3 SEO Tips to Improve Your Keyword Rankings

Web November 6, 2021 Wilko van de Kamp

This post is an example of the content I share every Friday in my Living by Experience Magazine. If you’d like your free copy,...

This post is an example of the content I share every Friday in my Living by Experience Magazine. If you’d like your free copy, just click here.

Have you heard that improving your Search Engine Optimization will help you get found online more easily? Regularly I speak to clients who still believe Search Engine Optimization is some form of modern day wizardry. The more you pay for your advertising and expensive Search Engine Optimization “expert”, the higher your rankings, right? Wrong!

Reality is much simpler than that, and it’s time we start to think different about the “magic” of Search Engine Optimization. This article (and video lesson) will help you get started with three simple but effective tips.

First of all, you’ve probably already heard that implementing keywords into the content on your website, blog, and URL are key strategies for improving your SEO ranking. However, including the wrong keywords or too many keywords can be just as detrimental. It’s all about balance.

Although you may not always notice them, keywords play an integral role when it comes to helping a small business get found online. So let’s get to it by breaking down the long and short (tail) of it. You can watch the video below or read the summary underneath.

Do Your Own Keyword Research

Keyword research should never be a one-time commitment, but rather an ever-changing process that involves a strategy and a comprehensive understanding of your business and your industry. The goal is not as much for your business to get found, but it’s to support the search engine in their effort to serve quality content to their users. Including keywords that are specific to your business and industry will help to ensure that the right customers are being driven to your door rather than just any customer. Although your want to increase your leads and grow your customer base, you don’t want to target consumers that may not find value in your content and the products and services your business offers.

Using the Right Keywords

Short-tail keywords, or keywords composed of very generic keywords, might seem appealing because they’re searched more often than long-tail keywords, however, they’re also a lot more competitive. So, unless you’re writing content for a large organization, like Apple or American Express, and consumers are likely searching specifically for your product, you don’t want to enter into a red ocean of competitors with big brands that have even bigger pockets. You’ll want to search out the clear blue waters where your business will thrive.

Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, may not be as frequently typed into a search engine—think, “Egg” vs. “Poached Egg with Avocado and Bechemel”. By including more long-tail keywords into the content on your page, you’ll attract a larger number of customers who are likely to search for any combination of those long-tail keywords. More search hits isn’t always better, usually it’s not helping you at all. Would you rather appeal vaguely to a large number of people, or appeal more intensely to a smaller group?

Location-based keywords are keywords that directly relate to your business’s physical location. For example, if your business is a bakery in a popular neighbourhood in Charlotte, NC, you’ll want to include not only Charlotte, but also the name of that specific neighborhood. By doing so, you’re more likely to target visitors in your area rather than across town who may or may not ever make it to your location.

Avoid Keyword Stuffing

Speaking of misleading customers that may not find value in your business, adding practically any keyword under the sun is referred to as keyword stuffing and is largely considered a taboo in the digital marketing world. You may get some short term results, but long term this strategy always works against you. Repairing the damage from this kind of Search Engine Optimization activity is a long journey. The goal of every search engine is to help their users find great content, and misleading the search engine (and it’s users) comes at a steep cost. Don’t do it.

Like with any other digital marketing rule of thumb, less is more and quality will always conquer quantity. Ideally, a website’s content should include keywords in a natural way. However, by inputting keywords into a few sentences and repeating them over and over, you’re stuffing your content with keywords. Even if they’re good keywords, it’s still too much.