SEO

A long-term strategy for your website

Illustration of runners approaching a finish line

Illustration of a person looking at a rocket above a search page

How to improve your visibility in search

A few changes rarely put a site at the top of Google overnight. Improving visibility is a long-term effort that needs planning, regular work and a realistic budget.

How much work you need depends on your market. Think of the difference between a running track or in a Formula 1 circuit. Here’s how to plan for the competition you face.

Start with keyword research

First find out what your customers search for. Those terms are the keywords. Competition varies by topic and sector, which affects what you can realistically target.

A broad market such as property or e-commerce may need more investment and several channels. A specialist business can start with fewer, more focused topics.

Good keyword research helps you:

Find the terms your potential customers use.

Gauge the competition for each term.

Find useful topics where you have a realistic chance of being discovered.

Use that research to decide what to publish and which pages to improve.

Choose an approach
that fits your sector

A competitive market can require more time, people and budget than a small niche.

Match the level of investment to your competition and the audience you need to reach.

Example: property

Property is a competitive sector. A business may need a mix of channels, such as:

Social media, partnerships with specialist sites and coverage in relevant publications.

That takes time and a budget.

Example: a ski shop

A specialist site can focus on a smaller audience and practical topics.

Publish regular guides and choose one or two social channels where your customers already spend time.

Build the plan around how people in your sector look for information.

Keep improving the site

An initial campaign can improve visibility, but search results change as competitors publish, search engines evolve and people’s questions shift. There are several reasons:

Google updates its search systems.
Competitors improve their sites.
Search volume and the intent behind popular terms can change.

Continue with two kinds of work: technical adjustments and publishing and updating useful content.

Illustration of a woman viewing search results and ratings

Discover the relationship between
Web design and SEO

Read the article

Analytics and technical SEO

Search Console, Google Analytics and Semrush can help you identify problems and decide what to improve. Start with these checks:

Monitor keyword performance

Track changes in rankings and visits. Look for changes in demand, competition, indexing or the results Google displays.

Improve load times

Use PageSpeed Insights to find slow pages and investigate what is holding them back.

Fix technical issues

Check broken links, unexpected 404 errors and indexing issues regularly.

Test on mobile devices

Make sure the mobile version shows the same important content and is easy to use.

An example
If a key page loses traffic, check what visitors are now looking for and what competing pages offer. Update the facts, improve the structure or add media if it helps answer the query.

Create and update useful content

Focus on content that answers real questions. Try these approaches:

Publish useful guides

Cover questions you have not addressed yet. A ski shop could explain how to choose equipment or compare destinations for beginners.

Update older pages

Revise information, replace obsolete links and improve the format when an article no longer serves its readers well.

Use the social channels that fit your audience

Social posts can bring visitors to your content. Choose the channels your customers use.

Choose formats that suit the subject

A diagram or video can explain some topics more clearly than text alone.

An example
For example, update an older marketing guide with recent examples and comparisons that help readers make a decision.

Conclusion

SEO takes time. Start with an approach tailored to your market and the questions your customers ask.

Keep technical work, measurement and content on a regular schedule so you can respond when performance changes.

We can help with research, technical improvements and content planning.

Do you want to improve the visibility of your business in search engines?

We build SEO plans around search demand, competing pages and the improvements your site needs. Contact us today to discuss your site and what you want it to achieve.

You can also request keyword research to understand what your potential customers are looking for.

SEO