The Best Methods to Improve Your SEO Performance in 2022

SEO is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy and can be the key to driving traffic and generating leads for your business. It is one of the most effective ways to drive organic traffic, boost brand awareness, and increase conversions. 

However, SEO is a complex and ever-changing field that can make it challenging to keep up with the latest trends and ensure that your website ranks highly in search engine results pages (SERPs). Search engines come up with new ranking factors yearly and the algorithm changes accordingly. So keeping a hand on the pulse of the industry is a must for an efficient SEO strategy. 

That’s why we’ve put together this guide on the 11 most effective ways to improve your SEO rankings in 2022. By following these tips, you can ensure that your website is optimized for the latest search engine algorithms and trends, helping you to attract more visitors and generate more leads for your business.

The SEO Hierarchy 

Foremost, it is crucial to understand and follow the hierarchy that combines all the tools and techniques that are used for optimization. They are interconnected and perform best when all are managed in the same trajectory. 

The hierarchy pyramid from the bottom to the top looks like this: 

1. Crawl accessibility (algorithm can find your page to analyze);

2. High-quality and unique content;

3. Keyword optimization;

4. Outstanding user experience;

5. Sharability of the content/social media integration;

6. On-page SEO like title, URL, and meta description.

One will not be fully productive without the other one. For instance, if you have great content but weak keyword research, the target audience will not be able to even find this content. Or if you take care of technical SEO but disregard the content, people won’t stay on the page, no matter how fast it loads.

11 Effective Ways to Improve Your SEO Rankings in 2022

1. Master keyword research

One of the most important things you can do to improve your SEO rankings is to conduct keyword research. It might sound simple, yet it is not so easy to do right. 

This will help you identify the key terms and phrases your target audience is searching for, which you can then use to optimize your website and content for these search terms.

Keywords indicate the main topic of a text or page. It gives an algorithm an idea of what you are writing and who it is aimed for. So keywords need to answer the search intent. It is a phrase, or word users would type in a search bar. 

But not all keywords are created the same. Some are extremely hard to rank high for, and others are relatively easy. The more popular a phrase is, the harder it will be to rank for it, as the competition is tremendous. 

For example, the search “digital marketing tips” gives 747 million results on Google. But the search “digital marketing tips for student entrepreneurs” gives 58 million results. The second option is a long-tail keyword (LTK), making it significantly easier to rank higher. For smaller businesses, it is much easier to build a strategy on LTK rather than compete with giants in their field. 

There are a large number of different tools you can use to conduct keyword research, such as Google’s Keyword Planner and Moz’s Keyword Explorer. Once you’ve identified a selection of relevant keywords, you can start incorporating them into your website content and Meta tags. Some of these planners also show how difficult it is to rank for the specific phrase and suggest alternatives. 

2. Optimize your website for mobile

Another important factor that search engines take into account when ranking websites is whether they are optimized for mobile. With the majority of web traffic now coming from mobile devices, your website must be designed to be responsive and easy to use on smaller screens.

There are several ways you can optimize your website for mobile, such as using a responsive design, using smaller images, and reducing the amount of content on each page. You can also use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check whether your website is optimized for mobile and get tips on improving your mobile user experience.

WordPress users can add specific plugins that optimize the site’s mobile performance. The main point is that the page needs to be speedy, aesthetically pleasing on a small screen, and functional. 

3. Improve your website’s speed

Another critical factor affecting your SEO rankings is your website’s speed. Search engines prefer websites that load quickly and efficiently, as this provides a better user experience for visitors.

You can improve your website’s speed in many ways, such as using a content delivery network (CDN), compressing images and files, and reducing the amount of code on each page. You can use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to check your website’s speed and get tips on improving it.

Overall, technical SEO is as essential as keyword research or content strategy. It all adds to the quality of user experience, another necessary factor for search engine algorithms. The website should be:

• Quickly loading; 
• Easy to use; 
• Beautifully designed; 
• Intuitively understandable; 
• Readable (fonts, colors, white space, etc.).

Make site performance audits regular to check the broken links, errors, or other issues. Also, if you are using WordPress, do not overload it with plugins you do not actually need – they slow down the performance. 

4. Improve your website’s structure

The structure of your website can also have an impact on your SEO rankings. A well-structured website is more accessible for search engines to crawl and index, which can help to improve your website’s visibility in search results.

You can do several things to improve your website’s structure, such as using descriptive URLs, breadcrumbs and tagging your pages with relevant keywords. You can also use Google’s Search Console to check your website’s structure and ensure that all your pages are being indexed by Google. If they are not indexed, you can update them and submit them manually to the search engine. 

5. Create high-quality content

Creating high-quality, keyword-rich content is one of the best ways to improve your SEO rankings. This includes both written content, such as blog posts and articles, and visual content, such as images and videos. It is a common saying among digital marketers that content is king. And no matter what algorithms changes are introduced, this remains true.

When creating content, it’s essential to ensure that it is relevant to your target audience and includes the keywords and phrases they are likely to search for. You should also aim to make your content engaging and easy to read, encouraging people to stay on your website and share your content with others.

The main difference now is that it needs to answer the search intent. Answer the Public is an excellent way to find out what people are looking for. It is an online platform where you can type in a phrase and see all related searches. This gives new ideas for content and some keywords as well. 

Also, diversify and structure the content accordingly. Google now allows you to rank for specific paragraphs, questions, images, or videos. For example, you can get rank in the “People also ask” with a part of an article separately from its overall rank. 

Another trend is longer content. People are now looking for an article that comprehensively and fully covers the topic. That’s why posts with 2,500-3,000 words do better than short-form content. Go into details, showcase your expertise, and add relevant statistics and links to reputable sources. Create a bibliography, and add unique pictures and videos. And separate it all into neat sections that address specific points. 

6. Promote Your Content

Once you’ve created high-quality content, promoting it to attract more visitors to your website is essential. There are a number of ways you can upgrade your content, such as through social media, email marketing, and paid advertising. One of the easiest and free methods os share your content across different platforms. For example, post a link to an article on Twitter. Or add a video version of the main point to Instagram with a link to the website. 

It’s also essential to ensure that your website is easy to share, as this will encourage people to share your content with their followers and help to increase your reach. You can do this by adding social sharing buttons to your website and making sure that your content is optimized for SEO.

The sharability comes from the type and format of the content as well. For example, people are usually more likely to share something with pictures, adorable animals, or babies. 

Another way to increase shares and backlinks is to create unique visuals and graphics. Infographics perform well when done right and with the most relevant data. Do not forget to add your watermark so that even if someone doesn’t link it back to you, it is still copyrighted. 

Paid promotion is a powerful opportunity as well. But it requires specific expertise, so it is better to delegate this to professionals. Or try things out with small campaigns on Facebook, which is quite affordable in terms of advertising. 

7. Build Credible Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They are an important ranking factor for SEO, as they show search engines that your website is popular and authoritative.

If a trusted website with a good Google ranking links to you, it adds credibility to your platform in the eyes of the algorithm. However, if scammy and sketchy websites are linking to you, it is not a good thing. A successful backlink strategy is all about quality before quantity. 

How can you build backlinks? Here are several methods to try – guest blogging, directory submissions, and social bookmarking. You can also partner with other creators on a promotional basis or cross-promoting. Another approach is to create authentic content that others want to link to. What works well in this regard? Unique pieces, case studies, current research, and all types of data and statistics. Also, infographics and original sources. 

You can also use Google’s Search Console to check the backlinks pointing to your website and ensure that they are high-quality.

8. Use Social Media

Social media is a powerful marketing tool that can be used to improve your SEO rankings. As well as promoting your content, you can use social media to build backlinks and to connect with influencers who can help to promote your website.

It’s important to ensure that you are active on the social media platforms that are relevant to your target audience, as this will help increase your reach and improve your chances of being found in search results. You can use Google’s Keyword Planner to research the best keywords and hashtags to use on each platform.

There are several significant platforms out there, and you need to choose the ones where your target audience is the most. For some, it can be Instagram; for others Facebook or LinkedIn. Also, don’t forget about the rising popularity of TikTok. Make one of those specific platforms your priority. However, using several is a good option if you have enough time. 

The main difficulty is that each platform has its focus, guidelines, rules, and trends. So what works on Twitter will do nothing on Instagram. Do not try to create one-size-fits-all content. It will be redundant and boring for the audience. Adjust it to each platform and add something unique to each account, giving people reasons to be subscribed. 

9. Optimize Your Images

Images are an essential part of any website, as they can help to break up text and make your content more visually appealing. However, ensuring that your images are optimized for SEO is also important.

This means adding descriptive alt text to each image and/or video, which will help search engines understand what the image is about. You should also make sure that your pictures are of high quality and that they are compressed to load quickly on your website.

10. Use Google My Business

Google My Business is a free tool that allows you to manage your business’s listing on Google. This includes your business name, address, phone number, and website URL. This is particularly helpful for local SEO, which is all the rage in 2022. 

It’s important to ensure that your listing is up-to-date and accurate, as this will help potential customers to find your business in search results. You should also add photos and videos to your listing, as this will make it more engaging and help to improve your click-through rate.

So if a person looks for a nearby shop, they can easily find your business. Ranking locally is always easier than globally. And it drives more conversions and sales. One of the essential things on Google is customer reviews. Make sure you read and respond to them regularly. Thank people for choosing your business and for their good reviews. 

If there is a negative review, do not delete it. Such things do not go unnoticed online. Such actions ruin a brand’s reputation and make people think you’ve got something to hide or do not respect customers. Address negative comments immediately and politely. Try to resolve the issue as soon as possible to show that you value customers’ experience highly. 

11. Monitor Your Progress Regularly

It’s essential to monitor your SEO progress regularly to ensure that your efforts are paying off, especially at the start of the project. You can use several tools to do this, such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console. 

Monitoring your progress will also help you identify areas that need improvements, such as your website’s loading speed or the number of backlinks pointing to your website. By regularly monitoring your SEO, you can make sure that your website is performing at its best and that you are achieving your desired results.

In the world of digital marketing, there is a lot of testing new things and seeing what works best. That’s why it is essential to implement new strategies, run A/B tests, and adjust the strategy regularly. For severe results and quality data, it is better to invest in professional software like MOZ suite or Ahrefs. Do not go on a whim but base further steps on factual data and numbers.

Conclusion

SEO is an important part of any digital marketing strategy. Following the tips in this article can improve your SEO rankings and attract more visitors to your website. 

Contact a reputable digital marketing agency if you need help with your SEO. They will be able to assess your website and provide you with tailored advice on how to improve your SEO.

---

The post The Best Methods to Improve Your SEO Performance in 2022 appeared first on Linkody’s Blog.