SEO is similar to building a structure that will stand the test of time. A successful search engine optimization campaign requires a solid foundation to endure challenges from competitors and changes in search engine algorithms. A campaign that includes the following three key elements will have the foundation for long-term success.
A Well Targeted Keyword Focus
Keyword research is the groundwork for a successful SEO campaign. Doing keyword research in a way that will bring long-term success requires in-depth analysis around all keywords that may be relevant to the products or services of the targeted website. Start with the most general keywords and find long tail keywords relating to each of them, then search for other long tail keywords relating to each of those. This pattern can be repeated many times to find many keyword opportunities. This strategy will also uncover some highly targeted keywords that will convert well and could be fairly easy to rank for. Remember that long tail keywords are often less competitive and typically convert much better. Be sure to search for lateral keywords as well. Lateral keywords are those that have the same meaning as other targeted keywords. So if I am optimizing a website about “aquariums”, I would also want to optimize it for the term “fish tanks.”
Strong Page Element Optimization
The optimization of the HTML elements on each page of the website is a critical factor in search engine optimization. Targeted search terms should be included in various places in the HTML code to tell the search engine crawlers what the page is about. The following elements must be optimized to allow for a successful SEO campaign.
Page Title: The page title (title tag) should include the targeted search terms and be a well written sentence that is 64 to 70 characters long. It should not be a string of keywords or one keyword phrase repeated several times. Remember that a good page title will not only be keyword targeted but also will entice a person to click on it in the search results.
Page Headings: The page heading (and subheadings) should be formatted properly using H1, H2 and H3 tags and include the targeted search terms. Cascading Style Sheets can be used to format the heading to fit with the content of the webpage. H1 tags are meant to be used for the main page heading and should only be used more than once on a page where it makes sense. H2, H3 and other header tags can be used for content subheadings and headings to site navigation.
Image Alternate Text: Optimize Alt Attributes of images by including targeted keywords where the keywords have some relevance to the image. Alternate text should tell a website visitor what the image is. When optimized, the alternate text can help with keyword rankings for both the webpage and the image in image searches. Do not make your image Alt Attribute extremely long and keyword stuffed. Alternate text should be brief and relate well to the image.
Link Anchor Text: Site content should include links to other pages of the website that have keywords in the anchor text. Adding two or three keyword links into page content of 150 or more words is ideal. Do not fill the page content full of keyword links. Remember that linking in the content more than once to the same page will not give any additional SEO benefits.
Good Quality Page Content
A website with good quality content will be one step closer to getting top search engine rankings. The search engines are constantly trying to improve the quality of the search results. The one way to be sure to always be relevant when algorithms are updated is to provide content that search engines will consider high quality. That kind of content is not copied from other websites. It is unique and provides value to a site visitor. Writing guides, fact sheets, frequently asked questions, common misconceptions and practical use articles are all great ways to add good content to a website. Keep in mind that having great content will not only give the search engines a good idea of what the website is about but will also give other webmasters a good reason to link to your website.
You are the Zen master of SEO. Love your posts.
always quality posts from dustin
thanks
If every webmaster will do exactly what you say in this post, than the internet will become exactly what it should be: a place where to get the information you want and need without going from website to website full of ads and that don’t really have something to say.
4. Quality IBL’s from relevant websites? No?
Agreed. One of the myths is that if your content is good enough quality IBLs will find you but that’s just not true. You still have to market your content. Nothing wrong with that, even Aston Martin has showrooms.
I agree. SEO takes both on-page and off-page to be 100% successful. Even great content needs some help being promoted. But great content will be able to get more links and provide more long term value than poor, thin or duplicate content. That is why it is one of the 3 key elements.
Building backlinks is very important for SEO. In seomoz top 5 factors affect SEO, 4 out of 5 are link building related.
Having a quality content is definitely not enough if you don’t show google your website authority.
Yes it is true that link building is a major part of an SEO campaign. However, even the best link building strategy will not get a website to rank well if there is no content to tell the search engine crawlers what the site is about. Even if you have good content, you will still fail if you don’t have a targeted keyword focus.
Bliss and Kent, I agree that links are important. However, good quality content is just as important (if not more important in the light of Google latest algorithm update) and good content is going to bring links naturally.
I have to say, both of them are important. A website with great content with links, it won’t success in seo, and vice verse.
Good content may or may not bring links naturally. Link building needs strategy. Producing great content just only one of the strategies. Another important strategy is analyze your competitors links.
Once again, I agree that link building needs to be part of the SEO strategy (including the analysis of competitor’s links). However, You can have all the links in the world, and strong credibility, but without the 3 key elements I covered in this post, your website is never going to see top search engine rankings.
We have seen this happen many times with our clients at SEO.com. They come to us with thousands or even millions of links and can’t figure out why their website won’t show up in the search results. Then after implementing some website optimization recommendations, these clients quickly see a turn around in the search engine rankings.
As I said, both are important, I have never said that 3 elements you told is not working. Link building with quality content showing authority. With only content only or link building only, it won’t work.
With only your 3 key elements it won’t work very well. And in today’s world, link building is not only link building, it shows your online reputation by showing your authority to the world.
If you have customers with link building but no content won’t work in seo, I have customers with great content but no link building won’t work on SEO as well.
Both of them are important. SEO not restricted on your 3 key elements.
No, not restricted, but will not succeed without them. Perhaps I will address some link building strategies in a future post.
Agreed, but you can’t be successful with one or the other, it takes both!
^This. SEO efforts are severely crippled if they’re not undertaken in a holistic, coordinated manner. That’s not to say you won’t move the needle at all if your approach isn’t multifaceted, but you really need a bit of everything.
By the way, Dustin, each time I open your site, your script has problem, I have to click sto script. I am using Firefox. You may want to fix it! Hope this help you!
Nice to talk to you.
SEO is the best technique to boost you site and there are so many tips for successful companion but 3 most important tips thats really cool thanks for those tips keep sharing.
Lateral keywords are very important, as are local lexicon. I know that the machine that heats the water in your house is a “Water Heater,” but in looking at the local keyword analysis for one of our clients, we found that people actually search for “Hot Water Heater” more often. The local lexicon trumped proper grammar in this case.
Thanks for the post!
Very informative post. When it comes to adding content containing keywords to your website it’s important to not overdo it with keywords. This is considered keyword stuffing which most search engines can pick up on and frown upon. Besides that, it’s fairly obvious when someone writes content that is low quality and intended for SEO purposes only. Keep content fresh, relevant and beneficial to those reading it.
I guess image alt plays an important role too.
Remember robots cannot read the words in your image.
Unpleasant advice is a good medicine.
Good URL selection, Titles, Meta description
and Off-site Optimization by getting good back links..
All three tops are right but last one Good Quality Page Content are now most important .
I would have to utterly and completely agree that a well targeted keyword focus is the foundation of SEO success. Especially if you want to rank in top positions for keywords and key phrases with high search volume. You must always start an SEO campaign with keyword research.
Indeed, content writing is a big part of SEO, and then comes SEO On-Page optimization, then a few inbound links.
Very insightful posting. SEO doesn’t always have to be rocket science; however, people often become unorganized and forget some basic and simple rules that usually prove to be successful.
thanks! great insights
When I see a successful SEO campaign I think of these steps:
1. Content + crawlability (stable ground to stand on + make sure you use the right words)
2. Highlight keywords (onpage)
3. Linkbuilding
4. Get social (make contacts, spread your information)
Does Google Panda change any of these recommendations? Does link building still work?