The nature of SEO is constantly evolving. Certain techniques or strategies that worked for your website at the start of the year may no longer be generating the same results 12 months later. Each year, Google updates its search algorithm 500 to 600 times, and while most of these updates don't have a noticeable effect on the SEO landscape, some are significant and may change the way we plan our SEO strategy.
With more than 30% of Google searchers clicking on the first organic result, and 75.1% never making it past the first page, it is more important than ever to keep on top of your SEO.
<div class="btn-container"><div class="btn-body"><div>Hire Top SEO Consultants Today</div><a class="btn-body_link" href="https://www.growthcollective.com/services/seo-consultant"</a></div></div>
If you follow these 10 advanced SEO techniques, you can both improve your website's traffic and ranking and also maximize your return on investment (ROI). Read on to learn more about these SEO techniques, as well as some tools you can use to optimize your website in 2024!
1. Prioritize Your Website's Load Speed
There is no doubt that page loading speed should be taken into consideration in 2024. In addition to serving as a ranking factor for Google, page speed is also a significant factor for users. Online users expect fast website performance; Google intends to deliver that. Users don't tolerate long load times which is why, since 2010, Google has used page speed as a key ranking factor.
Google users expect web pages to load in two seconds or less. When your website fails to meet these criteria, it will struggle to compete in search results.
Listed below are a few statistics that support the importance of speed-optimized websites.
- Almost half (46%) of people say waiting for web pages to load is the most annoying part of mobile web browsing.
- Google claims that 53% of mobile website visitors will abandon a website that takes more than three seconds to load.
You can speed up your website in a variety of ways, including:
- Improving server response time
- Compressing images on your site. The following tools can be used to compress images: JPEG Optimizer, Kraken, ImageRecycle, Tiny PNG, etc.
- Minifying CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
- Fixing 404 errors
- Cutting down on redirects
There are various proven website speed test tools you can utilize such as Google PageSpeed Insights, Pingdom Speed Test and Gtmetrix.
2. Add Schema Markup to Relevant Pages
Although Google's algorithms change constantly, your website's content remains the most important ranking factor. However, how search engines read and interpret web content continues to evolve.
Recently, Google has become much better at analyzing user search queries and purposes. Due to this, it now delivers more appropriate search results to its users. Many website owners are unaware of the significance of schema markup and structured data. This SEO technique allows websites to send information more quickly and systematically to crawlers and search engines.
The following are a few examples of schema markup:
- Ratings
- Events
- Local Business
- Recipes
- FAQs
Schema marks allow you to provide users with additional information about your page. Also, you provide Google with valuable data it can use, share or feature in search results. Users are motivated to click on your page based on all of this information, and your site can achieve more visibility in search engine results.
What's great is that you can take advantage of this latest SEO technique with relative ease. If you're a SaaS company, partnering with an experienced SEO agency for SaaS can help you select the appropriate schema types for your content, ensuring that search engines better understand your pages.
3. Optimize Your Content for Voice Search
With Voice Search Optimization, users can conduct focused internet searches using their voice. Your voice search assistant will perform the necessary research and provide the answer to practically any question.
The use of voice search is growing since it is easier and faster than typing. As technology continues to develop, voice search can understand more conversational search terms to provide relevant results.
It is estimated that almost 40% of adult consumers now use mobile voice search at least once a day. Considering how many people are utilizing this technology, optimizing your business for voice search makes perfect sense.
The following tips will help you organize your content to make it more accessible through voice search on Google and other services:
Present your content in a conversational manner
The foundation of voice recognition technology is the "natural" structure of language. In this instance, it takes a more conversational tone. If you use more accessible language, you're more likely to secure a first-time customer and gain repeat business.
Utilize long-tail keywords
Typed searches are often shorter and less specific than voice searches. As a result, your content should include more long-tail keywords instead of the more commonly-used shorter terms.
For example, if your business is in the fitness industry, you would have better luck optimizing your content for 'sustainable high-waisted leggings' opposed to 'women's leggings'.
As a general rule, the more specific and intentional you are in creating your content, the more likely you are to include multiple sought-after keywords into one phrase.
4. Keep your Google My Business listings up to date
All the relevant information about your business is included in your Google My Business listing for anyone conducting a search. Location, operating hours, and contact information are included.
More recent and updated information will lead to more customer interaction. Updated information will be especially useful for 'Near Me' searches.
5. Remove spammy backlinks
Backlinks were once considered the holy grail of SEO. In Google's ranking algorithm, backlinks still carry huge weight, but the quality of the links is becoming increasingly important.
In November 2021, Google launched an algorithm update with a new focus on devaluing spammy backlinks. No specific sites were penalized. However, the process stopped counting a large number of backlinks that many sites relied on, which negatively affected rankings.
Backlink offers are common among website owners and SEO experts alike. Your inbox is likely flooded with offers every other day. In most cases, you will be offered incredibly low prices that may entice you. The majority of the time, these requests are made by site owners who have a lower score of domain authority or who use dishonest SEO tactics.
There are several paid and free SEO tools you can utilize to check the quality and spam score of your existing backlink portfolio. These include SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, and Majestic. Most SaaS marketing agencies use these tools to evaluate the backlink profiles of websites.
6. E-A-T
With Google's constantly changing search algorithm, the EAT principle can help you master long-term SEO success. This sounds pretty good, doesn't it? But what exactly is EAT?
EAT is an acronym for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. This measures the online reputation of your brand. Sites with more credibility, authenticity, and trustworthiness are ranked higher by Google than those without.
E-A-T for SEO: Why it's essential
In recent years, you probably noticed a recurring theme among the major updates to Google's algorithm: continuously enhancing the user experience.
It has long been considered bad practice by Google to stuff keywords in content, as it reduces the reading experience. When users began searching on mobile devices, mobile responsiveness became an important ranking factor. In an effort to increase security, Google prioritized HTTPS over HTTP. Core Web Vitals was designed to ensure a streamlined experience for users. E-A-T is no exception. This is another example of Google delivering on user expectations.
E-A-T helps determine credibility. It’s the basis of evaluation as to whether a website and its pages create real value for the user. Google wants to serve up the pages with the most value concerning a specific search query, because that’s how it keeps people coming back.
You can optimize your website to meet Google's E-A-T update by following the following tips:
- Expertise. Your content needs to be accurate, informative, and based on credible sources.
- Authoritativeness. White hat backlinks from high-authority sites can help you develop credibility as a reputable source.
- Trustworthiness. Customer reviews are an effective way for you to show that you are trustworthy.
Conclusion
With the help of this blog, I hope you gained more insight into advanced SEO techniques and strategies that can increase your website's organic traffic and conversions in 2024 and beyond. Keep in mind that SEO takes time, but the key to success is consistency.
These advanced SEO techniques provide you with a variety of options for your SEO strategy. Whether you choose to concentrate on page speed, Schema Markup or Voice Search Optimization, you can improve your SEO and work your way to the #1 spot in Google's search results pages.
These advanced SEO strategies, however, aren’t your standard best practices that other websites, including your competitors, are utilizing, so this is how you get ahead. While these tips may take a little more effort, and you will need to implement them consistently, they will go a long way toward helping you dominate the SERPs.
