The 12 Steps of SEO

Revisiting this article, though dated, is crucial as it marks one of my early ventures into expressing my views on SEO. Despite its age, its relevance persists. As I embark on updating these legacy pieces, I encounter the challenge of rejuvenating concepts that have evolved or even vanished.

Contrary to rumors, SEO is not dead, it remains very much alive and vital. The emergence of AI does not spell its demise anytime soon. These articles hold sentimental value, yet their significance endures. At our core, we are not fixated solely on SEO; rather, we amalgamate marketing, branding, and search engine optimization expertise.

Unlocking the full potential of your online presence with ‘The 12 Steps of SEO,’ a short guide designed to propel your website to the top of search engine rankings. Plenty of people don’t really get how to do search engine optimization. Even a lot of the professional SEO specialists out there are so caught up in their mathematical manipulations that they forget the basics. 

Here are 12 basic steps to doing solid, long lasting SEO, and they’re not all that hard. This will not only enhance your visibility but also drive significant traffic, setting the foundation for sustained digital success.

Strengthening Your SEO

Step 1: Do a comprehensive keyword analysis. You should have a list of keywords that’s between 20 to 40 words long. These keywords will tell you how people are looking for your topic. You may not use all of them specifically in meta tags, at least not at first, but it’s a good idea to have them so you have a good idea of what people are looking for most.

Step 2: Write a decent website in HTML. You should have at least five to ten pages – minimum – to start with before expecting to get visitors in any quantity whatsoever. These pages should be quality information, not a catalog of product descriptions. Provide plenty of background and context on the core subject of your website.

Step 3: Write meta tags for each individual page on your website. These meta tags should have the keyword(s) or phrase(s) that define the page in question, along with an eye-catching title and description. Titles and descriptions don’t show up directly on your page, but they do show up in the search engine results pages. Considering that the results page is where a visitor decides to visit your website or not, the title and description have to get people to want to click.

Using Google Analytics

Step 4: Set up a traffic analytics program on your website. A good analytics program tells you where people are going, what they’re doing, how they’re getting to your site and how long they’re staying. All of this is valuable information when trying to maximize your site’s appeal and ease of use.

Step 5: Create an accurate XML sitemap. This helps your site get indexed better, so the search engine spiders don’t miss important pages. Creating a visual sitemap for visitors – with clean, non-confusing navigation paths – can help them find your important pages as well.

Step 6: Get quality inbound links. You can do this by asking people you know nicely, by participating in communities, or by waiting for the high quality information you’re providing to serve someone else as a reference. This last is, of course, the slowest.

Step into Social Media

Step 7: Start a blog, and update it religiously. You don’t have to do it every day, but you should at least do it every week. 

That’s the only way you’ll build a loyal following that looks forward to your new content. Of course, if they’re not on the same server, your blog and your website should be interlinked. If you can’t write yourself, hire a professional SEO copywriter to do your writing.

Step 8: Publish SEO articles, and start guest blogging.  Make sure it’s about your core topic (keywords) that will lure people into your website. The idea is to provide quality, content with search terms that’s relevant to the audience and in keeping with information that will make readers want to know more. 

Again, these should be high quality, well written and informative articles. They should also lead to specific landing pages, not all to your home page. For example, if you’re providing information about one of your products, the link at the bottom should go to your product page, not your homepage. Readers aren’t going to go navigating your site in order to find your product.

Using Your Directories and Citations

Step 9: Get listed in directories that specifically cater to your particular product or service. Some themed directories will let you list for free, some charge a small fee. Be careful to only do this with quality directories. Having a link on a link farm will only get you blasted by the search engines.

Step 10: Maintain your website. Get a program that will check for broken links every so often, and fix them promptly. If you have too many glitches on your server, your visitors will fly away like so many migrating birds.

Step 11: Re-submit your website’s updated sitemap every time you make an addition or move a page. This both allows the search engines to offer up-to-date information to their users, which they like, and you become more trustworthy to your customers because they can see that someone’s home, so to speak.

Step 12: Provide a contact form of some kind on your website so that your customers can talk to you. Don’t do a “squeeze page” where a visitor has to give up an email address before he or she can read the rest of the site, but do provide something through which people can make comments or ask for more information.

Refurbishing “The 12 Steps of SEO”

Define Your Target Audiences: Understand your potential customers and tailor your SEO strategy to resonate with them.

Craft SEO Content: Develop content optimized for search engines like Google, addressing the pain points of your target audience.

Optimize Internal Links: Enhance your website’s structure by strategically placing internal links to improve navigation and user experience.

Implement SEO Tools: Leverage SEO tools to streamline your optimization efforts and gain insights into your website’s performance.

Understand Search Queries: Analyze search queries to discern the intent behind them, aligning your content with user expectations.

Employ Calls to Action: Encourage user engagement and conversions with compelling calls to action strategically placed throughout your content.

Create a Table of Contents: Enhance readability and organization by incorporating a table of contents, aiding both users and search engines in navigating your content.

Focus on Potential Customers: Tailor your SEO efforts to attract potential customers by addressing their specific needs and concerns.

Adopt a Holistic SEO Strategy: Integrate SEO seamlessly into your broader marketing and branding initiatives to maximize impact.

Stay Abreast of SEO Trends: Continuously monitor and adapt to changes in search engine algorithms and user behavior to maintain competitiveness.

Respond to Search Engine Dynamics: Embrace the dynamic nature of search engines and adjust your SEO strategies accordingly to remain agile and effective.

To Wrap Up

As I revisited and refreshed this article, it served as a testament to my ongoing journey in the realm of SEO. Despite the passage of time, the relevance of these principles endures, presenting us with the opportunity to breathe new life into strategies that have stood the test of time.

By diligently adhering to these 12 Steps of SEO, you’re not simply engaging in website optimization; rather, you’re laying the groundwork for a robust digital presence that transcends the noise of the online world. It’s about more than just climbing search rankings; it’s about carving out a distinctive space in your industry.

Consistently implementing these strategies ensures that your site not only ascends in search engine visibility but also cements itself as a trusted authority in your field. This, in turn, drives sustained traffic and fosters long-term growth, solidifying your position as a leader in the digital landscape.

So, let’s embrace the challenge of revitalizing these foundational concepts, recognizing that in doing so, we propel ourselves forward on the ever-evolving journey of digital success.