9. Identify Keyword Clusters Of Topics To Build Content Hubs Around
A strategically interlinked content hub will push each of your topic posts higher up in Google rankings.
First, create your future hub’s individual posts by discovering what your content hub could contain.
Start by researching the keyword topics that your site ranks in the top 10 for.
If you rank high with a post for [thomas edison inventions] and another for [nikola tesla inventions], find out how many other “name + inventions” keywords can be turned into posts.
For this example, there are over 500 phrases that can be turned into stand-alone blog posts.
Each of the 500 “name + inventions” phrases generates over 1,000 monthly organic visitors.
Once you have published 20 posts on inventors and their inventions, then you can create your content hub.
Continuing with our example:
- Step 1: Create a page to be your hub and title it “The Greatest Inventors of All-Time.”
- Step 2: Organize the inventors by time period.
- Step 3: Create one or two paragraphs summarizing the inventor and his most famous invention.
- Step 4: Add an internal link to the inventor’s inventions blog post for the reader to see all their inventions.
- Step 5: Link back to “The Greatest Inventors of All-Time” content hub from the blog posts for each of the inventors.
10. Easily Discover Your Niche’s Lowest-Competition/High-Traffic Phrases With RankIQ’s Keyword Libraries
Unless you are a top keyword research expert, it will take 100+ hours to research a single niche.
You will also make small mistakes along the way, leading you to write content on keywords out of your range.
RankIQ is currently the only keyword research tool with top experts who do the research for you. They have hand-picked the lowest competition, high-traffic keywords for over 300 niches.
Content Creation Tactics
11. For Posts That Rank #3 – #10, Add More Content To The Tail End Of Posts To Safely Move Up The Rankings
By adding content to the end of your post, you keep the layout of the original blog post the same.
This process keeps you from changing existing content, which could decrease your rankings.
The additional content at the end increases dwell time while helping you rank for more long-tail keywords and phrases.
12. Write 40-50 Word Paragraphs To Rank For More Featured Snippets
Moz and multiple other studies have confirmed that the optimal length for featured snippets is 40 to 50 words.
This word count is also about the average size of a three-sentence paragraph, which is ideal for reader engagement.
13. Add FAQs To The End Of Your Post, Covering Questions From Google’s People Also Ask
A simple FAQ section at the end of your post can deliver significant value to the reader.
- Step 1: Before you hit publish, type your target keyword into Google, and look at the most popular People Also Ask questions.
- Step 2: Click on the last question to see more questions, and another four will show up.
- Step 3: Find a few that were not covered in your post, and create a FAQ section at the end.
- Step 4: Mark this section up with FAQ schema.
This extra section will increase your on-page time, help you show up in People Also Ask, and get you a few more featured snippets.
14. Use AI SEO Tools To Make Your Post The Most Comprehensive Post On That Topic
AI SEO tools like Clearscope and RankIQ identify everything you need to cover in your blog post to compete for a first-page ranking.
These tools also come with an AI content grader, making it easy to know where you stand and where you need to be.
15. Create Stat Infographics That Have A 16:9 Aspect Ratio
There are very few pieces of content that will generate backlinks and social shares, like a stat infographic.
- Step 1: Do a Google search for “topic of your blog post + statistics” (example: influencer marketing statistics).
- Step 2: Identify the top five most compelling stats.
- Step 3: Create a 16:9 image that highlights the stat and mentions the source.
- Step 4: Strategically place each of your stat infographics throughout your post.
Pro Tip: Using the 16:9 aspect ratio will make your stat infographic look great on desktop and mobile.
Page Title Tactics
16. Add The Most-Searched Front-End Title Modifier To Increase CTR
Most topics and niches have specific front-end modifiers, such as “easy” or “DIY,” that audiences search and identify with.
For example, food bloggers get most of their organic search traffic from recipe posts.
The 2021 Food Blog SEO Study identified the top three front-end modifiers for recipe posts: easy, best, and homemade.
“Easy Carrot Cake Recipe” is a great example of a recipe title that uses “easy” as a front-end modifier
The front-end modifier plays a major role in getting Google searchers to click on your result.
17. Add The Most-Searched Tail-End Title Modifier To Rank High For Your Primary Long Tail
Sticking with the same recipe example, the two most searched tail-end modifiers for recipes are “with” and “without.”
For carrot cake, the primary long-tail keyword having “with” in it is: [carrot cake recipe with pineapple]
Here’s the final title using the front end “easy” and tail end “with pineapple” modifier: Easy Carrot Cake Recipe with Pineapple.
18. For List Posts, Lead With A Number 10 Higher Than The Highest Number On Page One
People click on the highest numbered title because they perceive that page to have the most comprehensive information on the topic they are searching for.
On top of that, going 10 further on your list will increase the users’ average time on the page and help you rank for more long tails.
19. Use 60 Characters Or Less To Keep Google From Rewriting Your Title
A September 2021 study found that Google is 57% more likely to rewrite title tags over 600px.
The limit for what the SERPs can display is 600px (approximately 60 characters).
20. Add The Current Year In Brackets To Show Your Content Has The Latest Info
Google searchers want the most up-to-date information; make it easy for them to locate it.
Make the current year stand out in your title by putting it in brackets.
People click on headlines with brackets 38% more than those without.
Internal Linking Tactics
21. For Posts That Rank #2 – #8, Link To Them From Your Highest Authority Pages
Positions two through eight will have the most significant gains by moving up the rankings.
You will get a traffic increase from 28.4% to 53.2% by moving up a single spot.
This increase can usually be achieved by adding two or three internal links from high authority pages on your site.
22. Link Up All New Posts From At Least 2 Pages With Significant Page Authority
As soon as a new blog post is published, link it up from two existing pages with high page authority.
These two internal links will give the new post an authority boost right out of the gates.
23. Use Longer Anchor Text To Give Google More Context & Increase CTR
Instead of just linking up a single word phrase, link up a group of words that gives more context for Google and entices the reader to click it.
This will decrease the bounce rate and increase dwell time.
SEO Knowledge Tactics
24. Use Feedly To Aggregate The Latest Headlines From The Top SEO Blogs
Each morning, read through the new headlines of your favorite SEO blogs. Make it easy and use Feedly.
For example, I have three feeds. The first has all the daily news sites and blogs like SEJ. The second has the blogs that add new posts weekly, and the last feed shows all the latest tweets from SEO experts.
25. Listen To SEO Growth Hack Podcasts Like The Blogging Millionaire
I love listening to solo show podcasts that give unique, actionable tactics. Instead of listening through a 45-minute interview to find one tiny nugget, these shows have a proven expert teaching actionable growth hacks in short 10-minute episodes.
If you liked my list of 25 SEO tactics, I teach new ones like these every week on my podcast.
