Hey there, fellow digital marketers and website owners! Let’s chat about something that’s always on our minds: getting our websites to shine brighter in search results. It’s 2024, and the SEO game is as lively as ever. I’ve been in the trenches, testing out strategies, and boy, do I have some insights to share with you today!
Before we dive in, let me tell you a quick story. Last month, I was working with a client – let’s call her Sarah – who runs a small online bookstore. She was frustrated because her beautifully curated site was buried on page 5 of Google. Can you imagine? All those lovely books, hidden away like a secret library! We rolled up our sleeves and got to work. The results? Well, let’s just say Sarah’s now dealing with a much nicer problem – keeping up with all the new orders!
So, without further ado, let’s explore SLINKY digital agency’s five SEO tactics that can help boost your website’s visibility this year. Trust me, these aren’t just theory – they’re battle-tested strategies that really work.
- Embrace the Power of AI-Generated Content (But with a Human Touch!)
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “AI content? Isn’t that what Google’s trying to crack down on?” Well, yes and no. Here’s the deal: AI tools can be incredibly helpful for generating ideas, outlining content, and even drafting initial versions. But – and this is a big but – you can’t just let the robots take over completely.
The key is to use AI as a starting point, then roll up your sleeves and add that human magic. Sprinkle in your expertise, throw in some personal anecdotes, and make sure your brand’s unique voice shines through. It’s like using a cake mix but adding your secret ingredients to make it truly special.
For example, I recently used an AI tool to help brainstorm topics for a client’s blog. The tool suggested “Top 10 Gardening Tips for Beginners.” Sounds pretty standard, right? But then we took that idea and transformed it into “Confessions of a Plant Killer: How I Finally Grew a Thriving Garden (And You Can Too!)”. See the difference? It’s personal, it’s relatable, and it’s much more likely to grab attention.
According to a study by Semrush, pages with AI-assisted content that’s been thoroughly edited and enhanced by humans can perform just as well as fully human-written content in search rankings. But remember, quality is key. Don’t just churn out AI content for the sake of it. Make sure every piece adds value for your readers.
- Video Content: Not Just for TikTok Anymore
Okay, let’s talk video. If you’re not using video content as part of your SEO strategy, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. And no, I’m not just talking about going viral on TikTok (though that wouldn’t hurt!).
Here’s a little secret: Google loves video content. Why? Because users love video content. In fact, according to Cisco, video will make up 82% of all internet traffic by 2024. That’s huge!
But here’s where a lot of folks go wrong: they create great videos, upload them to YouTube, and call it a day. Don’t get me wrong, YouTube is fantastic, but you need to do more. Embed those videos on your website. Create transcript pages. Use video snippets in your blog posts.
Let me give you a real-world example. I have a client who runs a local bakery. We created a series of short, simple videos showing how to make basic pastries at home. Nothing fancy, just honest, helpful content. We embedded these videos on blog posts with the full recipes, created separate pages with video transcripts, and even made short GIFs for social media.
The result? Organic traffic to the website increased by 156% in just three months. Plus, the average time on page shot up from 1 minute to over 4 minutes. People were coming for the videos and sticking around to explore the rest of the site.
Remember, you don’t need Hollywood production values. Authenticity trumps perfection every time. Use your smartphone, be yourself, and focus on providing value to your audience.
- Core Web Vitals: The Need for Speed (and More)
Let’s chat about something that might sound a bit techy but is super important: Core Web Vitals. Now, don’t let the name scare you off. It’s basically Google’s way of measuring how user-friendly your website is.
There are three main things Google looks at:
- Loading speed (Largest Contentful Paint)
- Interactivity (First Input Delay)
- Visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift)
In plain English? Your site needs to load fast, be quick to respond when someone clicks something, and not have things jumping around on the page as it loads.
Now, I’m not going to lie to you – optimizing Core Web Vitals can get pretty technical. But there are some simple things you can do that make a big difference:
- Optimize your images. You don’t need massive 4K images on your site. Scale them down, compress them, and consider using next-gen formats like WebP.
- Minimize your use of large JavaScript libraries. Yes, that fancy animation looks cool, but is it worth slowing down your whole site?
- Use a good caching plugin if you’re on WordPress.
- Consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to serve your content faster to users around the world.
I had a client – let’s call him Tom – who ran an online store selling artisanal cheeses. His site was beautiful, with high-res images of every cheese. The problem? It loaded slower than a snail climbing a hill. We optimized his images, streamlined his code, and set up a CDN. The result? His page load time went from 6 seconds to under 2 seconds, and his bounce rate dropped by 35%.
According to a study by Deloitte, just a 0.1 second improvement in site speed can increase conversion rates by 8% for retail sites and 10% for travel sites. That’s not small potatoes!
- E-A-T: It’s Not Just for Lunch Anymore
No, I’m not talking about your midday meal. E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s a big deal in SEO, especially for sites that fall under what Google calls “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) categories – things like health, finance, and safety.
So, how do you boost your E-A-T? Here are a few tactics:
- Show off your credentials. If you’re a doctor, make sure your qualifications are clearly displayed. If you’re a certified financial planner, flaunt that certification!
- Get quality backlinks from reputable sites in your industry.
- Keep your content up-to-date and factually accurate.
- Include author bios for your content, especially if you have multiple contributors.
- Gather and display customer reviews and testimonials.
Let me tell you about a client of mine, a nutritionist we’ll call Dr. Jane. She had great content on her site, but it wasn’t performing well in search results for competitive terms. We revamped her about page to highlight her Ph.D. and years of clinical experience, added detailed author bios to each blog post, and reached out to health and wellness sites for guest posting opportunities.
We also implemented a review system and encouraged her clients to leave feedback. Within six months, her organic traffic for key YMYL terms increased by 200%, and she started ranking on page one for several competitive keywords.
Remember, E-A-T isn’t just about impressing Google. It’s about building trust with your audience. When people trust you, they’re more likely to engage with your content, share it, and come back for more. And that’s the kind of signal Google loves to see.
- Local SEO: Think Global, Rank Local
Last but definitely not least, let’s talk about local SEO. If you have a physical location or serve a specific geographic area, local SEO should be at the top of your priority list.
Here’s the thing: people searching for local businesses often have high intent. When someone searches for “pizza delivery near me” at 8 PM on a Friday, you can bet they’re ready to order. You want to be the one they find.
So, how do you win at local SEO? Here are some tactics:
- Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile. This is non-negotiable. Make sure your name, address, and phone number are correct and consistent across the web.
- Get local citations. These are mentions of your business on other websites, especially local directories.
- Encourage and respond to reviews. Both on your Google Business Profile and on sites like Yelp.
- Create location-specific pages on your website if you serve multiple areas.
- Use local schema markup on your website to help search engines understand your location and services.
I recently worked with a small chain of coffee shops – let’s call them “Bob’s Beans”. They had three locations in a mid-sized city but were struggling to compete with bigger chains in local search results.
We created individual location pages for each shop, complete with unique content about the neighborhood and locally-inspired menu items. We also set up a system to encourage happy customers to leave reviews, making sure to respond to each one personally.
The results were impressive. Within three months, “Bob’s Beans” was showing up in the top 3 local pack results for “coffee shop” searches in each of their neighborhoods. Their foot traffic increased by 30%, with many new customers saying they found the shop through a local search.
According to BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey, 93% of consumers used the internet to find a local business in 2020, with 34% searching every day. That’s a lot of potential customers you could be reaching with strong local SEO.
Wrapping It Up
So there you have it – five SEO tactics that can help boost your website’s visibility in 2024. From leveraging AI and video content to optimizing your Core Web Vitals, building your E-A-T, and nailing your local SEO, these strategies can make a real difference in your search rankings.
Remember, SEO isn’t about quick fixes or gaming the system. It’s about creating a website that truly serves your users’ needs. Focus on providing value, and the rankings will follow.
I’d love to hear about your experiences with these tactics. Have you tried any of them? What worked for you? What challenges did you face? Drop a comment below and let’s keep the conversation going!
And hey, if you found this post helpful, why not share it with a friend or colleague who’s also on the SEO journey? After all, we’re all in this together!
Until next time, happy optimizing!