Companies will spend $80 billion on search engine optimization (SEO) strategies by 2020. With SEO, companies can raise their ranking on search engines like Google and advertise to more customers.

However, this global stress on SEO marketing means it’s even more difficult to get your website to rank high. To rank above your competitors, you need to craft a strong, strategy-driven SEO strategy.

Make 2019 your year to rank higher than ever!

Step up your SEO game with these four tips to a masterful SEO strategy.

1. Entertain Your Audience

Google’s ranking algorithms decide your website’s ranking. However, you can’t neglect your real audience: your customers.

After all, Google wants to offer their searchers the best possible experience. That means finding websites that put customers at the forefront.

An organic search strategy needs to consider how to make customers happy. At the end of the day, their visits to your website determine your ranking.

Here’s how to offer visitors the best online user experience:

• Speed up page load times (no one wants to wait)
• Get mobile-friendly (so all website visitors have an awesome experience)
• Make it easy to navigate (no confusion)
• Repair all errors (no stress)
• Use engaging, attention-grabbing language (make it fun!)
• Make it easy to find call-to-action buttons (so it’s easier to convert!)

To cater your website to your audience, try to speak their language. What are they looking for? What problems are they trying to solve?

Become a helpful, informative resource for these customers. Answer their questions using clear language.

Google also wants to provide searchers with useful content. 

Remember, you’re there to solve your customers’ problems. By providing relevant, unique content, you can become their go-to for help.

The more you know about your audience, the easier it is to create this content. 

You can also strengthen your content by making it easier to read. Choose shorter sentences and paragraphs when you can. 

Break the content up by using headings and sub-headings. You can even mix it up with bullet point lists and helpful visuals.

Cater your content to your target audience. That way, they’re more likely to return, strengthening your SEO with every visit. 

2. Aim for Intent

Prioritizing customer search intent is an SEO strategy essential. 

Let’s go back to the problem your company solves for customers. What would they search when looking for that solution?

To get a better idea, you can use keyword research. Check out tools like Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends. These will help you compose a list of keywords relevant to your product or service. 

Keyword Planner helps you brainstorm keywords. Then Trends can show you the search popularity for these terms.

Once you find your keywords, consider how customers search. Instead of sticking to blog posts, mix up your content. 

Video content is booming right now. Add optimized video transcripts so Google can still crawl your content for keywords.

Voice searches are also popular. These searches are often posed as questions, so optimize your content to answer them.

Another way to pose your content to reflect search intent is to use topic clusters.

Instead of developing a dozen separate articles around a similar long-tail keyword, organize that content in one giant post. Then within the post, link to other internal articles that dive deeper into each topic. 

Internal links help boost your ranking and prompt visitors to explore your website. 

As a result, you’re providing customers all the information they could possibly need while boosting your SEO.

3. Link Up

Speaking of links, internal and external links are also important components of your SEO strategy.

With internal links, you’re linking to a post or page that’s on your own website. With external links, you’re sending readers to someone else’s website.

Backlinks are links on another website that lead customers to your website. Gaining backlinks can play a huge part in your SEO website strategy.

High-quality (and quantity) backlinks can improve your reputation and ranking. 

This off-page SEO strategy relies on posting quality content other companies want to link to. One way to increase links is by guest blogging on someone else’s blog.

By offering your experience and expertise on someone else’s blog, you can attract their existing audience to build your own. Link to your website on the guest post.

That way, readers will travel to your website. This will increase your visitors, credibility, and website ranking.

4. Get Optimized

Once you implement the previous three SEO strategies, we can optimize your content.

As we mentioned earlier, faster websites excel in the rankings. Get your website up to speed.

Aim for a load time of three seconds. 

You can also add an SSL certificate. Google love’s security. That “https” in front of your URL will tell browsers your website is secure.

Then, get started with a local SEO strategy. You can claim your Google My Business listing. As a result, your business, website, and information will appear clearly in the top right of a search.

That prominent space will help you stand out and attract local customers. 

You should also check to make sure your contact information is correct on other listings.

Then, check your Yoast SEO plugin on each post. Make sure you’re using an array of long-tail keywords. It’s also important to incorporate your keyword in the first paragraph and header. 

Finally, measure your success. Take a look at your website’s Google Analytics to determine which pages are working to attract visitors.

If pages are underperforming, repurpose the content. Turn a blog post into a video or an infographic to engage readers.

You can also use this customer journey growth hack to optimize your webpage performance. 

With regular optimization changes, your website will attract visitors in 2019 and beyond!

Make it Matter: Create a Masterful SEO Strategy for 2019

Get in front of customers with these four methods for a masterful SEO strategy! Now you can amplify your SEO website strategy.

As a result, you can rank above competitors, reach new customers, and grow your company!

For more growth hacks and helpful strategies, check out the helpful resources available on our blog.