9 Ways to Improve SEO Rankings and Traffic

Here are 9 ways to amended your SEO performance:

1. Update Existing Content

Refreshing existing contented is often much businesslike than creating caller contented from scratch. And you tin spot results overmuch faster.

How do you cognize which existing pieces request an overhaul? Look for pages that target valuable keywords but rank little successful hunt results.

Use Google Search Console (GSC) to find these pages.

Open GSC, spell to "Search results," cheque the container adjacent to “Average position,” and navigate to the “Queries” tab successful the table.

You'll spot a database of each the hunt position your tract ranks for, on pinch their positions. 

Review the queries wherever you're ranking beneath position 8, and place the corresponding pages that request improvement. (We’re focusing connected this period because pages beneath position 8 mostly person importantly less clicks.)

Here's what you tin do to amended the existing contented pieces that you want to spot execute amended successful hunt results:

• Align pinch search intent: Ensure your contented meets personification intent, meaning it helps users execute their goals. For example, users searching for "best crm software" apt want to comparison different options earlier making a acquisition decision. Structuring your contented arsenic a "best of" database pinch the pros and cons of each instrumentality would lucifer that intent well.
• Update outdated information: Replace aged statistics, examples, etc., pinch the astir existent accusation connected the topic. And region thing that’s nary longer applicable aliases accurate.
• Include missing subtopics: Check retired the top-ranking pages to spot what subtopics they’re covering that you mightiness person missed. Adding those to your portion will make it much complete.
• Add target keywords: Use your target keywords passim the contented to reenforce to Google what the page is astir and thief it rank for those terms. Include variations and related keywords arsenic well. 
• Build internal links: Link to the updated contented from different applicable and charismatic pages connected your tract to thief Google observe each your important contented and understand really different pages are related

2. Target Low-Competition Keywords

One of the quickest ways to boost integrated postulation is by going aft low-competition keywords that you tin easy rank for.

Low-competition keywords are hunt queries that thin to person little search volumes and person less high-authority websites targeting them. This makes it easier for a caller aliases lower-authority tract to rank for these position and thrust hunt traffic.

How do you find low-competition keywords?

One action is utilizing Google’s free Keyword Planner tool.

Enter a wide keyword related to your niche (called a seed term) and click “Get results” to position a database of related keywords.

Look for keywords pinch little monthly hunt volumes (typically nether 150). These are mostly little competitive, which you tin verify by looking astatine the standing successful the “Competition” column—this standing is chiefly for paid hunt but tin still beryllium useful for evaluating SEO keywords.

If you want to spot keyword opportunities that are specifically tailored to your site’s ranking potential, usage Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool.

Open the tool, participate a wide keyword related to your niche, type your domain sanction (for personalized results), and click “Search.”

You'll spot a database of related keywords on pinch metrics for illustration monthly hunt volume, hunt intent, and Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD %). 

PKD % represents really difficult it’ll beryllium for your circumstantial website to rank successful Google’s apical 10 positions for a fixed term. 

Select keywords pinch a PKD % nether 30% (indicating little title levels). And a monthly hunt measurement of astatine slightest 100 searches to guarantee you get meaningful postulation from them.

Once you find promising keywords, create pages focused connected them. And make judge the contented connected those pages is amended than the existent top-ranking results.

3. Improve Your Site’s User Experience

Improving the personification acquisition (UX) is simply a bully thought because Google wants to nonstop users to websites that supply the champion experience.

Google uses the Navboost algorithm to way and analyse really users interact pinch hunt results.

When users click connected your pages and prosecute meaningfully pinch your content, Google interprets these arsenic affirmative signals. And those signals tin amended your rankings.

Plus, the amended your site's UX, the much apt it is that visitors will enactment longer, research much pages, and stock your content. 

Do the pursuing to make UX-focused SEO improvements:

• Use a cleanable design: Use a simple, visually appealing creation pinch accordant fonts, colors, and spacing. Avoid clutter and distractions to support the attraction connected your content.
• Improve page speed: Optimize images, minify code, and leverage browser caching to velocity up load times. Use devices for illustration Google’s PageSpeed Insights to find and hole loading issues—fast-loading pages are basal to amended website SEO and personification satisfaction 
• Ensure mobile-friendliness: Make your tract afloat responsive, truthful it looks awesome and functions good connected immoderate surface size
• Simplify navigation: Create a clear paper level pinch logical categories. Also, usage breadcrumbs to show users wherever they are and to thief them navigate your site.

4. Enhance Your On-Page SEO

On-page SEO helps hunt engines understand what your pages are about, which increases your chances of ranking for applicable searches.

Some of the astir important on-page SEO elements are:

• Title tags and meta descriptions: HTML elements that specify the title and summary of a webpage and tin beryllium shown successful hunt results. Include your target keyword people successful some elements, support titles nether 60 characters, and constitute compelling descriptions nether 105 characters.
• Heading tags (H1, H2, H3): HTML headings that building the contented connected a page, pinch H1 being the main heading and H2s, H3s, and truthful connected serving arsenic subheadings. Use your superior keyword successful the H1, see related keywords successful subheadings, and support a logical level that makes your contented easy to scan.
• Body content: The main matter connected a page. Include your target keyword and its variations people passim the content
• Image alt text: Alternative matter (alt matter for short) describes images. Ensure each image has alt matter that accurately reflects the image contented to thief some Google and those who usage surface readers understand what’s being shown.

Use Semrush's On Page SEO Checker to get a consciousness for really good these elements are optimized connected your pages.

Set up a project successful the instrumentality and spell to the “Optimization ideas” tab.

You’ll spot a database of each the pages the instrumentality evaluated. 

Click connected the "#ideas" fastener for immoderate page to spot specifications astir its on-page SEO.

Work connected implementing the suggestions you see.

Many of the recommendations are related to utilizing keywords effectively. And you tin often make those changes easy successful your contented guidance strategy (CMS)

5. Maintain a Strong Technical SEO Foundation

A coagulated technical SEO instauration ensures hunt engines tin decently crawl and index your content. Which is important for your site's visibility and wide performance.

Start by opening up Google Search Console to reappraisal your site’s indexing status. 

Go to “Indexing” > “Pages” connected the sidebar.

You'll spot 2 tabs showing really galore of your pages are indexed and not indexed.

Scroll down to spot why definite pages aren't indexed. 

Click connected immoderate rumor to spot a database of affected URLs. 

You tin besides click connected the "Learn more" nexus to get much specifications astir the issue. So you tin resoluteness it much effectively.

For an moreover deeper study of your site's method health, usage Semrush’s Site Audit. 

This powerful instrumentality scans your website for complete 140 method and on-page issues and identifies problems including:

• 4xx errors: These hap erstwhile the page petition is invalid—for example, erstwhile a page doesn't exist
• Redirect chains: These are erstwhile location are aggregate redirects happening successful sequence. For example, URL A redirects to URL B, which past redirects to URL C.
• Mixed contented issues: These are erstwhile HTTP resources are loaded connected HTTPS pages, triggering information warnings successful users’ browsers

When addressing method issues, commencement pinch issues flagged arsenic "errors" since these typically person the biggest effect connected your site's performance. 

If you're not comfortable making method changes to your website, activity pinch a developer aliases your method squad to instrumentality the basal fixes.

6. Build Quality Backlinks

Building quality backlinks matters because it’s among Google’s astir important ranking factors.

Backlinks are links from different websites that constituent to your site. 

Each value nexus from different website (especially if it’s wrong your industry) acts for illustration a ballot of assurance successful your favor. The much “votes” you have, the better.

Here are immoderate effective ways to get value backlinks:

• Find unlinked mentions: Look for mentions of your marque that don’t see a nexus and politely inquire the creators to adhd one. You tin usage the Brand Monitoring app to find specified mentions.
• Become a source: Offer master insights to media outlets and petition a backlink successful return for your contribution. You tin find journalists looking for master insights connected platforms for illustration Press Plugs, Qwoted, and Help a B2B Writer.
• Creating link-worthy assets: Publish high-quality, shareable contented (infographics, information studies, calculators, etc.) that creators will people want to nexus to. Once you create these assets, beforehand them done societal media and manual outreach. 

You tin negociate your nexus building activities pinch package for illustration Semrush’s Link Building Tool. 

It helps you find nexus building opportunities, nonstop outreach emails, and way your progress—all successful 1 cardinal place.

7. Win More Featured Snippets

A featured snippet is simply a short excerpt from a webpage that typically appears astatine the apical of hunt results. And appearing location tin thief you seizure much visibility and traffic.

The simplest measurement to find featured snippet opportunities is to unfastened an incognito model and hunt for your target keywords. 

Look for queries that trigger featured snippets:

To streamline the process and quickly find opportunities crossed each your keywords, usage Semrush's Organic Research tool:

Enter your domain and navigate to the "Positions" tab to spot each the keywords you rank for.

Select the "SERP Features" filter, hover complete “Domain doesn’t rank,” and prime "Featured snippet."

This will show you keywords you rank for but not successful the featured snippets—other websites person those snippets.

You tin besides analyse the SERP wrong the instrumentality itself. Click the SERP icon to unfastened the hunt consequence page straight wrong the tool.

This powerful characteristic lets you analyse the existent featured snippet without leaving Semrush.

After uncovering featured snippet opportunities you want to secure, optimize the applicable pages connected your tract by:

1. Identifying the format Google is utilizing for the existent featured snippet (paragraph, numbered list, bulleted list, etc.)
2. Structuring your contented to lucifer that format, making it easy for Google to parse and extract content. For example, if the snippet is simply a paragraph, constitute a 40-60 connection paragraph that straight answers the query.
3. Add a keyword-rich heading straight supra the featured snippet contented to thief Google understand the context

8. Combine Similar Pages Using Redirects

Combining akin pages that each target the aforesaid aliases very akin keywords (known arsenic keyword cannibalization) helps you debar competing pinch yourself successful hunt results—and boosts your chances of ranking well. 

This is because hunt engines whitethorn struggle to find which page is the astir applicable to rank erstwhile aggregate pages target the aforesaid term(s). By consolidating akin pages, you tin summation the likelihood that your preferred page appears successful hunt results.

Keyword cannibalization tin besides dilute your pages' authority, arsenic the nexus equity (ranking power) whitethorn get divided betwixt the competing pages alternatively of flowing to 1 charismatic page.

To find keyword cannibalization issues connected your site, log successful to GSC.

Go to “Search results,” click the "+ Add filter" button, prime “Query,” and participate the keyword you want to check.

Then navigate to the “Pages” tab successful the table, and you’ll spot each the pages connected your tract related to this keyword.

Analyze each page and spot the overlap they person successful position of content. 

If there’s a important overlap, you apt person a cannibalization issue.

Once you’ve confirmed that you request to reside a cannibalization problem:

1. Determine which page is the astir charismatic and applicable for you to keep. Typically this will beryllium the page that gets the astir integrated postulation and has the astir backlinks (you tin quickly cheque a page’s backlinks pinch Backlink Analytics).
2. Review the akin pages. And revise the main page to see thing it’s missing that the akin pages cover.
3. Use 301 redirects to permanently nonstop postulation from the akin pages to the main page (many CMS and website platforms fto you easy do this done apps aliases plugins). This will consolidate the pages' nexus equity to the main page.

9. Demonstrate E-E-A-T

Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) is simply a model utilized to measure the value of hunt results.

This model comes straight from Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines—the manual that helps Google reviewers measure ranking content.

Though E-E-A-T isn't a nonstop ranking factor, contented that demonstrates these qualities tends to execute better.

Here are respective ways to show E-E-A-T connected your website:

• Showcase your expertise: Create elaborate writer bios that item the applicable qualifications and activity acquisition of writers and editors connected your team. This shows that the contented is coming from taxable matter experts.
• Establish authoritativeness: Position your website aliases contented creators arsenic go-to sources for circumstantial topics successful your industry. This involves consistently publishing high-quality, meticulous accusation that readers spot and return to. Being referenced by different reliable sources successful your section besides supports your authority.
• Demonstrate experience: Show that contented creators connected your squad person really knowledgeable what they're penning about. For example, if you’re creating a merchandise review, see original photos and elaborate insights from utilizing the product. 
• Establish trustworthiness: Cite reliable sources to support your claims and support your contented up to day pinch the latest information

Start Improving Your SEO

The strategies shared supra tin thief you boost SEO rankings and thrust much integrated traffic.

Just support successful mind that SEO is not a “set it and hide it” thing. 

It’s an ongoing process. So, you request to merge these strategies into your daily, weekly, and monthly SEO workflows.

Semrush provides a broad suite of devices to thief you do conscionable that. 

Sign up to get started today.