Here are 7 basic rules of SEO that make it a no-brainer if you want your website to rank competitively on top of search results.
1. Keyword research
You have to target the right keywords. And by right, we mean the keyword that:
Describes what your website is about
People are searching or typing on Google
Has little competition
To identify this keyword, you need to do a little research — and not just use what you think is the best. There are online keyword tools you can use to identify the monthly search volumes of your target keywords and how high or low the competition is for each keyword.
2. SEO tags
Once you’ve identified your target keyword, be sure to use it accordingly throughout the website. Place a keyword in your title tag, meta description, header tags, and image alt tags.
3. Keyword in slug
Another area where you need to place your keyword is the slug or the website URL that identifies a particular page on your site. Instead of using a string of characters and symbols, be sure to use a keyword.
4. Content optimization
The content on your website is the most important SEO element you should be focusing on. Make sure that your content is:
Relevant and informative
Long enough to house several keywords (at least more than 300 words)
Optimized for search engines and human readers
Easy to read
5. Internal links
Each page and post on your website should be linked to each other through internal links.
6. Site speed and responsiveness
Search engines favor websites that are fast to open and can adjust to any screen type. Make sure that your website is optimized for speed and has a responsive design that can open on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
7. Link building
Finally, let other people know about your website or newly published content by sharing your website and building links to it. Whether in online forums or social media sites, promoting your website, along with the other SEO strategies above, can help you secure a high-ranking spot on Google.