The SEO world is becoming more competitive every day and there are roughly 2 billion websites currently active. That’s a lot of people all clambering to get to the top spot on Google and it can seem like a helpless battle trying to get success on the SERPs.
So what can you do about this?
A great way to stand out from your competitors is to begin learning some key advanced SEO techniques. These technical search optimisation skills will help to take your website to the next level, in order to meet the high-performance criteria needed to be successful on the SERPs today.
What Is Advanced SEO?
Advanced SEO is the natural next step after you learn the basic fundamentals of search optimisation. It involves technical concepts and practises that display a deeper understanding of the Google algorithm and how to get the most out of it.
Whilst almost anyone can learn the basics of search optimisation, advanced SEO is usually something only used by professional SEO to achieve the very best results. Even still, don’t let that put you off if you’re a beginner SEO – there could be some key ideas to help take your knowledge to the next level.
The Importance of Advanced SEO
The SEO world is changing all the time and it’s becoming harder to stand out from the crowd. In a poll from Search Engine Roundtable, 60% of SEOs admitted that it was harder to achieve results than it was 5 years ago. More frequent algorithm updates, a huge increase in competition and the looming giant that is AI has made life hard for SEOs in recent years.
Don’t worry though, SEO is definitely here to stay and there are some key ways to adapt your strategy for 2023 and beyond. Taking the step to learning complex, advanced SEO practices is a great way of setting yourself apart from the rest of the web. These finer details will provide the extra SEO magic that truly sets you up for success to dominate your chosen field. Advanced practices will help to drive growth, increase your web visibility, boost your traffic and ultimately lead to more conversions and sales.
10 Advanced Steps For Improving Your SEO
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it’s crucial to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to SEO. Whether you’re running a business or managing a website, advanced SEO techniques and best practices are essential to help you rank higher in search engine results pages and drive more traffic to your site. By implementing these techniques, you can give your website a competitive edge and ensure that it’s always ranking high in SERPs.
A key development in the SEO world has been the focus on mobile-first indexing. Way back in 2019, Google announced that it will be prioritising mobile websites before desktops. This created a wave of panic at the time but in the years since Google admitted that this only meant that if you have a mobile and desktop version of your site, the former would be ranked.
Optimising for mobile encapsulates different areas of SEO. Page experience and Core Web Vitals make up a big big part of it and it’s essential you concentrate your efforts on creating a fast, responsive website.
Consider how your content will show on a smaller mobile screen and avoid any formats that will have difficulty loading. Utilise web design features that do not overwhelm your customers, such as accordion menus and drawer navigation menus. Whilst this won’t directly impact your SEO, it will improve the user experience of your website.
Utilise Content Hubs on Your Website
A content hub is a content structure technique centred around one topic with other subtopics that dive deeper into specific areas. They are an extremely powerful way to grow your brand online and help to build your authority on a subject. Content hubs increase your visibility, improve engagement, generate more leads and conversions and set your business apart from the rest. They also provide lots of internal links to keep customers on your site.
To build a content hub you should begin with the hub itself. This should be a piece of content that links to all the subcategories within the subject matter. Next, produce the pieces of content within the subcategories, making sure to write them as purely informational Wikipedia-style pieces. Always ensure that each subcategory is optimised fully with the relevant keyword to build authority.
Let SERPs Guide Your Content Strategy
The SERPs in 2023 look totally different to how they did even just 2 years ago in 2021. It seems like every time we do a Google search there’s a new feature or design that we have to get to grips with. The days of having 10 simple links on page one are long gone and it’s now common to see featured snippets, people also ask for sections, pictures, video carousels and more.
It’s important that you’re creating content that matches the results of your search query. For example; you might want to create a piece of content for your marketing company looking at how many companies consider marketing to be essential to their work. Whilst a blog post sounds like a great place to start, when searching the topic on Google it might bring up a carousel of images first before anything else. This is a clear indication that you should include a high-quality image within your content – think a graph or bar chart perhaps.
Stay ahead of the curve and develop your content as SERPs continue to develop. Always search your topic beforehand and generate content accordingly.
Use People Also Ask to your Advantage
According to SEMrush, the People Also Ask feature appears on 65% of SERPs in the UK, making them one of the most popular features on a SERP. This is something that you should be optimising for when creating content but also use to your advantage to gain ideas on what content to create. The information in a ‘People Also Ask’ feature is invaluable because it tells you what your target audience is actually searching for. It is a fantastic free tool that every SEO should use.
Capitalise on Video Content
Video content is one of if not the most popular forms of content on the web. A survey found that 96% of Gen Z own a YouTube account, and there are 3.1 billion digital video viewers globally. Not only this, but the popularity of video on SERPs continues to grow with video carousels and key moments.
You should absolutely incorporate video into your content strategy. Shout about your products and create demo videos and how-to’s to guide your customers. This is a hugely effective technique and a product that features a video is far more likely to result in an all-important conversion.
Think of your videos in the exact same way that you would a blog post and optimise accordingly. Carry out extensive keyword research and create content based on the topics that your customers care about. Write short titles and use keyword-rich content in the video descriptions.
Concentrate on User Intent
Let’s start this by saying that keywords are still important. You should still be doing the same research as before, just approaching it from another angle. Think of your content in terms of topics instead of single keywords and phrases. Semantic search means that search engines now understand complex queries that link together over a single topic. You should always be looking to fully satisfy the user intent rather than creating a piece of content that performs well on SERPs.
Your chosen topics should be directly informed by the user intent of your customers. Find out exactly what they want to know and produce content accordingly. Utilise tools such as SEMrush and the People Also Ask section on Google to find what your target audience is searching for. Alternatively, send out surveys to gain extra useful information.
Get to Grips with GA4
GA4 is here and it promises to stir the pot for SEOs everywhere. Google Analytics is one of the most important tools for SEO and GA4 looks set to take it to the next level. Data-driven attribution helps us to better understand conversion outcomes, whilst metrics such as bounce rate is set to be replaced with engaged sessions. There are also new default channels as well as event-based data models that categorise any interaction as an event.
It’s important to acknowledge that Universal Analytics will no longer continue to collect data after July 2023 – so make sure you’re ready for the switch! Set up your account and begin tracking as soon as possible, learn and understand the new metrics, run test reports and get to grips with the brand-new interface.
Stay Up to Date with AI
One of the biggest developments in the marketing and SEO world is AI-created content. It promises to revolutionise how we create content and how we rank on the SERPs.
As of 2023 AI is still in its primary stages and it’s yet to be seen how it will impact the world of SEO fully. It wasn’t long ago that Google announced the helpful content update which focused on awarding content that was made by real people for real people. Many marketers and SEOs read between the lines and predicted that this would see Google beginning to clamp down on AI content.
Contrarily, Google has since announced that the focus is in fact on content written primarily for search engines, not AI content. Google has even launched their own AI chatbot to keep up with competitors such as ChatGTP.
It’s clear that this is an area that is still up in the air and the impact is yet to be truly felt. It is definitely revolutionising the SEO industry though, so it pays to stay up to date and follow its progression closely.
Prioritise Page Experience
Google’s Page Experience update in 2021 was a clear indicator that the search giant was now looking at awarding fast, high-performing sites on the SERPs. Core Web Vitals were added as a ranking factor in the algorithm as Google looked to rid results pages of slow, poor-performing content.
Monitoring your Core Web Vitals should still be a priority in 2023. Keep a close eye on factors such as First Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, Cumulative Layout Shift and Largest Contentful Paint using insights and adjust accordingly. Alongside creating quality content, you should always be evaluating how you can make your website faster and create a better experience for users.
Embrace Social SEO
Although not technically classed as SEO, embracing socials will increase your visibility. More people than ever – especially Gen Z – are using social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to search for products or services.
Not only do searchers get a first-hand experience from someone who owns or uses a certain product, but the comments section helps to build trust as well. This is extremely powerful for brands as consumers can see your product or services in action by watching a quick, simple piece of video content.
You might have also noticed TikTok content beginning to show on SERPs. This is a big indication of where we’re heading, so it’s important to start embracing socials now. Create web content that matches the unique search intent of socials – think trends, colours, and aesthetics. It is also a great idea to start a business TikTok or Instagram account depending on your industry. Here you can share your products using creative video content and keep on top of developing social trends to use to your advantage.
Advanced SEO Services with Loop Digital
Here at Loop Digital, we are passionate about delivering the very best SEO services to a wide range of clients. Our team is always up to date with the newest advances in the SEO world to ensure that our knowledge is the best it can be. Each member of our team has a high level of expertise with advanced SEO practices that will ensure success for your business.
To learn more about our advanced SEO services and how they can help your business reach new heights, contact a member of our team today. Alternatively, if this post was too advanced for you, read our free essential guide to SEO to get to grips with the fundamental basics of SEO.
Mel is our Partner Strategy & Delivery Manager and also a CIM Chartered Marketer, a testament to her commitment to excellence in the field. But Mel’s contributions don’t stop at the office door. Beyond her professional endeavours, she leads an active life as a qualified run leader and dedicated volunteer. Her experience in these roles has streamlined her leadership and teamwork skills, making her an invaluable asset when it comes to collaborating on projects and ensuring their success. Her sharp insights, strategic thinking, and knowledge have made her a backbone in our team’s ability to drive results for clients in this industry. Mel will make sure that we can approach marketing challenges from all angles and deliver outstanding results for our clients.
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