SEO has changed a lot as the internet has developed. The early internet was filled with search engines like Ask Jeeves and AltaVista that worked as well as they could at the time but were easy to manipulate for SEO. As Google became the dominant search engine in the 2000s, ranking for keywords became more of a tactical artform and today it is the platform that SEO is tailored to. All that focus, though, has increased competition to rank keywords. Here are three steps to solve low competition keyword ranking.
Let’s Discuss Your Keyword Ranking Goals
Step 1: Use a Keyword Ranking Tracker
One of the best and easiest ways to monitor the overall keyword ranking of your website is by installing a keyword rank tracker. Getting started is easy with keyword tracking and SEO plugins like Yoast that help breakdown what on your site is working well and which content could use some TLC. These can be used in combination with free Google keyword tools to find new opportunities for additional keywords to add to your site.
Pro Tip: Once you’ve installed your keyword rank tracker of choice, it’s time to take a look at the results. The majority of keywords should make sense with your business/industry. Take note of anything that you think may be missing or find surprising to help in step 3.
Step 2: Perform a Tactical Content Audit
Performing a tactical content audit helps to reduce keyword competition among your own pages, often called “keyword cannibalization”. While it’s good to thoroughly cover a topic, search engines can struggle to determine which of your pages to promote when they all are vying for the same search results page. Instead, try to make each of your pages focus on a different variation of a keyword so that few (ideally zero) pages are fighting for the same exact placement, but rather are able to bolster and support the website ranking overall.
Pro Tip: If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, it can be worth it to go through your website with a fine-tooth comb and list each page with your goal keyword for each. Once you have the list, you can go through it to see which pages are in competition and what tweaks can be made to reduce this. This can be especially impactful for older content (especially blogs) and you may find that it’s best to merge two articles or that a new spin can be put on one to create an entirely new keyword.
Step 3: Create More Content
One of the best ways to rank for more keywords is simply to have more content on your website. One of the first things to do once you have your list of current and desired keywords is to create content targeted for those keywords. Keyword-focused blogging is a great way to increase the amount of high-quality content on your site and can provide excellent supporting material for your sales or marketing process.
Visual content like videos, infographics, or charts are great for engagement, but often don’t do much to help your keyword ranking SEO. The same is true for audio forms like podcasts or audiobooks that can be a great way to reach new audiences but don’t offer much in the way of SEO. Adding text, like a transcript or detailed explanation of a visual, to these pieces can give an SEO boost along with higher engagement.
Pro Tip: When adding more content, think horizontally and vertically. Horizontal topics are keywords that are very close relatives of your main topic. If you own a website selling sporting goods, this could be things like “What to look for in a hockey stick” or “The best new irons for your golf game” where you talk specifically about the kinds of products or services you supply.
Vertical content is meant to hit a slightly different audience at a different time in the purchase cycle. This would be more something like “How to create a backyard hockey rink” or “7 places to golf before you die”. This content is interesting to a slightly wider audience and works to promote your brand while also advertising specific products.
Keyword tracking is the first step to solving your low keyword ranking, but it’s definitely not the last. Create the best chance for your website to rank well and appear to more customers with the affordable SEO and web development services by contacting Neur today!
