https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YzOGD8D8Qo
When looking to improve your sites SEO, it is important to have actionable, easy to follow steps. This video by Matt Diggity does just that by laying out five key steps for how to improve SEO and using his own site as an example. Many of the points he touched on directly correlate to what we have learned so far in class.
Write Perfectly Optimized Articles
The first step Diggity lists is writing perfectly optimized articles. Thankfully, he went into a little more detail that that. Diggity explains how articles will be compared by Google to the top pages on the SERP. Before you begin writing your article, it is important for you to do this yourself. Simply type your keyword into Google and make note of the headers and word length. Furthermore, there are SEO tools such as Surfer that shows how many times keywords are used, paragraph length, number of images, and other valuable information to consider when optimizing your article and site for SEO. Diggity also emphasizes the importance of being direct, using these keywords naturally, and ensuring your page is searchable which are all topics that have also been discussed in class. It is these key attributes that Google is looking for when deciding where your site ranks on the SERP.
Become a Topical Authority
The second point Diggity makes is the value of becoming a topical authority. Similar to how we mentioned in class, it is important to cover one topic in great depth. This helps both Google and the user view your articles and content as authoritative. Users will be more likely to stay on your site, which is favorable for search engines. To do so, Diggity recommends developing a topical map. This organizational structure helps you to stay focused and point all your content back to one main topic. At the same time, you are able to see the different “branches” of topics you can explore. Through a topical map, you are able to become a topical authority and improve the SEO on your site.
Have a Link Building Plan
The third point emphasized by Diggity is the value of a link building plan. As Professor Sweet mentioned in class, there is great value in off-site optimization. Having a clear and concise link building plan will better equip you to move through this process. Furthermore, this link building plan will help to aid in topical authority. When there are multiple links pointing to your site, both Google and the user are more likely to view you as an authority in the topic you choose. Additionally, a link building plan provides stability to your site. In the world of SEO, Google is constantly adjusting and updating their algorithm. To stay ahead of these changes it is important to have many sites pointing back to your page so you are not lost on Google, regardless of the next update.
Focus on User Experience
The fourth point Diggity includes is to focus on user experience. It is important to not participate in Black Hat SEO, but to be ethical in how you optimize your site for SEO. Google looks for sites that quickly help a user answer their question. Google knows when a user pogo’s between a page and the SERP, and Google values when a user can quickly find the answer they need. Therefore, it is important to have a site that is easy for users to use, is highly crawlable, and provides a genuine response to the query at hand.
AI Content
The latest trend Diggity warns us about is AI. This is a new trend that he feels will only continue to grow in the future. As Google continues to grow and evolve, it is important for your site to do the same. It is important to continue providing original content that is true and unique, and it is unclear if this can be accomplished through AI and the use of ChatGPT. Furthermore, original content should not only come in the form of written articles. With the recent increase in TikTok and Instagram Reel usage, it is clear that users value short-form video content. Overall, it is important to be aware of both these trends and the implication on SEO.
Next Steps
Overall, the steps laid out by Diggity complement the content covered in class well. It is important to focus on the user first and the search engine second. This can be accomplished by the appropriate usage of keywords, becoming a topical authority, developing a link building plan, and awareness of new and upcoming trends. This is a continuous process, but will help your site be best optimized for SEO.
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