Did you know? People don’t scroll beyond the first 10 entries of Google search results. In fact, a study showed that only 0.63% click on the second page.

That’s why one of the goals of SEO is to get your content to show up on Page One of Google’s search results.

How do you get to Page One and hit the top 10?

There are hundreds of ways to rank higher on Google, but it’s important to master the basics first.

In this guide, we’ll talk about the best practices for SEO marketing that can help you achieve better visibility on search engines so you can drive more traffic to your website.

By implementing these techniques, you’re positioning yourself for long-term success in today’s competitive digital landscape — not to mention a spot in the coveted top 10 results.

Table of Contents:

• 1. Match Keywords with Search Intent
  • Identify Primary Keywords for Targeting Specific Audience Segments
  • Use Secondary Keywords for Supporting Main Topics
• 2. Optimize Titles and Meta Descriptions
• 3. Create High-Quality Content
• 4. Optimize Website Performance
• 5. Build Links
• 6. On-Page SEO and Navigation Structure
• 7. Optimize Image Attributes
• FAQs – Best Practices for SEO Marketing
  • How should one write an article with SEO best practices in mind?
  • How to use article marketing to improve SEO?
  • What are the top 5 SEO strategies?
• Conclusion

Looking for Content?

Creating lots of great content — and scaling your content marketing — has never been easier.

With Content at Scale, you can add 1, 20, 50, or even 100 keywords that you want to rank for. Then, within minutes, CAS will write high-quality long-form blog posts for each keyword — from start to finish!

That means everything: title, meta description, introduction, all the way to the conclusion, with minor human intervention. Just like THIS post! That means you can get content published daily to your blog for as low as $0.01/word.

Ready to try it out? Check out how simple it is to scale your content marketing.

1. Match Keywords with Search Intent

To achieve higher Google rankings, match your target keyword with search intent and write action-oriented copy. This ensures that your content aligns with user expectations and satisfies their informational needs, leading to better engagement and organic traffic.

Identify Primary Keywords for Targeting Specific Audience Segments

An effective keyword research process helps you identify the main keyword(s) that resonate with your potential customers. By understanding their search queries, you can create SEO-friendly content tailored to address those topics. Use tools like Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer or Google’s Keyword Planner to discover high-volume terms relevant to your niche.

Use Secondary Keywords for Supporting Main Topics

In addition to primary keywords, incorporating related secondary terms throughout your content strengthens its relevance in the eyes of both users and search engines. These supplementary phrases help paint a comprehensive picture of the topic while also improving overall on-page optimization efforts.

How to use secondary keywords in your content?

1. Identify a list of secondary keywords using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush.
2. Integrate these terms naturally into headings, subheadings, body text, image alt tags, and meta descriptions as appropriate.
3. Monitor performance metrics and adjust strategy based on data-driven insights.

Neil Patel breaks down search intent into four categories: informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional

Matching keywords with search intent is the first step in SEO marketing, as it helps to ensure that the right audience finds your content. 

Next, learn how to optimize titles and meta descriptions to further improve online visibility.

2. Optimize Titles and Meta Descriptions

Going back to your keywords list, add your primary keyword to titles and meta descriptions to significantly improve your visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). This tells search engines what your web page is all about and helps them understand its relevance to user queries.

Note that placing the main keyword closer to the beginning of the title tag may have a stronger impact on search engine rankings.

Example of a page title and meta description on a SERP

Just below your title is the meta description. This information provides a brief overview of what readers can expect from your content when they click through.

Tips on how to write a good meta description:

• Length: Keep your meta descriptions between 150 to 160 characters long as search engines typically cut anything beyond this limit.
• Actionable language: Use action-oriented copy that entices potential customers to visit your site by promising valuable information or solutions.
• Focused messaging: Include one or two targeted keywords in each description but avoid keyword stuffing which might negatively affect SEO performance.

Optimizing your titles and meta descriptions with keywords will enhance not only your content’s organic traffic potential but also its appeal to searchers. Remember, you’re competing with millions of websites out there. Your page title and meta description should be compelling enough for visitors to click through.

After editing your titles and meta descriptions, we now move on to optimizing the meat of your content — the body copy.

3. Create High-Quality Content

One of the most important best practices for SEO marketing is creating high-quality, value-driven, audience-centered content.

Creating high-quality content that provides value to users should be at the core of any SEO strategy. Google rewards content that meets its EEAT criteria, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. So whether your blog posts are written by AI or humans, your goal stays the same: deliver helpful content.

What makes good, high-ranking content?

• It should have a compelling narrative.
• It satisfies a search query.
• It has substance, evidence, and facts from credible sources.
• It’s easy to digest.
• It has a sensible structure and formatting.

This is why long-form content often ranks better in organic (non-paid) results than short-form content.

In fact, a HubSpot study revealed that the ideal blog post length for SEO is 2,100 to 2,400 words. That’s a lot more than the usual 500-800 words that most brands publish.

If you’re struggling to hit the ideal word count, then automation may be the solution. Content at Scale is specifically designed for this purpose — creating long-form, SEO-focused content. 

The app can help you write a long-form article — anywhere from 700-3,000+ words — in under five minutes! This means you’ll be able to publish hundreds of fully optimized blog posts in weeks, not months.

Elements of a good copy

Integrating multimedia elements like infographics, images, and videos can help break up text especially when you’re writing 4,000-word pillar pages. They also have a positive impact on search engine rankings.

You can use free tools like Canva or Piktochart to design eye-catching infographics or embed relevant YouTube videos within your blog posts to enhance engagement levels.

Now that you have awesome content, it’s time to optimize website performance to provide the best possible user experience.

4. Optimize Website Performance

Optimizing website speed and mobile-friendliness are key aspects of successful SEO marketing efforts. To ensure your site performs at its best, you can utilize tools like PageSpeed Insights to identify areas with slow loading times or responsiveness issues.

The PageSpeed Insights tool is a valuable resource for assessing your website’s performance on both desktop and mobile devices. It provides actionable recommendations for improving load times and user experience by addressing issues such as render-blocking resources, unoptimized images, or excessive JavaScript execution time.

A responsive design guarantees that your website content adjusts effortlessly to various display sizes and resolutions. This not only enhances the user experience but also boosts SERP rankings since search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results.

5. Build Links

Improving domain authority involves incorporating internal links within your content while generating quality backlinks from authoritative sources. This establishes semantic relations between various pages and boosts overall online presence, leading to higher SERP ranking.

An effective internal linking strategy helps both users and search engines navigate your website more efficiently. When creating internal links, use descriptive anchor text that accurately reflects the linked content’s topic. 

For example, instead of saying “click here,” link to a specific article or page by mentioning its title or main subject matter. 

Make sure you’re connecting related pieces of content that provide value to readers as they go through your site.

Screenshot from Ahrefs

To further improve search engine rankings and increase organic traffic, focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites in your niche. Some proven strategies include:

• Guest blogging: Contribute valuable articles to industry-related blogs with a link back to your website.
• Skyscraper technique: Create outstanding content that surpasses existing resources on the same topic and reach out to relevant sites for potential backlinks.
• Link roundups: Identify regular blog posts featuring curated content in your niche and pitch your high-quality articles for inclusion.

6. On-Page SEO and Navigation Structure

One of the top best practices for SEO marketing has to do with your page and navigation structure overall.

Proper on-page SEO makes it easier for search engines to crawl your site, and a user-friendly navigation structure provides visitors with an enjoyable experience while scanning through your content.

One component that is often overlooked is the URL slug. Here are a few ways to optimize your URLs.

• Keep your URLs short for better indexing.
• Include your primary keyword in the URL so that it shows the page’s topic.
• Avoid using special characters or encoded symbols in the URL.
• Maintain consistency in URL formatting across all pages on your website.
• Incorporate proper hyphenation between words for readability purposes (e.g., https://example.com/on-page-optimization).

Your website’s navigation structure also plays a crucial role in your SEO strategy. It not only helps search engines understand the content on your site but also improves user experience by making it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for.

The first step in optimizing your website’s navigation is creating a clear and logical hierarchy of pages. This means organizing your pages into categories and subcategories that make sense both to users and search engines.

• Start with broad categories that describe the main topics or services you offer.
• Organize subcategories under each main category based on related topics or services.
• Avoid creating too many levels of subcategories as it can confuse both users and search engines.

The labels you use in your navigation menu should be descriptive enough so that visitors know exactly what kind of content they will find when clicking on them. 

Avoid using generic terms like “Products” or “Services” which don’t provide any context about what specific products or services are offered. Instead, use more specific labels such as “Men’s Clothing”, “Baby Toys”, or “Dog Food”, depending on the nature of your business. 

Using descriptive labels also has an impact on keyword research since these keywords tell search engines what type of content exists within those sections/pages, thus improving their ability to rank your site for relevant keywords.

Including a search box in your website’s navigation structure is an excellent way to help visitors find what they’re looking for quickly. It also helps reduce bounce rates and improves the user experience on your site. 

Make sure that the search bar is prominently displayed, preferably at the top of every page so that it’s easily accessible from anywhere on your site.

An organized URL and navigational hierarchy not only makes it easier for potential customers to find what they’re looking for but also increases the likelihood of higher search rankings. By following these best practices, you can optimize both on-page elements and navigation structure, leading to higher organic traffic volumes.

7. Optimize Image Attributes

Image optimization plays a significant role in improving both user experience and organic traffic potential.

To boost your website’s image search visibility, use descriptive file names containing targeted keywords. This technique not only helps search engines understand what the image is about but also helps users find the right photos when searching on platforms like Google Images or Bing Visual Search.

A few tips on how to optimize your web images:

• Avoid generic file names such as “IMG_1234.jpg”
• Rename files with meaningful descriptions (e.g., seo-friendly-web-design.jpg)
• Add your primary keyword without overstuffing

Alt text attributes are essential for making your website accessible to visually impaired users who rely on screen readers. Including accurate and concise descriptions of each image allows these devices to interpret visual content effectively.

1. Add an alt attribute within the <img> tag: <img src=”example.jpg” alt=”Example description”>
2. Maintain brevity while providing sufficient information about the image (e.g., “SEO friendly web design concept”)
3. Avoid using phrases like “image of” or repeating information already present in surrounding text content

FAQs – Best Practices for SEO Marketing

How should one write an article with SEO best practices in mind?

To write an article with SEO best practices in mind, follow these steps:

1. Conduct keyword research to identify primary and secondary keywords.
2. Incorporate these keywords into title tags, headings, subheadings, and body text.
3. Write informative yet concise meta descriptions containing target keywords.
4. Write engaging long-form articles addressing audience-specific issues.
5. Use visuals like infographics or videos for enhanced user experience.

How to use article marketing to improve SEO?

Article marketing can improve your site’s search engine rankings by generating quality backlinks from authoritative websites. 

To do this effectively, create valuable content that appeals to your target audience, share it across social media platforms and blog directories, and collaborate with influencers within your niche through guest posting opportunities or expert roundups. This will drive traffic while building a strong link profile.

What are the top 5 SEO strategies?

1. Keyword research – Identify relevant keywords based on search intent
2. On-page optimization – Optimize titles, meta descriptions, URLs, headings, and content
3. User experience (UX) – Improve website design, navigation, performance, and accessibility
4. Link building – Acquire high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites
5. Content marketing – Create and promote valuable content to your target audience

Follow These Best Practices for SEO Marketing and Turbo-Boost Your Online Presence

Embracing the best practices for SEO marketing can work wonders for your online presence. It’s like giving your website a turbo boost to reach your target audience with precision and finesse.

By diving into keyword research, crafting top-notch content, fine-tuning your website’s performance, and building solid links, you’ll witness your search engine rankings skyrocket.

Just remember to stay in the loop with the latest trends and algorithm updates. Be dedicated, be consistent, and always put your readers first.

Looking for Content?

Creating lots of great content — and scaling your content marketing — has never been easier.

With Content at Scale, you can add 1, 20, 50, or even 100 keywords that you want to rank for. Then, within minutes, CAS will write high-quality long-form blog posts for each keyword — from start to finish!

That means everything: title, meta description, introduction, all the way to the conclusion, with minor human intervention. Just like THIS post! That means you can get content published daily to your blog for as low as $0.01/word.

Ready to try it out? Check out how simple it is to scale your content marketing.