Semantic phrases glide through your blog posts with the grace of Michelle Kwan. Kris Jenner takes notes on your social media strategy, and the load speed of your accelerated mobile pages (AMPs) is enough to leave a cheetah in the dust. Nevertheless, you find your site stagnant on the Google search engine results page (SERP) totem pole.
If following search engine optimization (SEO) best practices hasn’t moved you as close to the top of Google SERPs as you’d hoped, it may be time to implement these three lesser-known SEO practices.
- Steer Clear of Double Trouble
Bonnie and Clyde. Romeo and Juliet. Your latest blog post and matching content on another company’s site. Name a more ill-fated duo. We’ll wait.
Google SERPs not only reward websites that feature fresh, original content, they punish those that post duplicate content. Whether your copywriter is guilty of accidental plagiarism or just forgot to cite a source, Google has been known to de-index sites that host content found elsewhere on the web.
There are lots of costly software applications built to help you determine whether or not your site content is lifted from another source. But ultimately, hiring careful writers who like to think outside of the box is the best way to ensure your website content is so fresh Google can’t help but take notice.
- Reroute
Google favors pages with many internal, inbound links. If, for example, all website pages lead visitors to your company’s contact information and very few link to your solutions pages, it may be time to adjust internal links, so that Google SERPs prioritize the same pages you do.
A reroute requires the webmaster to identify pages with the most inbound links. Then, they must apply special code that removes less important pages from Google’s radar and redirects attention to the content that matters most. Rerouting is a necessary but complex process that’s often best left to an expert.
- Join the Club
The quality of a site’s SEO is measured by how well it answers prospective clients’ questions. It’s difficult to achieve stellar SEO if you don’t know what they’re asking. Fortunately, the Internet is brimming with niche forums, where you can connect and converse with potential customers.
Participating in online communities (like Quora) and industry or interest specific LinkedIn groups can help bring you closer to the top of the Google SERP in three key ways. Firstly, discussions in online forums provide you insight into the desires and pain points of your target demographic—information that can be spun into relevant web copy. Secondly, participating in these discussions helps establish your brand as an industry leader. Last but not least, online communities offer ample opportunity for you to slip links to your site in the comments section.
Eliminating duplicates, emphasizing important internal links, and establishing industry authority are three great ways to supplement your SEO and achieve SERP superiority. After all, the more steps you take, the higher you’ll climb!
Liqui-Site’s SEO and web design specialists are happy to help you on your way up the search rankings. Contact us today.
