4 Search Engine Optimization Secrets To Improve Your SEO

Ever conducted keyword research and felt a little at a loss?  Perhaps your results returned a kajillion possible terms you could optimize your site for and you were even more confused than you were before you started keyword research.

I remember the feeling.  It can be even more challenging to put the data together if you’re not particularly an SEO or analytical person who can stand crunching numbers.    There are many keyword research tools you can use to improve your SEO, and I’ve found that you can get a wonderful start with The Google External Keyword Tool.  We’ve written about this one before and even have a few videos.  However, before you even get into keyword research there are a few search engine optimization secrets, I’d like to share with you that will make gathering your list of keywords a lot easier and help you become a more effective online marketer.

Here are Some Search Engine Optimization Secrets to Help You Gather a Stronger Keyword List

1) Know Your Target Audience

It’s a lot easier to search engine optimize content and attract business online when you know you have found a niche that is needs exactly what you have to offer.  80% or more business owners start by catering to everyone.  Just as it’s a long shot for you to rank for “photographer” or “coach,” it is a lot less effective for you to cater to all folks who want to take photos or all people who have problems.   Knowing exactly what type of customer you’d like to work with will help you focus your keyword research and narrow down the endless possibilities of keyword combinations.

In addition, you can build relationships with potential clients a lot easier if you know exactly what their needs, wants and desires are.  I can attest, I have been narrowing more and more.  And continue to mold and define my niche.  The earlier you can do this, the better you will get at attracting the right clients, and the better you will get at growing your online business.  This is perhaps one of the biggest search engine optimization secrets.

2) Know What You Are Best At And Incorporate That Into Your Search Engine Optimization Process

What are you best at?  If you’re a photographer, are you great at giving instruction on how to best capture an action shot?  If so, you’d do best teaching others via video content.  Some keyword possibilities would be “action photography tutorials.”  (I’m giving a hypothetical keyword suggestion here.  Of course do the keyword research to see if this is actually good on demand and competition).

If you’re a coach, are you best at getting people motivated to take action and get things done?  If you’re a coach who is best at helping your clients create an action plan, then you know that your sweet spot with your keywords will have to be action oriented keywords such as “setting business goals,” for instance.  Knowing these things off hand, will help improve the search engine optimization process for your site greatly.

Whatever your expertise is, focus on that.  My expertise happens to be in search engine optimization and helping coaches and entrepreneurs drill down to find their core values and getting those aligned with their marketing plan (or as I call it, motivating the “inner guru” to strategize and express herself in her marketing).  You will find most of the posts I’ve written on this blog cater towards those topics.

When you write and express what you are strong at, you always remain in the flow.   Knowing your strengths can help you select keyword phrases that will resonate not only with Google, but with your target audience as well.  Additionally, you can focus on search engine optimizing pages and content that will be in alignment with who you are and where you can best serve your clients.

3) Optimize for Keywords that Are Related to the Main Keyword Phrase you Would Ultimately Like to Rank on Page 1 For.

When you begin building your keyword list and narrow down your top choices, you’ll decide what main keyword phrase(s) you’d like to really make sure you’re on page one of the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) for.  One of the best pieces of advice I give my clients is to make sure to use related keywords linking back to that page or post they want to ensure stays on page 1 of the SERPs.  Now, there is a lot more to SEO than this, but it helps your “On Page SEO” if you link back to content you want to rank higher for.

4) The Final Search Engine Optimization Secret: Keep Learning SEO

SEO changes and keyword demands and competition do as well.  Keep reading up on and studying SEO and conduct periodic keyword research (shoot for every 2-3 months) to see what the trends are in your industry.  Google Insights for Search and the Google Adwords Keyword Tool are both great places to find trending topics in your industry.

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About The Author

Dali Burgado, also known as "The Dali Blogger" teaches creative entrepreneurs how to carve a web presence that connects with their Inner Guru and their target audience. Her first online marketing love is SEO. She's an avid connector on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. When she's not coaching or teaching, she's tweaking sites for Search Engine Visibility, working on her PHP and Javascript coding skills, Singing Opera, or learning about gardening. Circle Dali on Google+