SEO isn’t just some fancy acronym people throw around—it’s the core of making your website visible to the people who matter. The more visible your website is, the more traffic you’ll get. And the more traffic you get? The more conversions and money you’ll make.
Now, here’s the catch: SEO isn’t static. What worked 3 months ago could already be outdated. That’s why we’re here today. In this ongoing Q&A series, we sit down with an SEO guru to answer your most pressing SEO questions. You’ve got burning questions; we’ve got fresh, actionable answers. Let’s jump in!
1. How Do I Get My Website to Rank on the First Page of Google?
This question comes up all the time. Everyone wants to be on the first page because let’s face it, who clicks to page two? The good news: It’s possible to get there. The bad news: It’s not easy or instant.
Here’s what an SEO expert would tell you:
Quality content is non-negotiable. You can’t just stuff keywords into articles and hope they’ll rank. Google is way too smart for that now. You need content that’s well-researched, provides real value, and is relevant to what people are searching for.
Next, optimise your on-page SEO. This means structuring your content properly. Use headers (H1, H2, H3), make your site easy to navigate, and ensure your meta descriptions, titles, and images are optimised with relevant keywords.
Lastly, build high-quality backlinks. Google still looks at backlinks as a way of determining how credible and trustworthy your site is. Think of backlinks like a “vote of confidence” from other websites. But here’s the kicker: These need to come from reputable sites. No spamming, no buying cheap backlinks.
2. What SEO Trends Should I Be Paying Attention To Right Now?
SEO trends change faster than a teenager’s TikTok preferences. If you’re serious about staying on top, you have to keep up with the latest trends. As of late, here are the major ones an SEO expert would highlight:
AI and SEO Automation
Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and SEO is no exception. Tools like GPT and ChatGPT are shaping how content is created, but they can also help automate SEO tasks like keyword research and content generation. The key here? Don’t rely solely on AI. It’s a powerful tool, but it can’t replace human creativity and strategy.
Voice Search
This is huge and will continue growing. With the rise of smart speakers like Alexa and Google Home, more and more people are conducting voice searches. Optimise your content for natural language and long-tail keywords. People don’t type “best pizza near me” when they’re speaking. Instead, they say, “Where can I find the best pizza nearby?”
Core Web Vitals
Google introduced Core Web Vitals to measure how user-friendly your site is. This isn’t just about having a mobile-responsive site anymore. It’s about load times, interactivity, and visual stability. If your website is slow or clunky, it doesn’t matter how good your content is—Google will penalise you.
E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
Google is big on rewarding content that demonstrates E-A-T, especially in areas like finance, health, or any industry where bad advice can be dangerous. Make sure your content is written by (or attributed to) someone who has real credentials in the field.
3. Does the Length of My Content Matter for SEO?
Yes and no. While it’s true that longer content often ranks higher, it’s not just about cranking out 2,000 words of fluff. You need to write enough to comprehensively cover the topic. If you can explain something in 800 words, don’t stretch it out. But if it takes 2,500 words to dive deep into a complex issue, go for it.
The SEO guru’s advice? Focus on value. Write enough to cover the topic thoroughly and give people what they’re searching for. Quality trumps quantity every time. But if you want a general rule of thumb, aim for at least 1,000 words for more competitive keywords.
4. How Do I Use Keywords Without Overdoing It?
Keyword stuffing is dead. If you’re still trying to cram as many keywords as possible into your content, you’re hurting yourself more than helping. Google’s algorithms are advanced enough to spot this from a mile away, and they’ll drop your ranking faster than you can say “penalty.”
So how do you do it right?
An SEO expert would recommend focus on primary and secondary keywords. Use your primary keyword in key areas: the title, the first 100 words of your content, meta description, and a few headers. For secondary keywords, sprinkle them throughout naturally. The goal is to keep your content readable and helpful, not robotic.
Pro tip: Use LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords. These are terms related to your primary keyword. For example, if your main keyword is “running shoes,” LSI keywords could include terms like “best trainers for running” or “marathon running shoes.”
5. Is Link Building Still Important for SEO?
Absolutely. In fact, backlinks are one of the top three ranking factors for Google. But here’s the caveat: Not all links are created equal. Spammy links from low-authority sites will do more harm than good. What you need are quality backlinks from high-authority domains.
But how do you get these backlinks?
The SEO guru’s go-to strategy is content marketing. Create epic, shareable content that other sites will want to link to. This could be long-form guides, original research, or detailed case studies. If your content adds real value, people will naturally link to it.
Additionally, try guest posting. Reach out to high-authority websites in your niche and offer to write a guest post. In return, you can include a link back to your site. Just make sure the content is top-tier, otherwise you’ll come off as spammy.
6. How Do I Track My SEO Progress?
Knowing what to track is half the battle. Here are the core metrics an SEO guru would tell you to keep an eye on:
- Organic Traffic: How many people are visiting your site from search engines? Track this in Google Analytics.
- Keyword Rankings: Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to track where your keywords are ranking. Are they moving up or down?
- Backlinks: Use Ahrefs or Moz to monitor your backlinks. Are you getting high-quality links from reputable sites?
- Conversion Rates: It’s great to have traffic, but how much of that traffic is converting? This is where you need to focus on optimising landing pages and user experience (UX).
- Bounce Rate: This measures how many people leave your site after viewing just one page. A high bounce rate means your site isn’t engaging or providing value. Aim to improve this.
Final Thoughts: SEO Isn’t a Quick Fix—It’s a Long-Term Game
If there’s one thing to take away from this, it’s that SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Too many people expect quick results, but that’s not how it works. You need a strategy, you need patience, and most importantly, you need to keep adapting. What worked last year might not work next year.
The bottom line: Keep learning, keep optimising, and keep building a site that provides value. The rankings will come.
By staying on top of these SEO trends and following expert advice, you’ll put your website in the best position to succeed in the search engine rankings. Remember, SEO is all about consistency and quality over time. Stay tuned for more insights in tomorrow’s blog, where we dive into another common SEO challenge!