How to Create an Effective SEO Campaign for Your Site

Learn how to create a successful SEO campaign, and discover the importance of setting goals, conducting keyword research, creating content, growing backlinks, and measuring performance.
  • Portrait of a smiling woman with long hair, transparent background.
    Sarah Berry SEO Consultant
    Author block right corner shape
  • October 25, 2023
  • 5 min. read

 

With search engine optimization (SEO), your business can attract, nurture, and convert your target audience through search. Getting to that point, though, requires a search engine optimization campaign, which is why we’re breaking down how to create an effective SEO campaign for your site.

What is an SEO campaign?

An SEO campaign is how a business generates, measures, and grows its organic traffic from search. Typically, SEO campaigns include setting goals, researching keywords, creating content, acquiring links, and measuring results.

How to create an effective SEO campaign

Learn how to create an effective SEO campaign for your business with these steps:

  1. Outline your goals
  2. Assign your roles
  3. Set up your tech
  4. Research your keywords
  5. Create your content
  6. Grow your backlinks
  7. Measure your performance

Step 1. Outline your goals

Every SEO campaign needs to measure its performance, which is why SEO campaigns begin with setting goals. Like any digital marketing campaign, you’ll want to create specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and timely goals (SMART).

Some of our favorite tips for brainstorming goals for search engine optimization campaigns include:

  • Speak with your stakeholders to understand their SEO expectations
  • Analyze your site’s existing SEO to understand your site’s strengths, SEO issues, and more
  • Review your tech stack to understand what you can measure
  • Audit your online competitors to see where they’re leading or failing in search

Once you’ve outlined your campaign goals, you can proceed with the next step.

Step 2. Assign your roles

Next, determine who will work on what. Some typical roles in SEO campaigns include:

Your organization’s roles may vary. For example, instead of a single SEO, you might have specialized SEOs, like a technical SEO services provider, another for off-page SEO, and someone else for on-page SEO. The goal here is to outline who is responsible for bringing your campaign to life.

Step 3. Set up your tech

If you haven’t already, you’ll want to set up your SEO campaign’s tech, like:

Google Analytics 4 dashboard

The above are industry standards for SEO, but that doesn’t mean your team can’t use other toolkits.

Besides Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4, you’ll likely want some SEO software for your campaign. While you can use free tools like Google Trends, you’ll often find value in paid SEO kits like Ahrefs or Semrush when researching keywords, evaluating competitors, and more.

Step 4. Research your keywords

Next, your business can begin keyword research to help your site:

  • Grow its qualified traffic
  • Reach its target audience
  • Increase its revenue

From Semrush to Keywords Everywhere to Ahrefs, you have choices when it comes to keyword research tools.

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer keyword ideas for Italian restaurant

These platforms vary in price, with Keywords Everywhere offering the most cost-effective option for small businesses looking for just a keyword research tool.

Tired of Semrush?

Find an alternative with our comparison of Semrush vs. Ubersuggest

No matter your choice, these are our tips for choosing effective keywords for your SEO campaign:

  • Focus on keywords relevant to your business and its target audience
  • Look for keywords with a higher search volume and lower keyword competitiveness
  • Evaluate every keyword’s search intent before adding it to your keyword list

You’ll also want to ensure your keywords support your search campaign’s goals.

Step 5. Create your content

With your keywords selected, you can start creating your content. Here are some tips:

  • Add your target keyword to your title tag and meta description
  • Use your target and related keywords throughout your content
  • Write your content with a user- vs. SEO-first perspective

If you plan to include content visuals, you’ll want to work with your web designer (or a free tool like Canva) to create your graphics. Alternatively, add screenshots to your content to demonstrate an example or show readers how to complete a step.

As a final step, have your SEO team member review and optimize the content’s on-page SEO.

Step 6. Grow your backlinks

Whether you’re looking to attract backlinks through your new content or existing, you’ll likely need some dedicated time in your SEO campaign for link building. Link building can take multiple forms, from attracting links passively or through outreach efforts.

For most search engine optimization campaigns, there is an element of both.

Step 7. Measure your performance

With the launch of your SEO campaign, you can start measuring your performance.

Personally, we recommend setting up your performance dashboard at the beginning. This approach lets you catch tracking issues or errors early so your team can troubleshoot and fix them before your campaign advances too far.

What you measure will depend on your earlier SEO goals. Some popular metrics include:

  • Keyword positions
  • Organic traffic
  • Organic conversion rates
  • Links acquired
  • And more

Google Analytics 4 organic search report

Again, you must focus on the metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that best measure your SEO campaign’s goals.

Launch a successful SEO campaign with SEO.com

Congrats, you’re ready to create your search engine optimization campaign. If you’re looking for professional help with developing, implementing, and managing your SEO campaign, contact us to see how our award-winning SEO experts can help!

Portrait of a smiling woman with long hair, transparent background.
Sarah Berry is an SEO Consultant at one of the largest SEO agencies in the USA — WebFX. With more than 10,000 hours of SEO experience, she offers practical insights and strategies you can use to grow your rankings, traffic, and revenue from search.

Add WebFX to your content marketing toolbox today

Get SEO Proposal

What to read next

SEO Results: How to Track Your SEO Performance for 2024
  • Mar 15, 2024
  • 13 min. read
Keep Reading
10 Moz Alternatives That Will Help You Nail Your SEO
  • Mar 11, 2024
  • 10 min. read
Keep Reading
SEO Attribution: How To Track Leads, Customers, and Revenue From SEO
  • Feb 23, 2024
  • 8 min. read
Keep Reading