Admit it, being first matters.
When online users search for something on Google, it’s your website’s name that should be on the first page.
Impossible? No. Easy? Not quite.
If you want to play it smart for 2025 and get your brand or website’s name on the first pages of Google, Bing or Firefox, SEO strategies are your best shot.
Simply put, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is improving a website so that it ranks higher in search engine results. This makes it easier for online users to find your website when searching for related topics.
The more visible your website is on the search results page, the more online traffic you get. Currently, 8.5 billion searches happen daily on Google, which owns 91% of the global search engine market.
So, how do you boost your website’s visibility?
A combination of listing and using keywords, creating quality content and making sure the website is user-friendly, boosts your visibility points on search engines. Unfortunately, this not enough.
With internet expansion, increased online traffic, high competition and growing consumer awareness, doing SEO isn’t easy. If 2025 is going to be your year, then your strategy needs to be up to the mark.
There are many ways of going about your SEO, but for the New Year, we’d suggest:
- Researching and listing keywords
- Looking out for the competition
- Standing out by being yourself
- Tweaking your page for better SEO (optimising for on-page SEO)
- Working out what users are really searching for (Search Intent Optimisation)
- Grabbing user attention using eye-catching visuals
- Adding backlinks for credibility
- Frequently upgrading and refreshing your content
The first step of an SEO strategy is finding and listing keywords. Keywords are a set of words and or phrases, online users type into search engines when looking for something. Using the right ones can help your website show up when people search for those terms.
If someone wants to make breakfast on a lazy Sunday, but doesn’t know how, they are likely going to type ‘how to make an omelette?’ or ‘five simple steps to make breakfast.’
The first page will display results that have the keywords in bold. Want your website there? Then you should put the right keywords that align with the topics you write about.
Unsure about topics that are trending? Moz is a good choice for getting insight on that and giving keywords that generate online traffic.
Being visible on search engines is a race, and your competition will never give you a break. Watch them. See what, how and why they do things and the way they do them.
If their tactics help them stay ahead, they can help you too. Here is how:
You’re writing an article on merging AI into business as an assisting tool. AI is a trending topic and the subject seems interesting, but… do online users care? Is anyone reading about this?
Google it and see what the first few pages show. If there are articles circulating, then that’s your first hint that the competition is writing about it, so jump on the bandwagon!
But, if the topics on the first page are more about the ‘pros and cons’ of AI, then it’s best to start on that to stay relevant. You can always come back to your topic once online traffic picks up.
The internet is already cluttered with countless options. Most results come from generic searches making users wonder if they’ve read the material before.
That is where your website comes in. To make it authentic, the voice, choice of topics, perspective and style of writing must be distinctly yours.
Remember, no one thinks like you, so use your originality and post content that’s reflective of you.
Over time, users will catch on to your style and be able to differentiate you from others.
Sometimes, you don’t have to tune up an entire webpage, just some different parts of it. Those changes are done to help search engines and online users easily figure out what the page is about. With it, your website becomes user-friendly and provides helpful information.
You can tune up your webpages by adding title tags, internal links and keyword-rich URLs. Keep in mind that short, keyword-rich URLs tend to do better than long keywords.
Online users are constantly looking for something, but it’s not what you’re focusing on. It’s why. That is what search intent is.
Understanding why an online user is looking for a product, gives insight on what is on their mind. With that information, you know what to write about. Before starting, do self-reflect. Know why you create content, why the audience needs it, why it is important and why would users look for it.
With self-reflection, you automatically align your content in the direction towards the target audience that needs it.
Words + words + more words = boring.
You don’t have to be a genius to known that:
Words + striking visual imagery = Wow! What a website! Adding a bit of motion; cherry on top.
Hiring an experienced content designer that adds vibrancy and style to your website’s overall look will bring online traffic your way. Whether it’s simple graphs, charts or banners, or complex artistic designs, users enjoy visually appealing work.
Nothing personal, but sometimes your facts aren’t convincing enough. This is when backlinks help.
Backlinks are trustworthy websites that link to your content. Think of them as someone credible vouching for you, making you appear reliable.
The links you attach make search engines view your website as more authentic, automatically boosting your ranking and garnering more visitors. There are three ways to do this:
- Competitor analysis
- Broken link building
- Evangelist method
Competitor Analysis
Competitor analysis is looking at your competition’s backlinks and using them to benefit you. If you type the keyword ‘CaaS’ on Google, the results on the first page give you access to the competitor’s backlinks.
You can decide which backlinks to add in your content when using the keyword ‘CaaS,’ saving time and effort.
Broken Link Building
Sometimes websites have broken links. You can offer assistance in fixing them, in exchange for your content to be put on their website. This will gain you credibility and visibility.
Evangelist Method
Contact your clients and ask them to read your articles. Ask them for their opinions – it will give you a good idea of whether your content has value to your target audience.
Online users are always looking for something new, so ensure your website is up to date. Add new links, pictures and video content where needed and get rid of the outdated material. This will maintain your rankings and tell your visitors that you’re always self-improving.
No-one ever said SEO is easy. If it was, no-one would pay for Google ads. But with these SEO strategies, you can improve your visibility in the coming year.
Need a head start? Reach out, and we’ll show you how it’s done.
