The Best SEO Practices For 2024

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential when it comes to ranking your website high on search engines without having to pay for online advertising.

As the algorithms and ranking factors constantly evolve it's important to stay up to date on all your SEO know-how and best practices. In this article we will do just that, we will supply you with some of our proven strategies that will have you ranking higher in no time in 2024, because things have changed… but we got you covered!

This article will not only help beginners develop a better understanding of SEO but it will also help experienced veterans sharpen their skills.

Ready to start outranking your competitors and achieving higher rankings with the best SEO?

Let's begin!

93% of online experiences begin with a search engine. People use Google to find what they need every minute of every day. SEO applies to searches for any product, service, or individual imaginable.

According to Search Engine Watch, 90% of Internet users choose a business on the first page of search results–SEO is a way to take your company to the next level.

Having great SEO is a must for any website or business.

Keyword research is the foundation of every successful SEO strategy and this should always be done first! 

When doing this you gain valuable insights into what terms and phrases your target audience uses to find your (or competitors) products and services. 

When you target and develop your content tailored to the right keywords you rank higher on search engine result pages (SERPs).

And in turn attract more qualified traffic to your website who will likely convert to paying customers.

To start out here are some powerful tools you can use (some of them even free):

1. Google Keyword Planner
2. Semrush
3. Moz
4. Wordstream

There are hundreds if not thousands more out there for you to choose from but we recommend you start with Google Keyword Planner as it's free and you will never have to pay for it, however the other ones still have some more advanced features you might find helpful.

Once you know what your target keywords are, it's important to effectively utilize them to optimize your website's content! You can start by naturally integrating your keywords into your page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and throughout the bodies of your content. Creating specific landing pages for certain keywords is a great way to enhance your chances of ranking high.

Be sure to incorporate multimedia elements, like images and videos, optimized with relevant keywords and descriptive alt tags. By strategically placing your targeted keywords throughout your website content, you enhance its visibility and relevance to search engines.

Meta tags, including title tags and meta descriptions, play a crucial role in SEO. When you optimize these tags with the keywords you recently discovered you improve your website's visibility in search results and get more clicks to your site. A good strategy is to craft unique and compelling tags that still accurately describe the content that is on that page but still use your keywords. Similarly, write persuasive meta descriptions that summarize the page's content and encourage clicks. Doing all this will improve your click through rates greatly.

Headings, such as H1, H2, and so on, serve as important signposts for search engines and website visitors. Be sure to write descriptive yet compelling headlines that utilize your keywords. Something that is often overlooked in SEO is SEO friendly URLs. When you create your URL for your web pages keep them concise, descriptive, and full of keywords and definitely include your target keyword in the URL itself, typically you want this near the beginning. Don’t use complex numbers or random characters because they confuse the search engines and users alike. Some websites use a referral link to track and reward affiliates, but make sure this also user and search friendly.

Don’t forget that user experience is also important. To enhance it, be sure to provide clear navigation throughout your website by making sure your site's structure allows for your traffic to easily find the information they are looking for. When doing this don’t forget about those keywords!

Internal linking is also very helpful. This refers to linking to other pages within your website. This allows search engines to discover your website easier and also improves your structure and how traffic engages with it. A good strategy is to incorporate relevant anchor text when linking to other pages by using keywords that describe the linked content.

Content is extremely important when it comes to SEO. Not just what your content is but if it's relevant to your keywords and helpful to your audience. Nowadays there is a vast ocean of content essentially so being original, informative, and engaging is a great way to stand out. 

When you are original you stand out from the crowd as a unique brand, when you are informative you provide value to your audience that they want, and when you are engaging you keep them coming back for more.

Keywords once again also come into play. When creating content don't force the keyword in there, make it natural and certainly do not keyword stuff, this means excessively using a keyword without regard for making it readable because this can actually hurt your SEO efforts.

Use your keywords in prominent places like headlines, subheadings, introductions and conclusions.

Don’t forget to have your content structured in a way that makes it easy for your audience to read or engage with while still making it easy for search engines to recognize. A good way to do this is simply use headings and subheadings to break down your content into logical sections. Also using bullet points, lists, and short paragraphs helps. This helps search engines understand what it is.

Everything constantly changes online so be sure your content changes with it. Take advantage of current trends when you can and regularly update your content to align with best practices.

Backlinks, also known as incoming links or inbound links, are crucial for SEO. 

They are links from other websites that point back to your website and search engines essentially consider backlinks as a vote of confidence and authority for your content. 

The more high-quality and relevant backlinks your website has, the more search engines view your site as trustworthy and valuable. 

These not only drive traffic from other websites but they also improve your ranking.

If you're wondering how to get quality backlinks, start by identifying relevant and authoritative websites in your industry. 

Develop relationships with website owners, bloggers, and influencers in your industry. You can do this by simply reaching out to them, networking, or offering collaboration opportunities. You can even offer linking your content to their website. Another easy way to start doing this is by building up your social media presence and developing relationships that way.

Be careful to avoid low quality or spammy backlinks because these can end up hurting your SEO and reputation. Focus more on getting backlinks from authoritative websites that have a genuine interest in your content. Don’t purchase backlinks, participate in link schemes, or use automated link building tools because these are against search engine guidelines and can result in penalties to your website and SEO.

Earning backlinks may even be easier than you thought if your content is good enough! Companies like Sender can streamline your email marketing efforts, allowing you to reach out effectively to potential link partners. Content promotion strategies like social media marketing, email marketing, and reaching out to influencers can help you easily get backlinks from interested parties.

Tools like Google Search Console provide insights into your website's backlinks, including the total number of backlinks, referring domains, anchor texts, and a lot more. Be sure to continuously check this though and ensure everything looks up to the quality you would expect.