You might recognize the term “SEO” if you visit our website often. It stands for “Search Engine Optimization” and it’s what we use to make content that stands out when search engines scan our websites. Lots of websites still rely on the use of 1,000 keywords scattered throughout each article to drive traffic — and this is the fastest way to ensure that your website experiences little success. Simply put, the shotgun approach to SEO does not work.
What can you do to optimize your website’s traffic?
SEO is complicated, and there isn’t one single “key” to unlocking a successful SEO strategy. A better structured question might be: “What shouldn’t I do to optimize my website’s traffic?” And we just answered that question: you shouldn’t have a wide focus. When we say “wide focus,” we mean that you shouldn’t launch a tech website that has a section for video games, unrelated news, unrelated products, or movies. That has nothing to do with the theme of your website, and will only serve to confuse search engines like Google or Bing.
The alternative is to first find your targeted demographic, decide what kind of content they love the most, and then focus on that. For tech lovers, you might want to focus on cool gadgets or unlocking the secrets to longevity or health span.
If you’re a lawyer like Paul Mones, then you want to take your practice area and provide as much information as you can. The Mones firm is made up of sexual abuse attorneys, so it wouldn’t make sense to find information on criminal defense or libel on the website. And you won’t find that there. The focus is on sexual abuse. If you need information on the subject, it’s easy to find on the homepage.
None of this means that you shouldn’t use keywords when building your website. All it means is that your keywords should be connected to the content. Don’t choose unrelated keywords. Your attempts to rank higher will be in vain. You can search for relevant keywords using platforms like Google Trends or Ahrefs Keyword Explorer.
If you notice that no one is searching for the keywords you want to use, then find new keywords that actually interest people. Another tactic is going to Google and simply searching for content you have on your website. Usually, a set of questions will pop up in the search bar. These questions are “long-tail keywords” that people use to find relevant content. They might not be the best for your website — since everyone will be using them — but they’re a good place to start your search.
In order to ensure that you have a refined approach to SEO, find professionals who know how to write about the content you want on your website. Google loves expert insight, and the experts know how to make sure that you don’t get off track.
