How to run an SEO campaign? Uhh! The answer is as complex as easy the question sounds.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has become an essential practice for every business to sustain, flourish, and prosper in this competitive world. A well planned SEO campaign with a deeper understanding of SEO checklists will help you in various ways. Such as, it will broaden your business reach, get you decent engagements, boost sales in festivals like christmas or even easter, and generate good revenue. Some on-page SEO efforts also reduce cart abandonment.
However, it is necessary that in order to achieve the above results, you need to follow certain tactics and techniques. This blog discusses some of the most essential and proven SEO tips, both internaltional and local SEO checklists to help you achieve the desired goals. Let the party begin!
How To Run An SEO Campaign #1: Review The Existing Setup
One of the most crucial way to run an SEO campaign is- to review the existing setup. You cannot cure the disease until you know something about it. Right? The same goes for SEO. This exercise aims to understand the basics of the website. At this stage, you can consider and check the website platform, website design, content, images, etc. For example, you find that website design is very cumbersome and doesn’t meet Google’s requirement.
What do you do then? You redisign your website without affecting the existing SEO.
If your website is built on a modern platform like WordPress, there is no need to change it. Even WordPress development experts say so. Because, compared to other platforms, WordPress is fast, offers more designs, easy to optimize, and more secure. But, if the website is built on any other platform, plan to migrate it to WordPress.
Apart from the platform, the website’s design is also one of the critical things you need to decide beforehand. If you think that the website design is excellent and relevant to the products or service you offer, there is no need to change. Or else, consider changing the current design.
For such updates and transformation, you will need professional eCommerce SEO services or custom web developers to help you.
Also read:
The next essential tip in our SEO tips list is- set your campaign goals.
How To Run An SEO Campaign #2: Set Your Campaign Goals
Once you review the existing setup and feel that there is no need for any major changes, you can move forward to the next step- set your campaign goals. If you have planned an SEO campaign, you must have some goals or ideas in your mind. If not, set your goals first before you move any further with the SEO campaign.
Because every goal needs a different approach, different SEO tips, and different strategies to achieve it. For example, if your target is to reach the 10K subscriber on Instagram or Facebook, it needs a specific plan. If your goal is to expand your reach, it will require a particular campaign. Likewise, if your goal is to boost your sales, it will also demand a tailored plan. We planned out Christmas sales… also the easter sales. And needless to say, our SEO plan worked. Similarly, we followed these SEO tips to boost our sales in Dubai.
Also, make sure that you have realistic goals. Don’t expect too much within the month of the execution. SEO takes time, and so you have to be patient. Once you find that the strategy is working, you can push more resources and climb your expectations.
3. Perform Topic & Keyword Research
Once you sorted out the SEO strategy, begin with topic & keyword research. Remember that, for a successful SEO campaign, optimizing topics are more important than optimizing the keywords. Along with using SEO tips, use the tools like SEMRush or MOZ 2.0 to find out the relevant trending topics and keywords with high volumes.
Write down as many topics as you can think about or want to focus on. Make sure the topic is short yet relevant. For example, if you are a travelling company based in Mumbai, the topic should be “Mumbai to” or “Bus from Mumbai” etc. Or if you’re writing about SEO tactics for gym, your topic should be gym SEO.
Once you make a list, sort out the most relevant topics/keywords. Once the topics are decided, research and find out relevant keywords using tools like SEMRush and MOZ. While keyword research, make sure you also consider the keywords your competitors are targeting.
Besides, ensure that you always choose the high volume keywords over competitive keywords. Once you have the desired topics and keywords, you are ready to go!
4. Work on On-site & Off-site Optimization
The next tip in our SEO tips list is- On-site optimization & off-site optimization. On-site optimization, also known as on-page optimization, is an approach to rank higher in search engines. On the other hand, off-site optimization is a practice to work on elements outside the website. However, the purpose of the off-site optimization is also the same as the on-site optimization- to rank higher in SERPs or draw good traffic. Also, remember that, for a successful SEO campaign, both- on-site and off-site optimization are necessary.
On-site optimization includes the following activities:
- Optimize page titles and meta descriptions
- Optimize/update page content as needed
- To publish high-quality content
- Update internal and external links
- Image optimization
- Heading and content formatting and
- URL optimization
- Off-site optimization activities include:
- Link building
- Guest posting
- Becoming an Influencer / influencer outreach
- Social media marketing
- To use related forums
- Brand mentions
- Commenting
Make sure, along with following other SEO tips, you also religiously work on this factor- on-site optimization and off-site optimization. Also, note that this is a continuous process. It means you have to work regularly on this part. And if you own an eCommerce, you need to understand the eCommerce on page and off-page SEO checklist.
5. Publish Great Content
One of the most proven SEO tips is to publish great content. Without any doubt, content is king in SEO. It is like a foundation stone for any successful SEO campaign. The great content draws great crowds, which ultimately helps you fulfill all your SEO needs. Without the content, where do the search engine crawlers crawl? Many people call it a digital marketing trend in 2022. But in our eyes, it has always rocked the SEO and it will continue to do as long as search engines exist.
There are many types of content- blogs, vlogs, images, infographics, testimonials, newsletters, slide share, press- releases, etc. Choose the best formats that are suitable for your products/services and create great content. Add the relevant, targeted keywords into the content to make it visible to the crawlers. The good part is you need not make different content for different types. You can simply repurpose content and keep the organic traffic coming to your website.
SEO tips work only if you apply it thoroughly. Therefore, ensure that all of your content is error-free and has a high readability score- which means it must be in a form that can convey the message you are planning to deliver or understood by most of the audience. The content must be created for humans more than the search engines.
Besides, for a successful SEO campaign that fulfills your desired goals, your content needs to be unique, comprehensive, and unplagiarized. Don’t forget to optimize your heading, SEO title, and meta description. If you didn’t know, Google shortened snippet length. Also, add visual content more often so that people with less free time can also get the idea about your products or services in less time without reading the full content. Use attractive CTAs (Click-To-Actions) to draw prospective customers.
Also read: Effective CTA in blog posts
6. Promote Your Content
There is a popular idiom in the Hindi language- “jo dikhta hai, wahi bikta hai,” which loosely translates to- what is visible, sells. And we believe this is quite true! Because even if you have a great idea or great content, if it doesn’t bring to public eyes- it will not sell or has no meaning. In short, for a successful SEO campaign, you must promote your content. Like other SEO tips, you also need to follow this tip dedicatedly.
There are various digital marketing channels to promote your valuable content. For example:
- Email marketing— done with extensive ecommerce email strategies
- Paid promotion— done with PPC services or Facebook ads
- Social media marketing with social media marketing services
- Connect with influencers outside social media— influencer marketing
- Convert your text content into a video with repurposing your content
Make sure you promote the content on a regular basis. Of course, search engine optimization services are important. But these advertising platforms are more than supporting channels. Choose a medium or the most relevant digital platform for your products or where you have the suitable customer base.
For example, if you are a couture brand, Instagram would be a perfect platform to market your content. Likewise, if you are a job consultancy, LinkedIn would be a great platform. Knowing your suitable platform is one step closer to offering personalized marketing and customer service.
The next tip in our SEO tips list is- Monitor your SEO performance through digital marketing KPIs.
7. Monitor Your SEO Performance Through KPIs
Once you set your goals, done posting and promoting rich content, and worked on on-site and off-site optimization, it’s time to monitor the performance of the strategy. There are various marketing Key Performance Indicators using which you can measure the success rate of your strategy and run a successful SEO campaign. Some of the primary KPIs are:
- Organic Traffic
- SERP ranks
- Search visibility
- CTR (Click Through Rate)
- Branded traffic
- Bounce rate
- Average session time
- Cost per click (CPC)
- Return on investment (ROI)
It is not necessary that you keep track of all of these KPIs. You have to track and analyze only those KPIs which are relevant to your goals. For example, if your strategy is directed to boost sales, bounce rate, and return on investment (ROI) should be the KPIs you should be concerned about.
Similarly, if broadening the business reach is your goal, organic traffic, SERP rank, and search visibility should be the top three KPIs you should keep track of. In a nutshell, ensure that you regularly follow the relevant KPIs to ensure optimum results and, ultimately, a successful SEO campaign!
For example, just as you use Click through rate for email, use similar metric for website to understand if your headings, meta description, and pages are optimized.
The next proven tip in our SEO tips list is- perform an SEO audit on a regular basis.
Also read: Facebook ad KPIs
8. Perform SEO Audit
SEO audit is very similar to the first step- review the existing setup. However, unlike reviewing the existing structure, you need to check and analyze the results obtained from the latest strategy you have carried out.
An SEO audit can be classified into mainly three types:
- Technical Audit
- On-page Audit
- Server Log Audit
The Technical Audit comprises of following SEO elements:
- Indexing
- Redirects
- Page speed
- Canonical tags
- URL structure
- Robots.txt files
- Duplication
- XML sitemap
- Crawlability
- Off-page analysis
- Mobile-friendliness, and
- Status codes
The On-page Audit for a successful SEO campaign includes the below elements:
- Metadata analysis
- Content structure
- Theme analysis
- Keyword usage
- Site schema
- Images and video
- Internal & external linking and
- UI/UX
Whereas the Server Log Audit includes,
- Crawl Budget Analysis and
- User Agent Analysis
The average audit period is 3-6 weeks. Every audit is an opportunity to make your website more accessible and engaging. Note down every loophole, error, or ambiguities you found during the SEO audit. Replan or redesign your strategy based on the outcome. Try to resolve as many ambiguities as possible to carry out a successful SEO campaign.
Make sure, like each of the SEO tips shared above, you follow this tip too.
9. Local SEO Optimization
Local SEO can be defined as the tactic to promote local business on search engines. The local search engine optimization checklist is specially targeted towards local customers.
The Google My Business (GMB), Bing, and various directories such as Just Dial or IndiaMart allow you a free listing of your business on their directories. These directories will help the customers find about your business as well as help you rank on search engines.
For a successful SEO campaign, it is necessary that you follow all the necessary SEO checklists. For local optimization, it is important that you add all the necessary details like address, contact numbers, email address, name, product catalog, etc., in the directories to ensure high visibility. It’s really crucial you understand the nuances of local seo services as agencies do.
Also, don’t forget to claim the ownership of your business. You can also opt for a paid plan of these directories to make your business more visible to the customers. Along with Google and Bing, also register with Yelp, Yellow Pages, and other popular directories. The local SEO will surely help the business get more relevant traffic. We call it local citation services. Local citiation gets you high converting customers with positive intent.
The next important tip in our SEO tips list is- work on backlinks.
How To Run An SEO Campaign #10: Emphasize on Backlinks
Backlinks can be defined as the link from one website to another. Backlinks are a significant factor in any successful SEO campaign. If many sites link to the same webpage or website, search engines can infer that content is worth linking to, and therefore also worth surfacing on a SERP.
However, at the same time, it is also important that you focus more on backlinks quality rather than its quantity. The poor link quality may not only affect your website rank but may also be a reason to get penalized. Just as quality content wins against quantity content, you need quality backlinks for quantitative backlinks.
Before you start building links, make sure you remove all the toxic or bad links that are currently linked to your website. Use tools like SEMRush or Moz domain authority 2.0 to help you in link building. The strong links will not only build up your website’s authority but will also be an important factor in making the SEO campaign a grand success.
How To Run An SEO Campaign #11: Keep Up With Algorithm updates
Last but not least, one of the most important SEO tips in our list is- keep yourself updated with Google algorithm updates.
It is estimated that, on average, Google updates its algorithm 500-600 times a year! See just as Google update the snippet length. Most of these updates are minor; however, there are some major updates too. Therefore, as an SEO expert, it is essential that you keenly keep track of every Google update to run a successful SEO campaign.
After all, SEO is nothing but a practice to modify and market the business according to the Google algorithm!
Keeping up with the Google algorithm also becomes necessary for the fact that Google doesn’t disclose the updates to the public to maintain the algorithm’s secrecy to ensure fair market practice. The constant following of Google updates will help you get:
- Higher visibility
- Organic traffic
- Good conversions, and
- Good ROI
For all these good reasons, it is necessary that you keep a constant track of Google’s changing algorithms.
Along with these, there are other factors too that you should consider to carry out a successful SEO campaign. Such as,
- Good user experience
- Prioritize Google EAT
- Work with experts
We hope that you got most of these SEO tips & tactics. We are also confident that you will definitely get the desired result of your SEO campaign if you religiously follow these above-mentioned SEO tips. At the same time, we also recommend that you consider hiring a digital marketing agency or SEO agency for the best results if you are not aligned or new to the digital marketing field. If you’re in Dubai, we have amazing SEO packages for you.
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Really informative article. Looking forward to similar articles. I have learned a lot about the importance of SEO from your blog.