7 easy steps to create an SEO marketing strategy for 2023

In today’s digital age, having a solid SEO marketingstrategy is essential to reach your target audience and stand out from the competition. Search engine algorithms and consumer behaviours are constantly evolving, and it can be challenging to keep up. As a disruptive strategic marketing agency, we understand the importance of staying ahead of the game, and we’re here to share our expertisewith you. In this article, we will guide you through 7 proven steps to create an SEO marketing strategy that will help you achieve your goals in 2023. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to revamp your current strategy, this comprehensive guide will provide you with the tools and insights you need to succeed.

7 steps to create an SEO marketing strategy

Let’s get straight to the point. Here are our 7 easy steps to create an SEO marketing strategy for 2023, as well as how you can achieve each step.

1. Define your marketing goals and target audiences

Step 1 is focused on establishing who you are targeting and why. Your SEO marketing goals could include things like increasing website traffic, generating leads, or even improving sales. Try to align these SEO goals to both your overall marketing goals and your overall business goals. Then research and understand your target audience, including their demographics, interests, and needs to create personas of typical users of your service or products. Ensure every decision you make is then informed by your goals and personas. Consider how that decision will help you reach your goals, and which of your personas it is likely to resonate with.

2. Conduct in-depth keyword research

Step 2 is focused on discovering what your customers are searching for. Tools like Google’s Keyword Planneror Ahrefsenable you to find keywords related to your business and target audience. Also, for key terms be sure to do a quick Googlesearch and review the existing results. Where can your business add more value to the results? The ‘people also ask’ section is a great way to find questions people are asking to use for FAQ content or to cover in a full content piece. Select your keywords based on potential volumes and difficulty, as well as considering the intent of the search. The search term may be relevant, but are you answering the question or presenting the expected information?

Be sure to read or recent blog for more keyword research tips.

3. Optimise your website for SEO

Step 3 is to consider how a search engine will read your site, and if you are presenting the right information in a readable way. Easy navigation and a clear internal linking structure are key for search engines to understand your website. On each page, use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to organise your content, include accurate alt tags to add relevancy and accessibility, and implement meta-data for each URL which includes your target keywords. Each URL should have a unique target, however landing pages can be created for more niche long-tail key phrases you wish to specifically target.

4. Create high-quality content

Step 4 is to create high-quality and valuable content. Easy to say, but harder to do. Using your keyword research, identify topic areas which will interest your audience and are in service of your marketing goals set in step 1. Ensure each piece of content you create is well researched and thorough. A great place to start are the existing search results. If you can provide more information on a topic, or add more value, you are likely to rank higher. Develop a content calendar to ensure that you are regularly producing relevant and valuable content – don’t rely on old content to bring traffic to your site. And if information becomes out of date, update it or add a redirect to more up to date information.

SEO Top tip: It is important to use your target keywords within your content without overusing them (we call this keyword stuffing). Always create content with the reader in mind first, then optimise for SEOwhile ensuring it still reads well.

5. Build your backlink profile

Step 5 is a bit of a long game, but it can lead to high rankings and a high authority website. As more sites link back to your content with relevant anchor text, it builds Google’s trust in your content for that phrase. If other sites think your content is great, why shouldn’t Google and other search engines think the same? The easiest and quickest way to gain backlinks is to reach out to other websites and ask for them. This can sometimes mean working in partnership, or occasionally creating content to be hosted on their site with a backlink to your own. Guest blogging is a popular example of this. You can also participate in online communities and forums related to your niche. Another sure-fire way to get backlinks is to create high-quality content that other sites want or need to link to. An example of this is conducting a research study and presenting the results as data and graphs on your site.  

6. Track and analyse data  

Step 6 may be the most important. With the ever-changing updates from search engines, content creators need to be on top of their content. It needs to not only be up to date with the most recent information, but it needs to be regularly posted with new insights. Using tools like Google Analyticsto track your website traffic, bounce rate, and other important metrics can identify areas of improvement, as well as highlight topic areas which are resonating with your users. Make data-driven decisions to improve your SEO performance and ensure you rankings and traffic are improving where possible.

Remember however, there are always external factors affecting organic traffic as well as ones you can affect. Has there been a seasonal decrease in the demand for your product, or is something broken on your site? Identifying the cause for fluctuations in rankings can be difficult, but reviewing the data ensures you are considering all possibilities.

7. Maintain and repeat

Step 7 never ends, and that’s okay. Keep reviewing and updating your content, as well as regularly posting new content to keep it relevant and fresh. Stay up-to-date with the latest SEO best practices and algorithm updates and make changes when necessary. And don’t forget about your backlinks and target keywords. Trends change, and as they change so can the search volumes of key terms. You could be missing out on vital relevant traffic by relying on year-old research. Or even missing out on valuable backlinks from new websites.

And remember to review your SEO goals and target audiences yearly while setting clear performance indicators. What’s the next goal after you have increased your website traffic? Even more traffic, or should conversions, leads or sales be the focus?

The benefits of a clear SEO marketing strategy

So, now you know how to create a clear SEO strategy, what does your business stand to gain?

1. Increased traffic: A clear SEO strategy helps attract more organic traffic to your website.

2. Better rankings: Optimizing your website and content for search engines improves your rankings and visibility in search results.

3. Improved user experience : By providing valuable and relevant content, you improve the overall user experience and increase the likelihood of conversions.

4. Higher brand credibility: A strong online presence and good search engine rankings can increase your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness.

5. Competitive advantage: A clear SEO strategy helps you stay ahead of your competitors and gain a competitive advantage.

6. Cost-effectiveness: SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy compared to paid advertising, as it focuses on earning traffic through organic search results.

7. Better data-driven decision making: By tracking and analysing data, you can make data-driven decisions to improve your SEO performance and achieve better results.

Reporting on your SEO marketing strategy

Here are some key metrics and areas to keep an eye on when reviewing and reporting on your SEO strategy:

Traffic – use Google Analytics data to track changes in traffic from different sources.

Keyword rankings – tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefsand Semrushcan report on rankings and changes over time.

Search engine algorithm updates – these can have massive effects on rankings. Stay up to date so you are aware of changes when reporting and can predict fluctuations. We regularly share insights into the new Google algorithm updateson our news and insights page.

User engagement metrics – Use analytics to track user engagement metrics such as bounce rate, time on site, and pages per session to see how your audience interacts with your website and which content resonates with your users.

Site Speed – Core Web Vitalshas become a big factor in rankings on Google. Use tools like Page Speed Insightsto monitor them.

Number of backlinks and referring domains – tools like Ahrefsand SEMrushcan report on your current number of backlinks and where they are from. Take action if you see a decrease in backlinks or a decrease in link quality.

Conversions and sales – Track conversions and sales to see if your SEO strategy is effectively driving leads and increasing revenue. This can often be done through your internal reporting systems, or through analytics, Hubspotor other third-party tools. Decide what a conversion is to your business. It could be as simple as a sale, or it could be a call or enquiry.

Competitor analysis – Keep an eye on your competitors and their own SEO strategies. Learn from their SEO wins and mistakestoo.

Site health – Regularly check your website for technical SEO issues, such as broken links, crawl errors, or duplicate content, and take action to resolve them. Ahrefs can conduct a scheduled site audit for you so you don’t miss any errors which are bound to appear as your site grows.

Content quality and relevance – Make sure your content is high-quality, relevant, and up-to-date to improve user engagement and search engine rankings.

So, what are you waiting for?

Creating a clear and effective SEO marketing strategy is crucial for any business looking to improve its online visibility and attract more organic traffic. By defining your goals, conducting keyword research, optimising your website, and creating high-quality content, you can improve your search engine rankings and provide value to your target audience. With the right tactics and tools, you can stay ahead of your competitors, build brand credibility, and achieve better results. Remember to track and analyse your data, update your strategy regularly, and stay up-to-date with the latest SEO best practices and trends. By taking these steps, you can create a strong and effective SEO marketing strategy that drives traffic, generates leads, and grows your business.

Want help crafting a clear strategy to improve your SEO marketing and disrupt your market? Get in touchwith the experts at Next Chapterfor advice, and start working with an SEO marketing agencythat understands your business and your customers needs.