9 SEO secrets every business should know

The search engine optimization (SEO) world has undergone some big changes in the last few years--the biggest being coming in the form of Google's heightened push towards strong user experiences.It's hard to imagine that just 10 years ago, SEO was a discipline governed by blackhat marketerswhose sole objective was to increase rankings and drive traffic. Long story short--it wasn't pretty,and Google didn't like it.

Today, the 'secret' to SEO is no secret at all. It's common sense. Brands that rank high on searchengines have great content, address their target audience's search intent, and take the time tooptimize their sites from a technology standpoint. Here are 9 SEO 'secrets' that will lead your brandto awesome.

1 - Stop overthinking it

The biggest challenge with SEO is that it's ambiguous territory--but you shouldn't let the uncertaintyget the best of you. Understand that almost every marketer is exactly where you are now. Everyone'strying to figure out SEO's 'hidden secrets' with little direction. The best thing to do is to keep yourmind off the complexities and instead, focus on delivering the best possible user experience.

2 - Keep content fresh

When people conduct research, they want up-to-date, accurate information. That's why it's importantto keep content updated. Recency is becoming an increasingly important ranking factor in Google'ssearch algorithm and for good reason--your audiences don't want to waste time reading datedcontent.

3 - Prioritize usability

Technology is an important part of the user experience equation. In addition to providing audienceswith helpful and informative content, you'll want to make sure that your website is easy andenjoyable to browse. Make sure to optimize your website to be mobile friendly and to ensure that ithas a quick load time.

Just recently, Google announced that more than half of its US searches are now coming from mobiledevices. This stat, coupled with the recent 'Mobilegeddon' algorithm update provide strong signalsthat even greater emphasis is going to be placed on businesses mobile websites in the coming years.

You can use WebSite Auditor to identify potential technical flaws and to crawl your site on aconsistent basis.

4 - Build relationships, not links

"Link building" is a term that SEO practitioners use to describe the process of building credibility.The idea is simple: people link to your website when they perceive your brand as a source ofauthority. Often, however, SEO specialists take the expression 'link building' too literally. By askingfor links, they end up with the extreme opposite--absolutely nothing.

Links are the key to ranking well in Google, but what marketers often forget is that links are builtupon relationships with people. The best way to 'build links' is to forge connections and offer valueto bloggers and other influencers in your niche.

Try using SEO SpyGlass to see who's linking to your website--and to identify potential patterns.

5 - Prioritize the long-tail

Search engine experiences are becoming increasingly personalized. That's why it's important forbusinesses to focus on long-tail and location-based keywords--so that audiences can find yourcompany based on the exact value and service that you provide.

Ranking highly for a vague search term like 'San Francisco Doctor' might be an ego booster, but itputs you in direct competition with all the doctors in San Francisco, regardless of their practicearea. A top rank for a more specific term, such as 'San Francisco orthopedic surgeon' will generate alot more qualified leads.

6 - Use the right keywords in the right places

Get specific by taking a structured approach. It's not enough to focus on the right keyword--you needto make sure that you're communicating the 'right' information to Google in a structured way.

In order to improve rankings for long-tail keywords, make sure that they're present in your mainbody copy and page titles. If your website structure doesn't allow for this, attach a blog or news feedto your site and create content around these topics, with the long-tail keywords in the titles andcopy.

A good place to start would be Rank Tracker, which can ensure your content is fully optimized forspecific keywords.

7 - Replace keyword research with customer research

People turn to search engines when they have questions. When they've arrived at your website,they're likely looking for immediate answers.

Think of your brand as a publisher and source of high-quality information. When you producehelpful, informative content like blog posts, how-to articles, and research, you'll get in front ofsearchers and earn their trust.

8 - Don't ignore the small details

Often, marketers will focus on optimizing elements that are direct SEO ranking factors. In doing so,however, they'll overlook a very important detail--meta descriptions.

Your meta descriptions, for instance, provide previews of your website. It's your brand's chance tostand apart from competitors on search engine results pages and encourage click-throughs to yourwebsite. A well-developed meta description, in a few short lines of text, will drive more traffic toyour website.

9 - Be a go-to resource by creating a dictionary

One of the most efficient ways to rank for a term is to create a 'dictionary' page with objective andthorough definitions. Rather than 'keyword stuffing,' however, it's important that marketers take thetime to create content that helps their target audiences learn.

These pages often rank highly in search engines all on their own, as they are naturally somewhatkeyword dense and are usually very helpful to people who searched for those terms. They tend toposition brands as authoritative sources of information and generate backlinks.

You can use this keyword research tool to identify potential dictionary terms and low-hanging areasof opportunity.

Final thoughts

The days of self-serving, scammy, and spammy SEO are long-gone. And that's a good thing. The'secret' to success with SEO is no secret at all. Just focus on serving your audience's needs andanswering their questions in a thorough and empathetic way. Focus on your customers, and take theright logistical steps to make sure that search engines can find your content. Focus on the 'road lesstraveled' with long-tail opportunities, and you'll be set.

Read Next: 7 SEO strategies to implement in 2015

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