Which SEO Tactics Have Been Unexpectedly Effective?
In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization, we've gathered insights from eight digital marketing experts on tactics that have surprisingly boosted their website's visibility. From creating niche-focused microsites to updating and refining existing content, these CEOs, founders, and marketing directors reveal their top SEO strategies. Discover the full spectrum of their advice, starting with the importance of microsites and culminating with content refinement.
- Create Niche-Focused Microsites
- Conduct Technical SEO Cleanup
- Use Journalistic Outreach for Backlinks
- Incorporate Long-Tail Keyword Optimization
- Target Long-Tailed Keywords for Specificity
- Optimize Content for Featured Snippets
- Revamp Meta Titles for Better CTR
- Update and Refine Existing Content
Create Niche-Focused Microsites
One SEO strategy that pleasantly surprised us with its effectiveness was the creation and utilization of microsites dedicated to specific services or offerings. In the early stages of building Connective Web Design, I decided to experiment with a separate site exclusively focused on SEO services. This decision yielded an unexpected benefit: not only did it improve our SEO performance, but it also provided a clarity of message and a targeted user experience that our main site, with its broader focus, struggled to achieve at the time.
While we eventually consolidated everything under one brand for a more cohesive presence, the lesson was clear—niche, focused content on dedicated platforms can deliver significant SEO results. While this approach may not be suitable for every business, it highlights the importance of understanding and catering to specific audience segments amidst the landscape of online content.
Hope this insight adds a unique angle to your piece!
Conduct Technical SEO Cleanup
It always surprises me when I'm handed a nice, shiny website attached to an SEO brief, and I see that the technical SEO resembles a messy filing cabinet. Many digital marketing professionals, web designers, and even developers will brush over these aspects, deeming them unimportant, and then wonder why their SEO efforts aren't paying off as well as hoped. A technical SEO cleanup can help a website climb a page higher in some cases, improving visibility in the weeks and months to follow. It's often an unexpected improvement because consistencies in your URLs, canonical tags, redirects, and internal links all seem like minor changes, but when you really think about it, it's just a simple case of structuring everything like (you guessed it) a tidy filing cabinet. I recommend software like Screaming Frog to help you audit these elements with a fine-tooth comb before giving them a fresh comb-over. Although it's sometimes tedious, it means that every piece of code and content is where it should be, almost like rolling out the red carpet for search engine crawlers and users alike.
Use Journalistic Outreach for Backlinks
One SEO tactic I have found to be unexpectedly effective for my website's visibility is journalistic outreach to build backlinks. I have observed a positive correlation between the number of high-quality backlinks we receive from other domains and the performance of our site since I introduced this tactic in our agency.
To execute this strategy effectively, it is crucial to establish connections with journalists and media outlets. You should aim to reach out to websites with high Domain Ratings, which can be measured online, and feature on blogs that are related to your industry. This will help you maximize the potential relevant traffic to your website and the benefits the backlinks can bring to your site's performance and visibility.
Attaining authoritative backlinks through journalistic outreach not only improves your website's search engine rankings and domain rating but also can enhance credibility and trustworthiness in your industry.
Incorporate Long-Tail Keyword Optimization
Aside from the apparent SEO strategy, which is long-tail keyword optimization, using these strategies has helped me improve my website's visibility. Though many tend to concentrate on high-volume keyword optimization, the incorporation of long-tail keywords will not only bring in a lot more targeted traffic but also generate high conversion rates. An example of long-tail keywords for the personal fitness industry is 'best yoga ways to remedy back pain,' not just 'yoga.' Our keyword strategy resulted in an organic traffic increase of 30% and a rise in conversions by 20% within the next three months. Targeting specific pain points or issues helped us to attract highly interested visitors who were more inclined to become buyers. Long-tail keywords are less competitive, which can positively influence a page's position in Google rankings. This strategy confirms that the best-performing keywords are not necessarily the most commonly used; occasionally, focusing on niche searches can elicit impressive results.
Target Long-Tailed Keywords for Specificity
One unexpectedly effective SEO tactic for enhancing website visibility is optimizing for long-tailed keywords, which are more specific phrases that drive more specification in the industry. These phrases may have lower search volumes, but they can drive targeted traffic. By focusing on long-tail keywords, marketing professionals can attract audiences who are more likely to convert into opportunities. Long-tail keywords face less competition, making it easier to rank higher across search engine results pages. This not only improves visibility but also enhances the quality of traffic, attracting users with clearer intentions. Long-tail keywords are frequently associated with voice search queries, which are becoming popular with the rise of Siri and Alexa. By incorporating long-tail keywords into their strategy, marketing professionals can stay ahead of the curve and capture organic traffic, contributing to the success of their website.
Optimize Content for Featured Snippets
One incredibly effective SEO tactic for improving website visibility is optimizing for featured snippets. Featured snippets are the highlighted boxes that appear at the top of Google search results, providing concise answers to user queries. To optimize for featured snippets, I create content that directly answers commonly asked questions within the niche of our website or our clients' websites. This involves structuring content clearly and concisely, using headers and bullet points to break down information for potential visitors, and providing accurate and comprehensive answers to users' queries. Additionally, to optimize for featured snippets, it's essential to ensure that the content is well-researched, authoritative, and provides value to users. By optimizing for featured snippets, you will gain more visibility in search results and attract organic traffic from users seeking quick answers to their questions.
Revamp Meta Titles for Better CTR
Optimize your meta titles. It's one area that most marketing professionals forget about (unless you're in SEO). If your current meta title is PAGE NAME | BUSINESS NAME, you need to change it. Add the target keyword, remove the business name, and use the meta description like an ad—give them a reason to click. Not only does this boost your visibility, but it will also increase your CTR from organic search too.
Update and Refine Existing Content
As a digital marketing professional, I've experimented with numerous SEO tactics to enhance my website's visibility. However, one strategy that took me by surprise in its effectiveness was the optimization of existing content. Initially, I focused primarily on creating new content, underestimating the power of revisiting and refining what was already there.
Upon diving deeper, I found that updating old blog posts with current information, adding new keywords based on updated research, and improving readability made a significant impact. This approach not only helped in ranking higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) but also increased the time visitors spent on our site. By incorporating internal links to newer content, we were able to improve the site's overall SEO structure and user experience.
What made this tactic unexpectedly effective was its ability to leverage existing resources to achieve better results, rather than allocating extensive time and effort into producing new content. It's a reminder of the importance of maintaining and optimizing what you already have to keep it relevant and valuable to your audience. This strategy has now become a regular part of our SEO maintenance routine, proving that sometimes, the most effective solutions are already within our grasp.
