SEO Tips

If you do SEO, you need to learn – how to increase productivity.

Personally – I’ve been doing SEO for 7 years now.

I want to share a secret of SEO.

If possible, learn manually, how SEO works. It helps you learn SEO, correctly.

Let’s address more SEO secrets.

In this resource, I’ve put together SEO tips for increased productivity. Don’t ignore. The tips I’ve documented in this resource, are the ones I learned after crying countless times, failures, and trial-and-errors.

Note: In this resource, I’ve addressed general suggestions for SEO. If you follow, you can see improvements in productivity, SEO results, and performance. I’ve carefully crafted each suggestion.

SEO Tips

Staging site for Learning

A staging site helps you learn SEO. It refers to a site built for experiments. It doesn’t affect live projects.

Of course, creating a staging site costs money. The impact of a staging project is fruitful – you learn fast.

In this scenario, a domain name costs $12 per year. Similarly, you’ll need to spend on web hosting, costs around $25 per year.

• Domain name: Address of a website, also called URL.
• Web Hosting: Refers to the server space, used to store a site’s files online.

So, if you don’t know how to create a website, ask for developers’ assistance – instead.

The point is, learn SEO, implement on a staging environment, and assess how Google reacts. This is how you learn SEO fast, using a staging site.

Phases of ranking: Discovery, Crawling, Indexing, and Ranking

You can’t count on ranking – only.

In SEO, most people expect rankings as success. Ranking doesn’t indicate the final product.

Here is what you should consider.

Once you’ve published a new post, here is what you should expect.

• Search engines, such as Google, discovers the new page – the process once Google sees a new page is available.
• Second, of course, to know a page’s content, Google has to crawl a new page. Crawling, in simple words – as its name suggests, helps Google understand the content of a page. Perfect.
• Next – Google lists the new page in Index, refers to the database of URLs.
• Finally, Google ranks the page at a specific position on search pages, depending on how well the page satisfies users’ intent.

So, why should you consider Google’s behavior?

Once published a new page, wait for discovery, crawling, indexing, and ranking. In this case, you can track a page’s position in Google Search Console, the Google’s free to help users improve rankings.

Learn how Search Intent works

No doubt, Search Intent is the backbone of SEO.

It helps you how well you can address relevancy on search pages.

Basically, search intent shows a user’s interest, purpose, and aim. For example, a search query’s intent shows, what a specific user is looking for on Google.

Here is why you should care about search intent.

If you do SEO, learning how search intent works, helps you rank pages – correctly. In simple words, if you don’t know how search intent works, you can’t rank pages on Google.

To understand, how search intent affects SEO, learn about a keyword’s different types. Period.

Don’t spend money on expensive SEO Tools

Especially, in the start – spending money on SEO tools, can become a headache.

Here is the reason.

If you don’t know how SEO manual routines work, you can’t use SEO tools – either.

It happens. I’ve been there.

So, what should you do, instead?

Leverage trial versions of the premium SEO tools. For example, in the start – don’t buy Moz premium, if you need to see if a domain has spam.

Learn how to do Keyword Research manually

Before you create content, you should have found relevant keywords.

So – the process of keyword research, as its name suggests – consists of finding relevant keywords, simple.

There are two ways.

• Use SEO tools for research
• Mark my words – use manual routines

SEO tools cost money, overlook in the start.

Conversely, here is why you should consider manual adventure.

• Manual routines help you save money, of course.
• To sharpen your SEO, use manual routines. Perfect.

Simply, Google SERPs help you obtain relevant keywords. Once you’ve searched for a topic, scroll down for “Related Searches”.

Know about different types of Keywords

In SEO, there are different types of keywords.

Actually, keywords are different based on search intent.

1. Informational
2. Commercial
3. Navigational
4. Transactional

As its name suggests, informational keywords help users find informative content. If a user wants to gain knowledge, search queries in this case, refer to informational keywords. Examples of informational keywords include how-to guides, experts’ opinions on a topic, or case studies.

Similarly, commercial keywords have a different search intent.

Commercial keywords help users research brands, products, and cost information. For example, the keyword “best books to read” shows buying intent.

In most cases, commercial keywords show buying intent of users. In this case, eCommerce portals use commercial keywords. Yes, they want to sell products, period.

Now, let’s talk about navigational keywords.

Navigational keywords are different in nature. The keywords used to find a specific brand, website, or a page – refer to navigational keywords. In this case, examples of navigational keywords include “microsoft login”.

In the same manner, Transactional keywords help users complete an action, such as “book shop near me”.

You should learn how keyword types work. It helps you create SEO-optimized content.

For example, you can’t create content for informational purposes, if the Google SERPs show eCommerce pages. Similarly, you can feel the concept.

Take care of a site’s first 2-3 months

In SEO, new sites need special attention. The first 3 months are crucial.

Here is why.

• Google doesn’t take new sites seriously, at least – we should feel the pain.
• If you plan SEO, you should’ve developed a content strategy – at least for the first 3 months. It helps you gain trust – no doubt.

The point of impact is, in the coming months, after you’ve launched your new site – work regularly.

Learn how to do SEO content optimization

Content optimization consists of strategic updating of content. It helps you increase relevancy.

Normally, compiling a list of related keywords is the step forward. Next, update the content with related phrases.

In most cases, it works.

However, here is what you should consider.

Spreading random keywords can cause irrelevancy. In this case, a set of specific keywords rank a page high, not all phrases.

So, you should use Filters, instead.

Filters in Google Search Console, help you pick the right keywords.

• The specific phrases – helping a page rank high in Google, preferably 3-5 positions on search pages, are the ideal candidates for updating. You should understand the concept – carefully.

If you don’t use Filters, you can unconsciously affect a page’s relevancy. Simple.

Do White-Hat SEO, always

Black-Hat SEO can affect a project’s outcomes.

Initially, shady tactics help rank faster. However, don’t count on success, yet.

In this case, the opposite of Black-hat is White-Hat SEO. It consists of Google-approved routines for SEO.

Keep learning SEO

SEO requires efforts, patience, and monitoring.

Don’t prefer to rest, if you don’t know how SEO routines work – especially, the ones you do, regularly.

In this case, having a staging site is recommended, always. Building one costs money, yet helps you learn properly.

Have an eye on Google Updates

In SEO, Google Updates help experts learn about Google rules.

In simple words, Google updates are rules, suggestions, and opinions Google prefers.

So, if you’re doing SEO – you’ve to take Google updates seriously.

Updates affect how you rank content on Google pages. The main point of updates is, helping audience use streamline search experiences – real, no fluff, and most importantly, relevance.

In this case, once Google rolls out an update, experts need to learn how Google wants to shape up content.

Updates are released twice a year, refer to core updates. However, sometimes earlier, minor updates are released. You can see Google’s official resources for more information.

The whole point of updates is, to make web useful, avoid shady routines, and provide solutions to readers’ problems – perfect.

Learn how to read Google SERPs, Traffic share

If you know how to read Google SERPs, you’re a pioneer in manual routines.

Personally, I love to use manual routines in SEO – bulletproof.

In this case, here is what you should consider.

SERP stands for Search Engine Results Pages – simple. Once a user enters a search query, the next screen shows what Google has already indexed. The results screen after you’ve entered a query, is what known as the SERP.

In such scenarios, experts need to understand what Google prefers.

For example, the SERPs can tell you:

• What pages have Google ranked for a topic.
• What type of content is acceptable for a specific topic, perfect.
• Variations in search results – you can see blog posts, product pages, sales pages, discussions, User Generated Content (UGC), or official resources on SERPs.

So – if you want to create content, learning what Google prefers on SERPs, can help you assess a keyword’s competition. You’re the master of search pages – learn to read Google SERPs.

Work on ICP content

ICP stands for Ideal Customer Profile.

In SEO, you need to learn how to create content around a business’ ICP.

The more you address ICP correctly, the more you can convert well.

In simple case, finding relevant keywords, helping you sell your products, is what helps you address ICP.

Learn how Google Rank Brain works

If you don’t know how Google ranks pages, you need to re-consider SEO.

Here, Rank Brain is a rule-set, algorithm, or SOP Google uses to rank pages.

So, what should you consider?

Basically, Google takes relevancy, very seriously, when ranking pages for a specific topic.

In this case, the more a page efficiently satisfies users’ intent, the high chances of ranking the page has on search pages. Simple.

Now, addressing users’ search intent is a whole psychology, remember. It requires efforts to learn how search intent works, as described earlier.

Learn about Google Ranking Factors

The rules Google prefers, considers, or favors are referred to as Google Ranking Factors.

According to a rough estimation, Google considers more than 200 factors.

So, you don’t need to address every rule.

Here is what you should learn.

• Learn how Google ranking factors work, at least, learn the basics.
• Next, especially – learn how relevance, search intent, on-page SEO, and Backlinks work – enough.

In the start, addressing a few rules helps.

As you grow doing SEO, and dive into how competition analysis helps – you can consider learning more aspects. Period.

Learn how to do Competition Analysis

You can’t forecast a keyword’s rank-ability, if you don’t know – how to assess a keyword’s competition.

Now, competition analysis is achieved using two manners.

• Put a keyword in an SEO tool. The tool helps you see how much the keyword is competitive. Simple.
• Learn how to read competition on Google SERPs – as described earlier.

Using tools cost money, no question. However, if you learn how to work manually, you can feel different. Manual knowledge is bulletproof – remember.

Tools help you assess a keyword’s competition, by looking at how many links are pointed to ranking pages. Well, I really don’t think – Tools can assess a keyword’s relevance, purpose, and search intent.

Let’s consider the second case.

In manual routines, here is what you can consider.

• Backlinks pointing to the ranking pages, no doubt.
• Type of content ranking for a keyword
• You can consider the content angle – simple write-up, how-to guide, listicle article, or a question-based response post.
• Depth of the pages ranking
• You can assess naturally, the usefulness of the ranking pages, see if the pages are correctly solving readers’ problems.

After you’ve finished assessment, you can decide if you should target a keyword. And, this is what competition analysis teaches you, my friend.

Keep monitoring SEO progress

SEO requires long-term efforts. You’ve to make sure, after you’ve created content – proper monitoring, updating, and improvement routines are performed. It helps you learn how SEO content played on search pages.

You can’t forget SEO, remember.

So, let’s address what should you monitor.

• Have an eye on indexing routines – you should know how often Google’s bot comes to crawl your site.
• Keep an eye on keyword ranking positions. Figure out, whether pages are stable on search pages, fluctuating, or not present at all.
• Figure out, what needs improvements for improved search rankings. Period.
• Learn from failures. For example, if a page falls short of achieving expected ranking position, learn what caused low rankings. It helps you improve your skills, especially competition analysis.
• Document SEO data – helping you learn effective SEO procedures.

In most cases, experts carry out content audits, on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedules.

Remember – the secret of having success in SEO, is hidden in regular monitoring SEO results.

Build Backlinks carefully, Time

I want to help you understand a rule.

If building a backlink doesn’t cost you time, efforts, and money – and if the backlink is not unique either – the backlink may have no effect on ranking improvements.

So, here is what you should consider.

• Building unique and relevant backlinks, on high quality sources, require efforts – not a joke, my friend.

In this case, here is what you should consider.

• Compiling a list of relevant sites can help. You need relevant backlinks, remember.
• Assess sites’ quality. You’ll need to check various metrics, including domains’ DA, spam score, relevancy, link type, and anchor text.
• Use White-Hat methods to build backlinks, such as creating link-worthy resources. Buying links can hurt SEO.

Technical SEO is mandatory

Technical SEO helps you improve site structure. It also helps you remove errors.

Basically, improving technical aspects of a site, helps search engines better understand a site structure. Perfect.

You can start from the basics.

In such scenarios, Google Search Console is your friend.

The free tool from Google, GSC helps you figure out, if your site needs improvement, technically.

For example, you can find, if your site is experiencing 404 errors, redirects, or responsiveness issues.

If you want to dig deeper, you’ll need to use a specific SEO tool for technical audits, such as Semrush.

In Google Search Console, once you’ve taken proper measures, you can submit pages the in question for validation. It can take days or a week in some cases. Google lets you know, if the fix went successful.

Similarly, SEO tools help you run automated audits.

Once performed, you can see a list of errors – categorized under Tabs. Semrush, in this case – for example, helps you learn how to fix a specific problem.

Once, you’ve taken measures – here is how you can re-validate problems’ status.

• See in Google Search Console if the problem persists. It can take days.
• Re-run audit in Semrush and see, if Semrush finds the problem, again.

Remember – the way you create content, having a schedule for technical SEO is also, mandatory.

Learn how SEO SOPs work

SOPs – standard operating procedures in SEO, are important. It can affect your site’s SEO.

In SEO, SOPs refer to approved actions, strategies, and efforts. In simple words, procedures categorized as White-Hat methods, fall under SEO SOPs.

If you do illegal maneuvers in SEO, you can affect your site’s SEO. Period.

Especially, in the start – learn SEO SOPs. Learn how to do SEO correctly.

SEO is not hard, it is critical – remember.

Create and let Content stay published for months, helps to understand Google reactions

One of my personal, favorite routines in SEO – creating and letting content stay on search pages, to see how Google reacts.

So, how do I measure the progress? Google Search Console, my friend.

Once you’ve published a new page, here is what you should do next.

• Submit the new page to GSC
• Wait

Here, you’ve to wait for Google discovery, crawling, indexing, and finally – ranking the page.

In this case, the wait can take longer, usually from days to weeks. It depends on Google crawling schedule.

Once crawled and indexed, you can expect rankings.

Here is what you should consider.

• Stats in GSC help you understand the page’s ranking position.
• Impressions in GSC, clicks, and related keywords help you optimize the page for improved visibility.

You can repeat the process for new pages, always.

Create a mix of content, Seed plus Low-competitive Keywords

Don’t risk your SEO status.

Here is what you should consider, seriously.

Google takes spam seriously. Your site shouldn’t sound spam.

How?

Look, don’t publish content on topics you want, only.

Instead, published content on diverse topics in niche, the ones benefit you, and the ones benefit readers – too.

It shows how well you’re addressing readers’ expectations. And, Google recent Updates favor to address readers’ needs.

For example, in order to secure quick rankings, new sites used to publish content on low-competitive keywords.

In this scenario, if you repeatedly target low-hanging fruits, Google can consider your site for spam.

Why?

You’re not sounding natural, my friend. If, instead – you help readers read what they need, you sound natural.

So, publish content on seed, main topics in niche, as well as target low-competitive keywords.

Here, the point of impact is diversity and readers’ needs.

Here is how diversifying content helps you.

• Content on main topics help you drive traffic via related phrases. A long-form content ranks for related keywords, no doubt.
• Low-competitive keywords help you secure quick rankings. Perfect.

Learn how to assess Traffic Potential for Topics

Traffic potential shows – if a keyword will drive organic traffic.

Once you’re ready, you can assess a keyword’s traffic potential, before you’ve started creating content. It makes you feel secure.

So, here is how you assess Traffic potential of a keyword.

• Search the topic on Google. Here, you should have an SEO extension, turned on.
• Once the results are shown, assess the ranking keywords for the pages. This shows if the keyword has traffic potential.

Basically, the more keywords ranking pages are ranking for, the better is the traffic potential.

If you find, if a topic is worth targeting – assess the traffic potential of ranking pages. Actually, the traffic potential is a coined term for search volume. You get the idea.

Target Keywords with Zero Search Volume

Experts don’t believe in targeting keywords with zero search volume.

Personally, I don’t agree.

Here is why.

I’ve seen keywords, zero search volume ones – driving thousands of traffic per month. Yes, it makes sense.

The point is, if Google suggests a keyword, people are searching for the keyword – simple. In this case, don’t blindly trust on SEO tools, period.

So, tools can’t help in certain scenarios, such as search volume.

However, you should’ve verified, if Google suggests a zero search volume keyword.

You can start entering the keyword in question, and see – if Google is showing words suggestions. Perfect.

Don’t trust on Tools’ data

Tools can’t fetch real data.

In most cases, SEO tools don’t show latest trends, data, or search volume stats.

So, what should you consider?

Google, or other search engines have the clicks data. No one else, knows.

Tools, in this case, show estimations. So, you can consider SEO data, however; using manual knowledge can help.

Conversely, SEO tools perform better in certain cases. For example, if you need to find competitors’ backlinks – use SEO tools.

Similarly, SEO candidates can help you perform audit. They help you quickly scan a site, find errors, and suggest – what needs attention.

Understand Content Types and Angles

There are different types of content pages.

If you create content, you need to learn how content types affect SEO results.

While doing keyword research, here is what you should consider.

• Pay attention to content types on Google SERPs

For example, for a specific keyword – what has Google ranked.

You can see the following pages on SERPs.

• Informational posts
• Commercial product pages
• Brand pages
• Abandoned pages, such as Cart pages, possibly.

On Google SERP, assessing the content types of ranking pages helps you:

• Learn about the keyword’s search intent.
• Learn what type of content page you should create.

Let’s proceed further.

Next, you need to see if the content pages have a specific angle.

Content angles, in SEO – helps you learn about readers’ mind, needs, and expectations.

For example, considering informational intent, see if the pages address a question, discussion, or a case study.

So, overall, let’s summarize why you should consider content types and angles.

For better SEO, content types and angle help you perform competition analysis – efficiently. Perfect.

Once you know, what types of pages are ranking for a keyword, and what angle the ranking pages have covered – you should confidently proceed to create content.

Learn SEO manual routines

Here is why you should learn SEO manual routines.

• Learning how SEO works, is fruitful in long-term.
• If you don’t know how specific scenarios work, manually – you can’t use Tools’ data either.
• Of course, learning SEO manually costs time, yet helps you master SEO, no doubt.
• Learning manual procedures can help you invent assets. For example, learning how should one optimize content manually, can help you create automated manners for assessment. If you know, manually – you can automate the process.
• Manual procedures help you validate Tools’ data. In case you’re unsure, use your manual knowledge, instead.
• Manual procedures help you better document SEO case studies. If you need documentation, you’ll need to practice how a specific SEO routine works. It helps you proceed to perform documentation, correctly.

So, how should you proceed?

If possible, create a staging site for SEO experiments.

Learn SEO strategies, practice, and document manual progress.

Do SEO in a favorite Niche

Doing SEO is hard, especially, if you don’t know a specific niche.

If you’ve knowledge of a subject, industry, or niche – it can help you do SEO.

Here is how.

• You’ll enjoy creating SEO content – perfect.
• If you know a niche well, you can understand readers’ pain points. It helps you create search intent optimized content, no doubt.
• In a favorite niche, you understand better about content types and angles. It helps you correctly perform competition analysis.

In simple words, doing SEO in a different niche, the one you’re not passionate about, can yield terrible results.

Don’t outsource SEO if you don’t know how to monitor SEO campaigns

Sometimes, people don’t work properly, even if you pay their fees. It happens.

As SEO requires efforts, monitoring SEO progress is evenly important.

In case of outsourcing SEO, falling short of achieving small wins can pose serious risks.

So, it would be good if you don’t outsource SEO, if you don’t know about monitoring progress. Even – if you’ve money to spend, don’t fall for the trap. Period.

Know your SEO Level

Remember – know your potential in SEO. Don’t sign up for what you can’t achieve.

Especially, if you do freelance SEO, you need to offer what you can do better, absolutely correctly.

For example, creating SEO content is easy, if you don’t understand how to do eCommerce SEO.

Similarly, don’t sign up for backlinks if you can’t assess a site’s SEO worth.

Increase SEO inputs, experience Output

In the start, you should follow the rule.

If you increase SEO inputs, you can experience more wins. Simple.

For example, instead of publishing a single page, publish 5-10 pages and see how SEO works. You should understand how Google reacted to content.

Increasing SEO inputs help you explore new opportunities, learn faster, and achieve results.

However, if you’re doing in real – here is what you should consider – instead.

Creating more pages, repeatedly, can cause Google spam.

In this case, Google can penalize you for spam. So, you need to be patient.

SEO difficulties, Take notice

If you think, something is not making sense, it would be good if you consult experts.

In this case, you can sign up for a premium course.

Instead, don’t proceed to learn how a specific process works in SEO, if seems too complicated.

The point is to save time, efforts, and money if you’re young in SEO.

Celebrate small Wins

Sometimes, waiting for the perfect moment kills patience. It happens, especially in SEO.

Celebrate small wins confidently, such as indexing or rankings on Google. Celebrate if a new page gets its first impression on search pages. Perfect. You get the idea.

Here is what helps you feel better.

• Great, if you’ve found a low competitive keyword.
• Perfect, if you’ve made progress learning how to create SEO-optimized content.
• Amazing, once you’ve ranked your first page on Google’s 1st page.
• Fascinating, if you’ve learned how manual SEO works.

You should’ve a taste of what feels better in SEO.

Because – SEO takes longer to see results, you should celebrate small wins for inspiration.

Summing up

Great, if you’ve read this far.

Here is why, following experts’ opinion is important.

• Tips help you increase productivity.
• Proven strategies help you save time.
• Experts’ opinion help you learn what works in SEO industry.

I hope, you’ve enjoyed reading my SEO suggestions. Let me know, if you’d like to add something I’ve missed out.