Best practices to improve your SEO
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 4:35 am
4 steps to get links naturally
In its Search Essentials document , Google recommends that website owners focus on creating unique and relevant content that is beneficial to users. This is the key principle for earning links naturally: providing valuable resources or information that school principals email database others will want to share.
With that in mind, here are four steps you can take to start getting natural mentions on your site.
Step 1: Create deep and relevant content
The foundation of an effective online strategy is content creation.
You need to produce materials that are not only relevant to your niche but also provide comprehensive information that makes your content stand out from the competition.
In-depth articles, data-driven research, infographics, presentations , visuals, and original studies are more likely to be linked to because they are considered comprehensive and authoritative.
Infuse your content with unique perspectives, fresh data, or innovative approaches that compel readers to engage and share.
For example, instead of writing a generic product review, try creating a detailed comparison guide between several products in your niche, like ModestMoney did in their Rocket Money vs Simplifi article .
Comparison guide
Step 2: Implement solid SEO practices
While the primary goal is to produce content for real people, SEO practices should also be taken into account.
Apply on-page SEO techniques , including proper use of keywords, meta tags, and internal links, to ensure that search engines can effectively understand and index your content.
Additionally, this helps potential linking sites or bloggers identify the relevance of your content when searching for articles or blog posts, making it easier for them to find and link to your materials.
In my opinion, keyword research is the most critical aspect. If you can find low-competition, high-volume keywords, you'll have a better chance of appearing high on search engine results pages (and getting natural mentions).
Use tools like Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, or SEMrush to research and identify terms relevant to your content. You can also leverage them to steal keywords from your competitors.
Keyword intent in keyword research
Step 3: Add structured data markup
Structured data markup is a language-agnostic way to provide additional information about your content to search engines. This metadata helps them better understand the context and meaning of your content, making it more likely to appear in relevant searches.
It can also improve the way your content appears online by providing more detailed and visually appealing snippets . It can also be used to improve the visibility of your content on other platforms, such as social media and voice assistants.
You can implement structured data markup using the JSON-LD or Microdata formats. Google provides a Structured Data Markup Helper tool to help you easily create the necessary code for your content.
Structured Data Markup Helper
Step 4: Foster relationships with your audience and colleagues
Every editorially placed link without your intervention is a signal of trust in your content. You can help cultivate this trust by actively engaging with your audience and the community at large.
Respond to comments on your blog, participate in discussions on relevant forums, and connect with colleagues with whom you can collaborate or share your content.
Building these relationships can lead to more natural citations and possibly formal collaborations involving content sharing and cross-linking strategies.
In its Search Essentials document , Google recommends that website owners focus on creating unique and relevant content that is beneficial to users. This is the key principle for earning links naturally: providing valuable resources or information that school principals email database others will want to share.
With that in mind, here are four steps you can take to start getting natural mentions on your site.
Step 1: Create deep and relevant content
The foundation of an effective online strategy is content creation.
You need to produce materials that are not only relevant to your niche but also provide comprehensive information that makes your content stand out from the competition.
In-depth articles, data-driven research, infographics, presentations , visuals, and original studies are more likely to be linked to because they are considered comprehensive and authoritative.
Infuse your content with unique perspectives, fresh data, or innovative approaches that compel readers to engage and share.
For example, instead of writing a generic product review, try creating a detailed comparison guide between several products in your niche, like ModestMoney did in their Rocket Money vs Simplifi article .
Comparison guide
Step 2: Implement solid SEO practices
While the primary goal is to produce content for real people, SEO practices should also be taken into account.
Apply on-page SEO techniques , including proper use of keywords, meta tags, and internal links, to ensure that search engines can effectively understand and index your content.
Additionally, this helps potential linking sites or bloggers identify the relevance of your content when searching for articles or blog posts, making it easier for them to find and link to your materials.
In my opinion, keyword research is the most critical aspect. If you can find low-competition, high-volume keywords, you'll have a better chance of appearing high on search engine results pages (and getting natural mentions).
Use tools like Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, or SEMrush to research and identify terms relevant to your content. You can also leverage them to steal keywords from your competitors.
Keyword intent in keyword research
Step 3: Add structured data markup
Structured data markup is a language-agnostic way to provide additional information about your content to search engines. This metadata helps them better understand the context and meaning of your content, making it more likely to appear in relevant searches.
It can also improve the way your content appears online by providing more detailed and visually appealing snippets . It can also be used to improve the visibility of your content on other platforms, such as social media and voice assistants.
You can implement structured data markup using the JSON-LD or Microdata formats. Google provides a Structured Data Markup Helper tool to help you easily create the necessary code for your content.
Structured Data Markup Helper
Step 4: Foster relationships with your audience and colleagues
Every editorially placed link without your intervention is a signal of trust in your content. You can help cultivate this trust by actively engaging with your audience and the community at large.
Respond to comments on your blog, participate in discussions on relevant forums, and connect with colleagues with whom you can collaborate or share your content.
Building these relationships can lead to more natural citations and possibly formal collaborations involving content sharing and cross-linking strategies.