INTRODUCTION
In our previous whitepaper; SEO 101 our first priority of good SEO was: Content, content, content. To expand on that concept, we created this guide to optimizing your content for SEO.
FOCUS ON THE USER
Google tells us to focus on the user and pretend they don’t exist. While we agree with the former, the latter is dubious advice.
Align your content with the user’s search query.
Example Search term: big blue widgets
- Your page or meta title should contain the phrase “big blue widgets”
- Your primary, or H1 heading should be the phrase “big blue widgets”.
- Your first paragraph should contain the phrase “big blue widgets”.
- Your page copy should have the phrase “big blue widgets” repeated several times without cramming.
- Your secondary, or H2 headline should contain a close variant of “big blue widgets” such as “large blue widgets”.
- You should have at least one image, with a file name, and ALT tag containing “big blue widgets”.
- Link to the page from other pages using the phrase “big blue widgets”
YOUR WORK IS NEVER DONE
Once you’ve optimized a page, your work has just begun. You need to revise that page, add new content, measure the results, rinse, & repeat. Keep in mind that there’s a limit to how much on-page optimization can benefit. At some point, you need to venture beyond your website and start building links and relationships.