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 bash you cognize which existing pieces request an overhaul? Look for pages that people invaluable keywords but fertile 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 presumption your tract ranks for, on with their positions. 

Review the queries wherever you're ranking beneath presumption 8, and place the corresponding pages that request improvement. (We’re focusing connected this threshold due to the fact that pages beneath presumption 8 mostly person importantly less clicks.)

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

• Align with search intent: Ensure your contented meets idiosyncratic intent, meaning it helps users execute their goals. For example, users searching for "best crm software" apt privation to comparison antithetic options earlier making a acquisition decision. Structuring your contented arsenic a "best of" database with the pros and cons of each instrumentality would lucifer that intent well.
• Update outdated information: Replace aged statistics, examples, etc., with the astir existent accusation connected the topic. And region thing that’s nary longer applicable oregon 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 volition marque it much complete.
• Add people keywords: Use your people keywords passim the contented to reenforce to Google what the leafage is astir and assistance it fertile for those terms. Include variations and related keywords arsenic well. 
• Build internal links: Link to the updated contented from different applicable and authoritative pages connected your tract to assistance Google observe each your important contented and recognize however antithetic 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 fertile 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 oregon lower-authority tract to fertile for these presumption and thrust hunt traffic.

How bash you find low-competition keywords?

One enactment is utilizing Google’s escaped Keyword Planner tool.

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

Look for keywords with 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 inactive beryllium utile for evaluating SEO keywords.

If you privation 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, benignant your domain sanction (for personalized results), and click “Search.”

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

PKD % represents however hard it’ll beryllium for your circumstantial website to fertile successful Google’s apical 10 positions for a fixed term. 

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

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

3. Improve Your Site’s User Experience

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

Google uses the Navboost algorithm to way and analyse however users interact with hunt results.

When users click connected your pages and prosecute meaningfully with 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 volition enactment longer, research much pages, and stock your content. 

Do the pursuing to marque UX-focused SEO improvements:

• Use a cleanable design: Use a simple, visually appealing plan with accordant fonts, colors, and spacing. Avoid clutter and distractions to support the absorption connected your content.
• Improve leafage speed: Optimize images, minify code, and leverage browser caching to velocity up load times. Use tools similar Google’s PageSpeed Insights to find and hole loading issues—fast-loading pages are indispensable to amended website SEO and idiosyncratic satisfaction 
• Ensure mobile-friendliness: Make your tract afloat responsive, truthful it looks large and functions good connected immoderate surface size
• Simplify navigation: Create a wide paper hierarchy with logical categories. Also, usage breadcrumbs to amusement users wherever they are and to assistance them navigate your site.

4. Enhance Your On-Page SEO

On-page SEO helps hunt engines recognize 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 rubric and summary of a webpage and tin beryllium shown successful hunt results. Include your people 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 operation the contented connected a page, with 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 hierarchy that makes your contented casual to scan.
• Body content: The main substance connected a page. Include your people keyword and its variations people passim the content
• Image alt text: Alternative substance (alt substance for short) describes images. Ensure each representation has alt substance that accurately reflects the representation contented to assistance some Google and those who usage surface readers recognize what’s being shown.

Use Semrush's On Page SEO Checker to get a consciousness for however 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 leafage to spot details 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 marque those changes easy successful your contented absorption 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 however galore of your pages are indexed and not indexed.

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

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

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

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

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

• 4xx errors: These hap erstwhile the leafage petition is invalid—for example, erstwhile a leafage doesn't exist
• Redirect chains: These are erstwhile determination 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 with issues flagged arsenic "errors" since these typically person the biggest interaction connected your site's performance. 

If you're not comfy making method changes to your website, enactment with a developer oregon your method squad to instrumentality the indispensable fixes.

6. Build Quality Backlinks

Building quality backlinks matters due to the fact that it’s among Google’s astir important ranking factors.

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

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

Here are immoderate effectual ways to get prime 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 adept insights to media outlets and petition a backlink successful instrumentality for your contribution. You tin find journalists looking for adept insights connected platforms similar Press Plugs, Qwoted, and Help a B2B Writer.
• Creating link-worthy assets: Publish high-quality, shareable contented (infographics, information studies, calculators, etc.) that creators volition people privation to nexus to. Once you make these assets, beforehand them done societal media and manual outreach. 

You tin negociate your nexus gathering activities with bundle similar Semrush’s Link Building Tool. 

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

7. Win More Featured Snippets

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

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

Look for queries that trigger featured snippets:

To streamline the process and rapidly 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 fertile for.

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

This volition amusement you keywords you fertile 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 effect leafage straight wrong the tool.

This almighty diagnostic lets you analyse the existent featured snippet without leaving Semrush.

After uncovering featured snippet opportunities you privation 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 casual 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 assistance Google recognize the context

8. Combine Similar Pages Using Redirects

Combining akin pages that each people the aforesaid oregon precise akin keywords (known arsenic keyword cannibalization) helps you debar competing with yourself successful hunt results—and boosts your chances of ranking well. 

This is due to the fact that hunt engines whitethorn conflict to find which leafage is the astir applicable to fertile erstwhile aggregate pages people the aforesaid term(s). By consolidating akin pages, you tin summation the likelihood that your preferred leafage 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 authoritative 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 privation 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 leafage and spot the overlap they person successful presumption of content. 

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

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

1. Determine which leafage is the astir authoritative and applicable for you to keep. Typically this volition beryllium the leafage that gets the astir integrated postulation and has the astir backlinks (you tin rapidly cheque a page’s backlinks with Backlink Analytics).
2. Review the akin pages. And revise the main leafage 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 leafage (many CMS and website platforms fto you easy bash this done apps oregon plugins). This volition 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 prime 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 enactment acquisition of writers and editors connected your team. This shows that the contented is coming from taxable substance experts.
• Establish authoritativeness: Position your website oregon contented creators arsenic go-to sources for circumstantial topics successful your industry. This involves consistently publishing high-quality, close accusation that readers spot and instrumentality to. Being referenced by different reliable sources successful your tract besides supports your authority.
• Demonstrate experience: Show that contented creators connected your squad person really experienced what they're penning about. For example, if you’re creating a merchandise review, see archetypal photos and elaborate insights from utilizing the product. 
• Establish trustworthiness: Cite credible sources to enactment your claims and support your contented up to day with the latest information

Start Improving Your SEO

The tactics shared supra tin assistance you boost SEO rankings and thrust much integrated traffic.

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

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

Semrush provides a broad suite of tools to assistance you bash conscionable that. 

Sign up to get started today.