10 Cutting-Edge SEO Strategies You Can Implement on Your Website Right Now

Over 50% of businesses leverage content marketing, often resulting in the accumulation of older content over time.

Why consider revising old content?

Outdated and underperforming content is akin to a bicycle with a flat tire – it’s there, but its utility is compromised. Conducting a Google position assessment may reveal pages that have slipped in rankings, signaling a need for re-optimization.

Revisiting content that garners minimal traffic, conversions, or other relevant metrics allows your business to maximize its potential.

By revising such content, you can capitalize on the initial effort invested in its creation and propel it back to prominence in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Identifying old content for re-optimization involves several strategies. Here are some common approaches:

1. Review organic traffic or conversion data in Google Analytics for pages.
2. Analyze impressions and click data in Google Search Console for pages.
3. Evaluate keyword rankings and traffic in Ahrefs for pages.

To streamline your focus, consider these criteria:

• Content should be at least six months old.
• It should have a history of driving significant traffic or conversions.
• It should be relevant to your company’s services or products.

Once you’ve selected the pages, conduct an audit. Look for quick improvements, such as updating title tags, incorporating keywords, implementing internal linking, and more. Depending on the age of the content, you may need to make more substantial updates, such as rewriting or adding content, to enhance its ranking potential in search results.

For numerous businesses, having a mobile-friendly or responsive website isn’t merely a strategy; it’s a prerequisite.

Why prioritize a mobile-responsive website?

A mobile-responsive or adaptive website is crucial for several reasons:

• Over 50% of internet traffic originates from mobile devices.
• More than 40% of online transactions occur on mobile devices.
• Additionally, Google now adopts a mobile-first approach to crawling and indexing websites. This means its spiders or crawlers assess your website from a mobile device’s perspective rather than a computer’s. Having a responsive site is essential not only for Google but also for user experience.

This advanced SEO method is typically considered advanced because it necessitates the assistance of a developer.

Unless you utilize a website builder such as Wix (which is not optimal for a long-term SEO strategy), you require someone proficient in web development to construct and deploy your responsive site.

If you’re uncertain about your site’s mobile-friendliness, utilize Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.

In many respects, a web crawler resembles a robotic vacuum cleaner. As it traverses your website, indexing your pages, just like a vacuum patrols your home cleaning floors, it can be halted in its tracks by a closed door, akin to a page devoid of internal links.

Without providing proper pathways for your web crawler or smart vacuum, they cannot fulfill their respective tasks. SEO relies on these crawlers to index your site; failure to do so results in your website being excluded from search results. Consequently, it misses out on clicks, organic traffic, and the potential sales, leads, or revenue that SEO aims to generate.

Moreover, utilizing and refining an internal linking strategy offers additional benefits:

• Establishing connections between pages
• Channeling “link juice” from high-authority pages, such as your homepage, to lower-authority pages
• Demonstrating the relevance or significance of older or newer pages
• Enhancing the rankings of pages

Hence, regardless of your website’s size, incorporating this advanced SEO technique is imperative.

Developing an internal linking process can vary in duration, contingent upon the size of your company’s website and the protocols in place. For instance, if one team handles SEO content creation while another team handles publishing, coordination may be necessary to ensure adherence to the internal linking process. Nonetheless, you can initiate this advanced search engine optimization strategy by:

Monitoring the number of inbound links to your site, such as through Moz’s OpenSiteExplorer

As you create new content or optimize existing pages, prioritize internal linking. Focus on linking to pages that offer value to readers and those situated deeper within your site. For SEO benefits, utilize anchor text containing your core or related keywords to provide crawlers (and users) with a clearer understanding of the linked destination.

It’s crucial, however, to avoid forcing keywords. If an alternative word or phrase is more appropriate, use it as your anchor text.

Monitoring the number of inbound links per page, like with Ahref’s internal backlinks report.

Google dominates over 90% of the search market, making it imperative to align your SEO strategy with its algorithms.

RankBrain represents a machine learning algorithm developed by Google. This algorithm assesses user interactions with search results, including whether they click on a website and stay or return to the search page. For instance, if a user clicks on a website promoting dogs but lands on a page discussing cats, they are likely to return to Google, prompting a potential decrease in the ranking of that page.

For Google, RankBrain holds significant importance in SEO. It stands as one of the top three ranking factors employed by the search engine. Neglecting optimization for RankBrain can result in poor performance in search result rankings, underscoring its significance as not just an advanced SEO technique, but a fundamental one.

The central aspect of optimizing for RankBrain revolves around the click-through rate (CTR).

While CTR, which measures the percentage of clicks your page garners, appears straightforward, achieving optimal results can be challenging. It necessitates a balance between your SEO tactics and understanding your target audience. Neglecting either aspect can hinder your ability to attain the desired CTR needed to rank prominently in search results.

When optimizing content for RankBrain, attention is typically directed towards two key areas:

1. Title Tag
2. Meta Description

As a brief reminder, your title tag and meta description are visible in search engine results.

Optimizing title tags and meta descriptions is crucial as they not only entice users to click on your listing but also aid crawlers in comprehending your content. To achieve optimal results, your title tag and meta description need to incorporate your primary keyword. Sounds simple, right?

However, the real challenge lies in crafting an optimized title tag and meta description that captivates readers and prompts them to click on your site. Fortunately, the SERPs offer valuable insights into user preferences. Simply address the following questions:

1. What issues do the pages promise to resolve?
2. What emotions, whether positive or negative, do the title tags evoke?
3. What descriptive adjectives or compelling phrases are used in the title tags?
4. What format, such as a list or how-to guide, do the title tags adhere to?

When optimizing your title tag and meta description, ensure that these optimizations align seamlessly with your content. For instance, if your title tag reads “Safe Cannabis Delivery,” but your content only elaborates on one method, visitors are likely to return to Google. Your content must substantiate your title tag, and vice versa.

As Google transforms from a mere search engine into a comprehensive portal, businesses need to adjust their SEO strategies accordingly.

Featured snippets now appear in nearly 15% of searches, a figure that becomes significant when considering your keyword strategy. If your business targets numerous keywords with featured snippets, losing that position could result in a substantial loss of critical traffic.

Therefore, many SEO professionals are now embracing a novel advanced SEO technique: focusing on keywords without featured snippets. This approach safeguards against the potential loss of traffic associated with featured snippets, while also reducing Google’s dominance over search real estate.

While winning the featured snippet is advantageous, failing to do so can have detrimental effects. Featured snippets divert valuable traffic from other pages, reducing click-through rates (CTRs) by approximately 9%. For instance, if your page ranks first but lacks the featured snippet, your click share diminishes from around 26% to less than 20%.

Consider a keyword that generates 1000 searches per month. Without the featured snippet, your business could potentially lose about 70 clicks each month. This loss becomes more significant when you consider keywords related to comprehensive topics such as signs of needing a new furnace, water heater, or other products or services your business offers, or pricing guides relevant to your industry or services.

To implement this advanced SEO tactic, you can filter keywords using various methods, such as:

1. Utilize Ahrefs to determine if the keyword currently has a featured snippet.
2. Conduct a Google search to observe whether the keyword triggers a featured snippet.

While conducting keyword research, prioritize terms that typically don’t generate featured snippets. Keywords containing questions, prepositions, or comparisons are less likely to result in featured snippets. For instance, over 50% of keywords featuring a snippet are in the form of a question. However, it’s essential to note that a keyword that currently lacks a featured snippet may acquire one in the future.

In many cases, your SEO strategy may still encompass keywords with existing featured snippets, which is acceptable. Securing and maintaining a position zero ranking can still be advantageous for your business and website.

Page speed isn’t just a consideration for Google’s ranking algorithms; it’s also crucial for user satisfaction.

The demand for swift online experiences is universal, and Google aims to meet this expectation by prioritizing faster-loading websites. Consequently, page speed directly influences your site’s competitiveness in search results. Falling short of the two-second load time expectation can hinder your ability to rank well, even in highly competitive search queries.

This advanced SEO technique should not be overlooked, as it directly impacts user retention. Regardless of how traffic reaches your site—whether through social media or paid advertising—a slow-loading website risks driving visitors away. Consequently, users may opt for a competitor’s site instead.

Despite its significance, many businesses underestimate the influence of page speed. However, even a one-second improvement can yield substantial benefits. Studies show that a mere one-second enhancement in page speed can elevate conversions by up to seven percent.

Improving page speed often requires a collaborative effort involving developers and potentially designers, making it appear as an advanced SEO strategy. Having someone with technical SEO proficiency on your team can offer valuable insights and actionable recommendations for your development and design teams. If you lack an in-house developer, outsourcing to page speed optimization services is an alternative.

However, optimizing page speed is an ongoing endeavor, demanding a proactive stance. Neglecting this aspect risks launching new pages with subpar speed performance, thus diminishing their ranking potential. Sustaining optimal page speed involves implementing measures such as:

Image compression

Minimizing redirects

Optimizing HTML code

Depending on your organizational structure and strategy, some tasks may require developer intervention, such as redirect reduction or code optimization. In such cases, creating a comprehensive guide or wiki for developers can ensure adherence to your speed optimization requirements for new site content.

To assess your page speed, Google offers the free PageSpeed Insights tool.

Although it may seem contradictory to optimizing old content, this latest SEO technique serves as an ideal complement to it.

Why remove thin content?

Thin content is universally disliked. Like a meager dollop of ketchup for a basket of fries, it’s insufficient. While it may provide the initial necessity, it fails to offer an adequate amount of what’s truly needed, whether it’s more ketchup or more information.

For this reason, businesses should eradicate thin content. Examples of thin content include:

• Pages containing 250 words or less
• Affiliate pages
• Doorway pages
• Duplicate content

Removing thin content is also beneficial due to Google’s perspective. Although Google doesn’t penalize sites for thin content, it does affect how your website is perceived. Rather than viewing your site as a valuable source of information, Google perceives it as cluttered with insignificant content offering minimal value.

This perception impacts the search engine’s assessment of your website, influencing not only the ranking of the specific page but also the ranking of other pages.

1. Perform a content audit of your website.
2. Gather all instances of thin content and compile them into a document, such as a Google Sheet.
3. Review the identified thin content.
4. Decide on the appropriate action for each piece of content, whether it involves updating the content or deleting it altogether.

When deleting thin content, it’s crucial to implement a redirect. Without a redirect, users may still stumble upon the deleted page, resulting in a 404 error. By setting up a redirect, you can ensure that users are directed to more valuable content, maximizing the benefit of the previously thin content.

In the online domain, links function as endorsements, signifying trust, support, and recommendation. Google acknowledges this significance by prioritizing links as a top-ranking factor in its algorithm. Yet, acquiring links is a formidable challenge, demanding extensive research and outreach efforts.

For many businesses, link acquisition proves to be the most daunting aspect of SEO. However, given the pivotal role of links, this advanced SEO technique holds great appeal for SEO practitioners. Targeting dead links leading to competitor pages streamlines the link-building process significantly.

This approach allows for the swift identification of industry-relevant sites and blogs that share content pertinent to their audience. Moreover, it enables the discovery of content related to existing pages on your site, enhancing the effectiveness of your link-building endeavors.

To effectively employ this SEO tactic, you’ll need to utilize the following tools:

1. Screaming Frog
2. Google Sheets
3. Ahrefs

Once you have these tools at your disposal, follow these steps using Screaming Frog:

1. Input a competitor’s URL into Screaming Frog.
2. Navigate to “Configuration” and select “Spider” from the dropdown menu.
3. Deselect “Check External Links” and click “Ok.”
4. Initiate the scan.
5. Examine the Client Error (4xx) response codes to identify the competitor’s 404 pages.
6. Export the Client Error (4xx) report as a .csv file by choosing “Export.”

Next, proceed to Google Sheets and complete the following actions:

1. Import the Screaming Frog Client Error (4xx) Inlinks report.
2. Review the competitor’s 404 pages.
3. Mark or highlight any pages suitable for inclusion in your link building strategy.

Once you’ve compiled a list of potential 404 pages to target, proceed to Ahrefs:

1. Input the URLs of the 404 pages into “Site Explorer.”
2. Click on “Backlinks.”
3. Explore the various pages and sites linking to your competitor’s page.
4. Add potential sites for targeting to your Google Sheet.

When evaluating the sites linking to your competitors, pay attention to metrics like Domain Rating (DR) and URL Rating (UR). These metrics can help prioritize high-authority sites over low-value ones. With your list of target sites and pages finalized, your team can commence the outreach process.

The advantage of this advanced SEO approach lies in its compelling reason for outreach. By identifying broken links on these sites, you offer a viable solution. While not every recipient may respond to your outreach, your chances of success are significantly improved.

Your visibility in search results can determine whether a user clicks or scrolls past your listing, making schema markup a vital tool in the arsenal of SEO professionals.

What’s the rationale behind integrating schema markup into pages?

Schema markup, also known as structured data, can significantly impact how your page appears in search results.

Examples of schema markup encompass various elements such as ratings, events, dates, recipes, FAQs, and more.

By implementing schema markup, you furnish users with supplementary information about your page while furnishing Google with valuable data that it can utilize, disseminate, or showcase in search results. This wealth of information not only encourages users to click on your page but also enhances your visibility, granting you more real estate in search results.

The beauty of this cutting-edge SEO technique lies in its accessibility, enabling your team to leverage it effortlessly.

To employ this advanced SEO technique effectively, it’s crucial to select the most suitable pages for its application. Avoid incorporating structured data into pages where it isn’t necessary. For instance, a how-to article wouldn’t require schema markup for reviews or ratings.

However, pages showcasing products or services stand to benefit significantly from this form of schema markup. Once you’ve identified your target pages, initiate the process with Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper.

This user-friendly tool simplifies the process of adding markup to existing pages on your website. Begin with the following steps:

1. Choose the type of data or page.
2. Input your URL.
3. Click on “Start Tagging.”
4. Highlight and tag relevant text or images.
5. Select “Create HTML” upon completion.

After generating your HTML, you’ll need to insert that code into the <head> section of your page. Depending on your business and technical expertise, you may require assistance from a developer to execute this step effectively.

Reuse Both Fresh and Existing Content

In addition to optimizing content, another effective strategy involves repurposing content into different formats for enhanced outcomes.

While traditional content formats like blog posts, articles, or guides serve their purpose, they often struggle to stand out amidst the overwhelming volume of content being produced daily. With approximately half of companies engaged in content marketing publishing new content every day, competition is fierce.

Repurposing your content into alternative formats, such as videos, infographics, social media posts, and more, offers several advantages:

1. It helps your content stand out in a crowded digital landscape.
2. It attracts fresh traffic and engagement to existing content.
3. It revitalizes older content, preventing it from becoming stale in terms of traffic, shares, and conversions.

By presenting your content in a new format, you not only provide additional value to your audience but also increase your chances of reaching the top of search results.

Repurposing content follows a similar process to optimizing old content.

Identify pages that meet the following criteria:

• Experiencing declines in traffic, conversions, and engagement
• Ranking lower in search results, typically on page two or beyond
• Aligning with your overall business objectives

To maximize your efforts and time, prioritize pages that offer the highest potential return on investment (ROI). If a page does not align with your objectives, such as driving sales, leads, or brand awareness, consider bypassing it. However, there may be instances where investing time in a page indirectly supports your goals.

For example, you might choose to repurpose an industry trends article into an infographic. Although this post may not directly lead to conversions, it could enhance social shares and backlinks, ultimately boosting your SEO efforts and improving the rankings of other pages in search results.

Once you’ve selected the pages to repurpose, determine the most suitable format. Consider factors such as whether a video or infographic would provide the greatest value for your audience.

Take the time to research keywords, analyze search engine results pages (SERPs), and understand your audience preferences to inform your decision on the optimal content format. After creating the new content, integrate it into the designated page.

Every SEO approach varies, and by integrating these advanced SEO techniques, you can steer yours in various directions. Whether you opt to prioritize page speed enhancements or content optimization, you can elevate your SEO efforts and propel yourself toward the top position in search results. Should you require assistance refining your SEO strategy, Stratedia is here to assist.

Let us guide you through advanced SEO techniques.

Reach out to us online or give us a call at 860-415-0340 today! SEO remains vibrant and effective, and to thrive, you need an exceptional SEO strategy! Do you have SEO inquiries?