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SEO Strategies for 2020, Part 2: Basic Optimization

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Today’s post is a continuation in our SEO Strategies for 2020 series, where we’re walking through the best strategies to rank higher in search engines, bring more inbound traffic to your website, and improve your SEO.
Related posts in this series:
Class is in session! Today’s topic: Basic Optimization tips and tricks.

LESSON 2:

BECOME THE MASTER OF YOUR DOMAIN

Yes, your domain matters, but not in the same way it mattered 10 years ago.
Old School Domains: Pick a domain name stuffed with keywords (e.g., industrialstaffingcompanybridgeville.com)
New School Domains: Build authority under your own name (e.g., yourstaffingcompany.com)
It can be tempting to use a domain name stuffed with keywords, but the best advice is:
  • Pick a great domain and stick with it, unless your company has completely changed focus or changed its name.
  • If your domain has been active for years, try not to change it all. You’ve built credibility and authority under that name.
  • Branded domains are preferred (just use the name of your company).

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Don’t waste money buying a domain that is keyword stuffed and point it to your existing website. It won’t help your SEO.

LESSON 3:

WHAT’S ON THE PAGE MATTERS

Old School On-Page SEO: On-page SEO is all about keyword stuffing.
New School On-Page SEO: Every page has a purpose and is optimized accordingly.
Every page of your website needs meta data. Meta data is code that tells search engines what your pages are about.
There are two main types of meta data: title tags and meta descriptions.

Title Tags

Your title tag shows up at the top of internet browsers and is what appears in search results.

  • Include keywords near the beginning of the title, but don’t go overboard.
  • Keep it between 50-60 characters in length.
  • Use keywords specific to the content of that page.
  • Use keywords early and put the company name at the end of the page title.
  • Use a unique title tag for every page.

Meta Description

When your site appears in search results, this is the description that tells the search engine and the user what your page is about.
  • Including keywords in the meta description is not a ranking factor; click-through rate is a ranking factor.
  • Your descriptions should be compelling, accurate and include keywords because…
  • Keywords that match search criteria will appear in bold letters.

What’s On the Page Matters: Structuring Your Content

The other element of on-page SEO is the actual content itself.
Make sure to use title tags and heading tags to break the content up:
  • Use keywords in Heading tags (H1, H2, etc.).
  • Items of equal importance should have equal headings.
  • The way you structure your headings helps search engines determine what your page is about.
  • Include keywords early in the body copy.

Most importantly:

Write for humans first!
Think of your H1, H2, and H3 tags as the outline for the page and incorporate primary and secondary keywords, but your content must be readable, and it must be useful. Don’t write for robots, write for the audience you are trying to attract.

Up Next: Understanding Your Audience

In my next post we’ll explore how understanding your target audience can contribute to a successful SEO strategy. But, if you don’t want to wait, download the full, FREE eBook “SEO Strategies for 2020: Welcome to the New School” here!
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