Top 10 Best SEO Practices to Follow in 2024
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of enhancing a website and its content to rank higher on search engines like Google, thereby attracting more organic traffic, leads, and sales. SEO is one of the most efficient ways to grow an online business and achieve goals.
According to a recent BrightEdge report, 68% of online experiences start with a search engine. Backlinko notes that the #1 result in Google garners about 32% of all clicks. A Search Engine Journal survey reveals that 49% of marketers find organic search to have the best ROI among marketing channels. New research from Visenze indicates that 62% of Gen-Z and millennial consumers prefer visual search capabilities over other new technologies. Ahrefs reports that 96.55% of all pages receive zero traffic from Google.
Numerous statistics highlight SEO’s importance for businesses. However, SEO is not a one-time task but an ongoing process requiring constant adaptation and innovation.
SEO best practices evolve as search engines update their algorithms and user behavior changes. Staying updated with the latest SEO trends and techniques is crucial for implementing them effectively on a website.
1. Optimize Your Website for Google Discover
Google Discover shows personalized content to users on mobile devices based on their interests and behavior. It is accessed through the Google app, homepage, Android devices when swiping right from the home screen, or Chrome browser on Android devices.
Best Practices for Google Discover:
- Create high-quality, original content matching user interests.
- Use clear headlines, images, and videos.
- Utilize structured data and meta tags.
- Regularly update content.
- Follow Google’s content policies and avoid misleading content.
2. Focus on Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals measure user experience metrics like loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. They are part of Google’s Page Experience signals, which will become a ranking factor in 2024.
The Core Web Vitals include:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures how long it takes for the largest content element to load. A good score is 2.5 seconds or less.
- Use fast web hosting services.
- Optimize images and videos.
- First Input Delay (FID): Measures how long it takes for the browser to respond to user interaction. A good score is 100 milliseconds or less.
- Reduce JavaScript code size.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures layout shifts during loading. A good score is 0.1 or less.
- Use fixed dimensions for images/videos.
3. Relevant Meta Titles and Descriptions
Meta titles and descriptions provide brief summaries of web pages displayed on SERPs. They help users decide whether to click on a page while aiding search engines in indexing pages correctly.
Best Practices:
- Include target keywords at the beginning.
- Add modifiers like numbers or dates.
- Add calls-to-action like “learn more” or “read now.”
- Avoid duplication; write unique titles/descriptions for each page.
4. Optimize for BERT Algorithm
BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) helps Google understand natural language queries better by analyzing context around words/phrases.
- Use natural conversational language.
- Answer questions directly clearly.
- Structure content using headings subheadings bullet points lists.
- Enrich content with synonyms related terms.
- Use schema markup structured data.
- Conduct thorough keyword research target relevant keywords.
5. Content Quality
Content quality is crucial for SEO as it impacts rankings, traffic, and conversions. Quality content goes beyond grammar and spelling; it includes relevance, value, and originality.
Google aims to provide the best results for users and rewards websites that offer high-quality content meeting users’ needs.
To create top-notch content:
- Conduct thorough keyword research to target relevant keywords for your audience.
- Analyze competitors to identify market gaps and opportunities.
- Write engaging content that answers questions, solves problems, and offers actionable tips.
- Use credible sources to support claims and cite them properly.
- Incorporate multimedia like images, videos, or infographics to enhance content appeal.
- Regularly update content to keep it fresh and accurate.
6. Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are rich results displayed at the top of SERPs, providing quick answers without needing to click a page. They can be paragraphs, lists, tables, or videos and include the page’s URL, title, and image.
To optimize for featured snippets:
- Identify queries triggering featured snippets relevant to your niche.
- Create high-quality content that directly answers queries using the inverted pyramid method.
- Structure content with headings, subheadings, bullet points, and lists for readability.
- Use schema markup to provide more context to Google about your content.
- Monitor performance with tools like Google Search Console or Rank Tracker.
7. Long Tail Keywords and LSI Keywords
Long tail keywords are specific phrases with three or more words that are less competitive. For example, “content writing services for small businesses” is a long tail keyword. These help target a niche audience and rank higher on SERPs.
LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords are semantically related to the main keyword. For instance, LSI keywords for “content writing services” include “content marketing” and “SEO.”
To optimize for long tail and LSI keywords:
- Find relevant long tail and LSI keywords using tools like UberSuggest or Google Keyword Planner.
- Create valuable content targeting these keywords naturally without over-optimization.
- Integrate long tail keywords in titles, headings, introductions, conclusions; use LSI keywords throughout the body paragraphs.
8. High Quality Backlinks
Quality backlinks come from reputable websites with high domain authority. These links boost authority, credibility, and traffic but focus on quality over quantity is essential.
To acquire quality backlinks:
- Create valuable content that attracts engagement from the audience.
- Promote content on social media, email platforms like Buffer or Mailchimp to maximize reach.
- Build relationships with niche websites/bloggers offering guest posts or collaborations; use HARO platforms for cost-effective backlinks.
9. Optimized Images with Alt-text
Images enhance website appeal but also improve SEO by increasing traffic and engagement. Optimization involves:
- Selecting relevant high-quality images matching the content using tools like Canva or Adobe Softwares.
- Compressing images without losing quality using TinyPNG or ImageOptim.
- Naming files descriptively with keyword-rich alt-text providing context about images to search engines.
10. SEO Audits
An SEO audit evaluates a website’s performance identifying issues affecting rankings. It helps improve usability/security meeting SEO standards while discovering optimization opportunities. Steps include:
- Using Google Search Console/Analytics for monitoring performance; Google PageSpeed Insights/Lighthouse for speed improvements.
- Analyzing on-page/off-page SEO aspects using Ahrefs/SEMrush; crawling sites with Screaming Frog finding/fixing issues like broken links/missing tags.
Work With Us
Jak Digital can boost your site’s SEO by implementing a tailored strategy that enhances your online visibility. Through in-depth keyword research, on-page optimization, and technical improvements, Jak Digital ensures your website ranks higher on search engines. They also provide content creation and backlinking services to increase organic traffic and improve domain authority. With continuous performance tracking and data-driven adjustments, Jak Digital helps your site stay competitive in search engine rankings, ultimately driving more qualified leads and boosting your business growth.
