New to SEO? Do This

Step by Step SEO Page Optimization

1. Go into Google Search Console. Make sure you have it set up for your domain. It’ll take a few days for data to build up.
2. Go to Performance -> Search Results.
3. Click on Average Position at the top so it turns orange and shows your position.
4. Below, you’ll see:
   • Keywords (Top queries)
   • How many clicks you got
   • Impressions (how many times your site showed up in search for that keyword)
   • Your average position during that time.
5. Click on each keyword and you get the URL of the page or pages that are showing up for that keyword.
6. Optimize that post.
   • Put the main keyword in the title.
     • It can be exact if it makes sense. You can also modify it to make it look more natural. Instead of “Create Service Area Map” you would make it “Create a Service Area Map” or something similar.
   • Headings
     • Put the main keyword in the H1 heading on the page (page/post title).
     • Put variations of that keyword in at least 2 other headings.
   • Get the main keyword in the first and last paragraphs of the page.
   • Use the main keyword in the url(slug) of the page.
   • Linking
     • If there are two posts that show up, make sure you link both together.
     • Set up 2-3 links from other pages on your site to that page / those pages.
   • Bonus: Put the main keyword in the name of the file you use for your featured image (your-keyword-phrase.jpg).
7. Done.
8. Oh, and don’t forget to put the keyword in the title (yeah, like I said first… that’s important). I’m talking about the HTML title of the page. You can have a different H1 heading (title) on the page. That one should capture people’s attention and be compelling.

Then leave it alone. Check back on it later. See if you need to do more optimization. That might include creating other pages that link to it, getting backlinks, or adding more content to that page.

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BONUS: Find More Great Keywords

A little, good keyword research can go a long way. I liken it to taking a reading on a map, if you were at sea. If you’re just a few degrees off, you’ll end in the completely wrong place. Yes, Google Search Console is great. It’s the answers to the test. I use it. The next step, though is more keyword research. This puts this method on steroids.

The best bang for the buck? Long-tail keywords. They’re a goldmine. They’re the longer (4 words or more) phrases people put into search. Some great ones are the People Also Ask (PAA) questions you see on Google. Use those. And I have a whole book about being found in featured snippets. But, long-tail is good because people are close to buying, possibly, and they are more specific. Get a specific keyword, and write a specific post about it. It doesn’t even need to be very long.

And, as I’m writing this, I’m close to launching RankCheck Pro, which gives you 30 keywords for free. The Pro Report (not very expensive at all) gives you a whole section of long-tail keywords.