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Search engine optimization (SEO) usually takes a lot of time to show results. In fact, it’s common for businesses to wait up to a year to see improvements in their search engine rankings.
For a growing business, waiting that long for results is not always optimal, which is why many entrepreneurs ditch SEO in favor of quicker alternatives, like paid ads.
Luckily, there is a way to speed up this process and climb up Google’s rankings faster. And it’s worth it too, considering 49% of marketers believe that SEO delivers the highest ROI of any marketing strategy.
In this article, I share five actionable SEO hacks that can help you rank faster and drive more traffic to your website in no time.
Related: 9 SEO Tips to Help You Rank No. 1 on Google in 2024
1. Target long-tail keywords
Many small business owners trying SEO for the first time make the mistake of targeting highly competitive keywords. Although it’s tempting to aim for those big, high-traffic keywords, it can take years to rank for them.
To accelerate your SEO results, you want to focus on long-tail keywords. These are longer, more specific phrases that potential customers are likely to use when they’re closer to making a purchase.
Sure, long-tail keywords may have lower search volumes, but they often come with higher buyer intent, which means that the people using these terms are more likely to convert into customers.
For example, a standard keyword you may want to target is “running shoes.” This keyword is highly competitive and could take a long time to rank for. Instead, a better SEO strategy is to go for a long-tail keyword like “best running shoes for flat feet” because it is more specific, less competitive and more likely to attract users who are ready to buy.
2. Create epic content
Most website owners don’t put enough effort into the content they publish. However, generic 500-word articles haven’t been able to compete with in-depth content for a long time.
Recent Google algorithm updates have made quality content even more important, so generic 2,000-word articles aren’t going to cut it either.
That said, quality content is more than just word count.
Here’s what truly epic content consists of:
Well-researched: Use relevant statistics and credible sources to back up your points. This adds authority and trustworthiness to your content.
Actionable: Provide advice and tips that readers can immediately apply to solve their problems.
Authoritative: Share expert opinions and real-life examples to increase the credibility of your content.
Well-structured: Break your content into clear, logical sections with headings, subheadings and bullet points to increase readability.
Engaging: Write in a natural, conversational tone that resonates with your audience, and don’t overuse AI.
For example, if you’re writing an article about “how to choose the best running shoes for flat feet,” include expert opinions, real-life examples, shoe ratings and actionable steps for your readers to follow.
If you’re not sure how to create content that ranks, the best approach is to hire an SEO expert.
3. Upgrade old content
Regularly updating your content signals to Google that you actively manage your site, which improves your chances of climbing the search engine rankings.
One effective way to do this is to use Google Search Console to identify articles that are ranking in the middle of page one or top of page two.
Then, you need to analyze the content created by competitors who are ranking better than you. Have they added new information, updated statistics, built more backlinks or improved the user experience? Is your article still the best resource available?
The chances are that your competitors have upped their game and so should you.
Add new data, update links, refine your points, and ensure your advice is current and actionable. This shows Google that you are proactive about keeping your content relevant.
Related: 5 SEO Tips to Grow Your Small Business
4. Proactively build internal links
When writing an article, you should include internal links to all relevant blog posts on your site. This helps Google understand how these different blogs are related to each other.
You can do that by typing “site:yourdomain.com [related keyword]” into Google search. This gives you a list of pages on your website you should link to in your new article.
When adding internal links, use descriptive anchor text that indicates what the linked page is about.
For example, if you’re writing a blog post targeting the keyword “running shoes for flat feet,” you want to link to your other article about “best insoles for flat feet.” Instead of using generic text like “click here,” choose a descriptive anchor like “best insoles for flat feet” to help readers understand what they’ll find when they click the link.
5. Build topical authority
Topical authority refers to how well your website covers a specific subject area. It’s an important factor for SEO because search engines prioritize websites that demonstrate deep knowledge of a given topic.
For example, a website with 100 articles about running shoes will generally perform better in search rankings than a site with just ten articles on the same topic.
The best way to build topical authority is to publish a ton of SEO content. Publishing just two or three articles per month isn’t enough. Aim to publish 10, 20 or even 30 articles each month to improve your credibility with search engines.
Creating that much content on your own can be difficult, so the best option is to hire an SEO agency.
But once you manage to build topical authority, your new articles start ranking in a matter of weeks instead of months, and you can enjoy a steady flow of organic traffic.
Even though SEO takes time to show results, you can try these five SEO techniques to hack your way to better rankings.
Focus on targeting long-tail keywords, creating quality content, updating your old articles, building internal links and establishing topical authority for faster and more substantial SEO results.