable insights upon signing up using your Google account.
4. Research and explore the People Also Ask (PAA) questions on search engines and incorporate informative answers to enhance your content.( Quick Win Seo )
I highly advocate for leveraging SEO strategies to optimize content for “People Also Ask” (PAA) questions on Google.
It is widely recognized that the “People Also Ask” (PAA) feature is one of the most prominent and frequently displayed SERP features on Google, often appearing in over two-thirds of search results.
These “People Also Ask” (PAA) questions are frequently observed to appear on search results pages for broad one-word keywords.
For instance, when you enter a search query like “Twitter” on Google, it is common to see a “People Also Ask” (PAA) question such as “What are the advantages of using Twitter?” being displayed.
The provided answer will generate significant traffic, even if it doesn’t rank for the single-word keyword directly.
