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SEO Tips ​

SEO tip #1: Use shorter URL slugs (between 3 to 5 words). A concise URL can improve your rankings and makes it more appealing to users.

SEO tip #2: Add questions from the "People also ask" section on Google into your article. Adding PAA questions can help to extend your word count and increase your organic traffic/topical relevance.

SEO tip #3: The simplest way to find keyword ideas is to use the "Alphabet Soup" method. Type in a keyword on Google and click your mouse on different points of the query to autocomplete your search.

SEO tip #4: When you're writing an article, break up your text to a maximum of one to two sentences per paragraph. This will improve readability and your RPM (if you're on an ad network).

SEO tip #5: When you're writing a listicle (article with a list), make sure to number your headers in chronological order. (e.g. 1. Grapefruit, 2. Pineapple, 3. Avacado). If you don't include numbered headers, your listicle may not rank well.

SEO tip #6: Long-form content does not automatically perform better than shorter content. In fact, if you go too far out of the topic, it can hurt your rankings.

SEO tip #7: Publish a TON of quality content. In May, I published only 7 articles. In June, I published 20 articles and my organic traffic increased by 276% in the following month.

SEO tip #8: If you're writing an article that targets a fairly low-competition keyword, you don't need backlinks for it to rank.

SEO tip #9: A common mistake that new bloggers make is that they write whatever they want based on their own judgment. Always do keyword research (competitiveness, traffic, etc.) prior to choosing your topic.

SEO tip #10: Repurpose your highest-performing articles into a YouTube video. By doing so, you can rank for both the normal spot and the Videos section on Google.

SEO tip #11: If you're using WordPress and you have an SEO plugin (e.g. Yoast, Rank Math), don't focus too much on getting green scores. You can have a red score but still rank well.

SEO tip #12: From Day 1, you should keep a list (e.g. Word Doc) of keyword ideas. Organize them from least to highest priority based on traffic, competition, etc. so you have a clear direction of what to target first.

SEO tip #13: Ranking #1 for a low-competition keyword on YouTube is much easier than ranking #1 on Google for the same keyword (2 to 3+ months on Google and <1 week on YouTube respectively—based on a test I did).

SEO tip #14: Make sure to add your site in the Bing Webmaster Tools (especially for new-ish sites). You can rank faster in Bing (especially for exact match domains and keywords) than Google which will bring in additional clicks to your site.

SEO tip #15: Informational content tends to bring in the most traffic (e.g. how to get Instagram followers, best time to post on Twitter). Though they don't convert as well, they're crucial for search rankings and links.

SEO tip #16: The Google Keyword Planner is a great free tool you can use to explore & estimate the traffic of a keyword (but not its competition). I'll expand on some things you can do with the tool in the next tips (stay tuned!).

SEO tip #17 (continuing from tip #16): You can filter a keyword by location. Before you search for a keyword, it's best to target more than one tier-1 country (e.g. US + UK + CA) to get an overall estimate of the traffic it's getting.

SEO tip #18 (continuing from tip #16): "Start with a website" is an underrated way to discover a ton of keywords from a competitor's website. You can use this feature to find a lot of keyword ideas.

SEO tip #19 (continuing from tip #16): "Avg. monthly searches" in the Google Keyword Planner is a good estimate of the traffic a keyword gets. However, "competition" cannot be used to determine the competition of the keyword (it's how competitive the ad placements are).

SEO tip #20: Here's a cool feature that you can try if you're using WordPress. You can create a simple table of contents by adding an HTML anchor (e.g. 1) to a header and hyperlink it with #1 in a text.

SEO tip #21: Always check the competition of a keyword before writing an article for it. To begin with, search for the keyword on Google. If you see more than one authoritative site (high DA) ranking for it, it's best to avoid it.

SEO tip #22: Featured snippets are a great way to increase your click-through rate (CTR), traffic, and outrank your competitors in search. In the next few tweets, I'll share how you can optimize your posts to get them featured (stay tuned!).

SEO tip #23: The easiest way to get the featured snippet spot on Google (for response posts) is to write one to two sentences answering the searcher's query in full, directly under the question header.

SEO tip #24: Featured snippet optimization for listicles (list posts): If you're writing a listicle, make sure to label it with numbered headers (e.g. #1 - Piano, #2 - Guitar, #3 - Violin). If you don't do this, it's difficult to get featured.

SEO tip #25: Featured snippet optimization for response posts (a breakdown):

  • Include your main keyword in the first sentence
  • Use a status word (e.g. is, are)
  • Add a second sentence expanding on the first

SEO tip #26: Bonus tips to get the featured snippet on Google (for response posts):

  • Write a paragraph leading to the answer
  • Try to answer the query in the first 500 words of the article
  • Bold the text(s) in your answer

SEO tip #27: If you can get your point across in 800 words, write 800 words. Don't write 4,000 words (unless most of the articles on the first search result page average that word count).

SEO tip #28: Before targetting a keyword, search for it on Google and spend some time looking at the results that are currently ranking on the first page. Check their authority, word count, and structure—then deduce whether you beat them.

SEO tip #29: One way to estimate the traffic of a keyword (without using any keyword tools) is to search for it on YouTube. Then check the average number of views that the videos have.

SEO tip #30: Keyword research is the most crucial step in SEO. However, many people struggle to find the right keywords they can rank for. In the next few tweets, I'm sharing a beginner step-by-step process on how you can conduct keyword research for your site.

SEO tip #31: Step #1: The first step to keyword research is to find keywords. One way to do that is to use the Google Alphabet Soup method (tip #3). Key in an adverb + your niche > click on different points of the query > Google will autocomplete your search.

SEO tip #32: Step #2: Once you found a keyword, search for it on Google and look at the websites that are ranking on the first page. If 2-3+ authoritative sites (e.g. cnet, pcgamer) are ranking for the target keyword, avoid it, and repeat step #1 (tip #31).

SEO tip #33: Step #3 (final step): Input the keyword into the Google Keyword Planner > add US + UK + CA locations > try to target 100-1k avg. monthly searches & above > start writing it (note: steps #2 and #3 are interchangeable).

SEO tip #34: A great way to get your site discovered is to post it on relevant forums and directories (e.g. Crunchbase, Betalist, Reddit). It'll also help get your first links.

SEO tip #35: E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is important, especially for YMYL (e.g. health, finance) sites. In the next few tweets, I'll share some tips on how you can improve E-A-T for your website (stay tuned!).

SEO tip #36: Although E-A-T is mostly determined by backlinks (e.g. a link from an authoritative site), there are some things that you can do in your site to improve it. The first way is to have a comprehensive "About" page (continued on the next tweet).

SEO tip #37 (continuing from tip #36): On the "About" page, explain clearly what your site is about, include keywords in your niche, list your team members along with their biography, education, and industry experience.

SEO tip #38 (E-A-T): Make it easy for users to contact you. Include a "Contact us" page with a from. In addition, include a business email address and location. This will make it seem that the site is a legitimate business that is run by real people.

SEO tip #39: An overwhelming number of ads and pop-ups can negatively affect E-A-T on your site—make sure to limit them.

SEO tip #40: A common misconception is that E-A-T is only for YMYL sites. E-A-T is applicable for all niches (e.g. Humor, Gaming, Entertainment) as well, so make sure to work on it no matter the type of site you have.

SEO tip #41: Poor grammar, spelling, and punctuation can negatively affect E-A-T. Make sure to run your article on a grammar checker (e.g. Grammarly) and spend some time editing it before publishing.

SEO tip #42: If you're using the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress, go to Yoast > Search Appearance > Archives > Author Archives > Enabled. Now, when someone clicks on the author, it'll show the author's bio along with their posts (if the theme supports it) which is great for E-A-T.

SEO tip #43 (E-A-T): Show the real author (profile picture, socials, bio) behind the article.

SEO tip #44: Don't rely on keyword tools to tell the competition of a keyword. Manually scan through the first result page & check "authority", quality of content, user intent, etc. & determine it yourself.

SEO tip #45: Long-form content is generally viewed as beneficial for SEO, but too much fluff can negatively affect how well your content ranks. Keep in mind that a concise 800-word article can perform as well as, or better than a 4000-word article.

SEO tip #46: High comp vs low comp search results.

SEO tip #47: Domain extensions do not matter that much—content does. A dot com domain is still the most preferable, but that's only because people will naturally type "yourwebsite dot com" instead of "yourwebsite dot org".

SEO tip #48: How long it takes to rank on Google:

  • 3 to 6 months if the keyword that you're targeting are low in competition.
  • Never if the keyword that you're targeting is too high in competition.

SEO tip #49: The traffic potential for a single-niche site is limited, so it's best to expand to other related topics as your traffic grows (e.g. don't just target camera accessories, think consumer electronics).

SEO tip #50: How to properly format your headers (for step-by-step guides). Always try to include "numbered" headers.

SEO tip #51: What should I do if my blog post doesn't rank?

  1. If your article is under 3 months old, wait.
  2. If your article is 5-6 months old, try restructuring it.
  3. Still doesn't rank after restructuring? Forget about it.

SEO tip #52: Typical growth curve after publishing a search engine optimized blog post—expect a 3-month "sandbox" period (even if you're targeting low-competition keywords).

SEO tip #53: A great way to steal your competitor's keywords (for free) is to search for their website on SimilarWeb and view their top 5 keywords under "Organic search".

SEO tip #54: An easy way to check your Google rankings is to go to http://serprobot.com > enter your domain > enter your keywords > check SERP.

SEO tip #55: An alternative way to title a how-to article is to replace "How to" with a number (e.g. change "How to make money online" to "7 ways to make money online").

SEO tip #55: Having a "flat" site architecture (users/crawlers can navigate to any page in less than 4 clicks) is important for SEO. It makes it easy for crawlers to index your pages.

SEO tip #56: If you have images on your article, make sure to add an appropriate alt text to each one. Alt text will help your images to rank on Google images, which can increase your traffic.

SEO tip #57: For alt texts, try to include your focus keyphrase in them, but don't stuff it. In addition, try to be as concise as possible. For example, instead of "Puppy", use "Golden Retriever Puppy" instead.

SEO tip #58: When you're adding images to your article, make sure to use an appropriate file name. For example, instead of naming your photo "IMG1234.jpg", name it "leopard-shark.jpg". This will help Google better understand your image.

SEO tip #59: High-traffic blogs cover a myriad of topics—not just one. As your traffic grows, it's a good idea to expand to other related topics and have several articles for each one.

SEO tip #60: If you're running out of keyword ideas, you can use a free tool like https://keywordsheeter.com to generate keywords.

SEO tip #61: Quora is an underrated way to find keyword ideas. Search for a keyword in your niche > visit the user's profile with the most answer views > filter their answers to "All-Time Views".

SEO tip #62: There's an ongoing debate about quality vs quantity. For SEO, you need BOTH quality and quantity. One article a week is not enough to grow your traffic substantially (even if it's high quality). Aim for 1 quality article/day.

SEO tip #63: Breadcrumbs are an underrated way to improve user experience, rankings, and crawlability. More in the next few tweets.

SEO tip #64: In 2018, Google added breadcrumbs to the search result pages. Breadcrumbs help users to understand your site better and improve user experience. Make sure to add them to your site.

SEO tip #65: Adding breadcrumbs to your site allows Google to show them on the search result, which can potentially improve clicks. It also reduces bounce rate as it encourages users to visit other parts of your site. More on how to add them in the next tweet.

SEO tip #66: If you're using WordPress and Yoast, you can enable breadcrumbs on Yoast > Search Appearance > Breadcrumbs > Posts (post) > Category. Make sure your theme supports it.

SEO tip #67: The best way to get organic backlinks is to write an article based on statistics or include statistics in your article.

SEO tip #68: If you ever run out of keyword ideas, start with "How to".

SEO tip #69: Are you checking the search volume of the keyword that you're targeting? Ideally, you should aim to target keywords >1k searches per month. Low searches = little to no traffic (and they aren't worth your time). You can use the Google Keyword Planner for this.

SEO tip #70: The single most impactful on-page SEO tip is to include an answer target in your article (see photo example). This can dramatically increase your ranking position (e.g., from #5 to #1).

SEO tip #71: Make sure to submit your sitemap to Google Search Console. If you're using WordPress, you can generate a sitemap from Yoast. This can potentially speed up indexing.

SEO tip #72: After you've published a page/post, you can request indexing from Google Search Console. This can speed up the indexing process (especially if your site is new).

SEO tip #73: If you're facing indexing issues, you can either try re-submitting your sitemap or force indexing your post/page via the Google Search Console.

SEO tip #74: If you've been publishing long-form content, try experimenting with the opposite and publish more short-form content (700 to 1.5k words). It takes less time to produce and can perform as well as long-form content.

SEO tip #75: List of high "DA" (domain authority) sites that are easy to outrank on Google: Quora, Reddit, Stack Overflow, Stack Exchange, Pinterest.

SEO tip #76: Are your posts/pages indexed on Google? To check, do a "site:your_website.com/slug or keyword" search on Google. If they aren't, try manually request indexing on the Google Search Console and check a day later.

SEO tip #77: Focus on publishing evergreen content instead of news/seasonal ones—content that will never become irrelevant (e.g. how to lose weight). This can bring sustainable and consistent traffic to your site for years to come.

SEO tip #78: Need more traffic to your site? Here are 4 free traffic sources to increase your website's visitors: http://flipboard.com, http://news360.com, http://getpocket.com, http://quora.com.

SEO tip #79: How to come up with hundreds of content ideas in seconds—start with how to. For example, how to clean x. Replace x with anything (e.g., how to clean air fryer, how to clean aircon).

SEO tip #80: How to stay updated on Google Core Updates—subscribe to the Google Search Central Blog (https://developers.google.com/search/blog). Make necessary changes/improvements to your site before an update rolls out.

SEO tip #81: This is more of a general tip—publish an article every day. More content = more data, so you'll know what works and what doesn't. This might seem challenging, but all you need is <2 hours of undistracted work per day.

SEO tip #82: If you're lacking content ideas, find a “problem” that you and/or a lot of people are facing in your niche and publish an article (or even a YouTube video) on how to “solve it”.

SEO tip #83: 3 simple ways to improve your site's speed (for WordPress sites):

  1. Get your site hosted by a fast web hosting provider.
  2. Install a speed plugin like Autoptimize.
  3. Use a fast-loading theme.

SEO tip #84: One of the most important factors to consider is the competition of the keyword that you're targeting. Even if your content is top-notch, you're probably not going to outrank authoritative sites like Wikipedia. Only target keywords that you can rank for.

SEO tip #85: If you're new to SEO and want to learn more about it, join r/JustStart (https://reddit.com/r/juststart/) and spend some time reading the top posts there—real case studies from people around the world.

SEO tip #86: Never change your URLs unless you have a very good reason to because you'll lose your rankings, referrals, and existing traffic.

SEO tip #87: It’s good to cite your sources by linking to them. However, try not to link to another article that targets the exact keyword as yours. Otherwise, you might not outrank them. If you’re unsure, you can mark the link as “nofollow” so that "PageRank" is not transferred.

SEO tip #88: Add jump links to your articles. If you're using WordPress, add anchors (e.g. 1, 2, 3) to your headers and hyperlink them using (#1, #2, #3). By doing so, they'll be shown on the Google search result page which can increase CTR.

SEO tip #89: For blogs, use a branded domain name instead of an exact-match one (e.g. lifegeek(.)com instead of bestkeyboards(.)com). It's less spammy, you can cover more topics, and it has more value.

SEO tip #90: If you can fulfill the searcher's intent in 300 words, write 300 words. Don't write for the sake of reaching a word count.

SEO tip #91: How to detect low-competition keywords:

  1. User-generated content (e.g., Quora, Reddit) at the top of the search result page.
  2. Little or no "authoritative" sites (e.g., Wikipedia, Forbes) are ranking.
  3. The searcher's intent isn't fulfilled.

SEO tip #92: A simple way to estimate the traffic and competition of a keyword for free is to install the "Keywords Everywhere" extension on Chrome.

SEO tip #93: If you're a new blogger and you have questions related to SEO, you can ask them in the biweekly thread on r/Blogging (https://reddit.com/r/Blogging/comments/zoiu1n/attention_bloggers_ask_your_questions_in_this/…).

SEO tip #94: If you want to write two articles with similar keywords, and you're unsure if it causes keyword cannibalization, do a Google search for both keywords and see if the search results are very different. If they are, cannibalization will probably not occur.

SEO tip #95: How to detect high-competition keywords:

  1. A lot of "authoritative" sites are ranking for the keyword (e.g. Wikipedia, Forbes).
  2. A lot of articles already fulfill the searcher's intent.
  3. Most YMYL (e.g., finance, health, law) keywords.

SEO tip #96: Writing a long-form article on a broad topic (e.g. 4k words)? It's almost always better to split it into multiple short-form articles (e.g. 1k words each).
E.g. Bicep/tricep/leg exercises > Bodybuilding guide.
Less risk, less competitive, and more efficient.

SEO tip #97: Don't know what to title your post? Search for the keyword on Google and check the search results. Try titling it like your competitors.
For example, "How to make money" comes up with "x ways to make money". Hence, your title can include "x ways to make money".

SEO tip #98: An underrated strategy to find keyword ideas is to browse forums in your niche. Reddit is a great place to start because it has a community for everything.
Filter the community to the top posts of the day, week, or month to find out what's trending.

SEO tip #99: Content ideas - Part 1

  • Listicles - x names (e.g. cat names)
  • Guides - how to x (e.g. how to make friends)
  • Statistics - x statistics (e.g. dog statistics)
  • News - e.g. celebrity/sports/product news
  • Definitions - what does x mean (e.g. what does fyi mean)

SEO tip #100: How do I start blogging/SEO?
Choose a niche > Get WordPress(.org) hosting > choose a theme > install essential plugins > do keyword research > write and publish quality content daily > wait for your content to rank on Google/Bing.

SEO tip #101: To improve crawling/indexing, add your site's sitemap to Google Search Console: For WordPress, install the Yoast plugin > Settings > XML Sitemaps > Enable > View the XML sitemap > Copy URL > Google Search Console > Sitemaps > Add a new sitemap > Paste URL.

SEO tip #102: General indexing/ranking durations.

  • For new sites: Posts/pages start indexing/ranking in 1-3 months on Google.
  • For <1-year sites: Indexing/ranking in a few days to weeks.
  • For 2+ years established sites: Indexing/ranking in a day.

SEO tip #103: Why is my post/page not ranking/indexing on Google?

  1. Your website is too new
  2. Too competitive (the keyword is too high in competition)
  3. Technical issues (e.g., server/redirect/blocked/no index errors)
  4. Low-quality content (not useful to the web)

SEO tip #104: General header usage.

  • H1 tag: The title of your page/post.
  • H2 tag: You should use this for almost all of your headers.
  • H3 tag: Use this for subheadings under H2 headings.
  • H4-H6 tags: For additional or non-important info.

SEO tip #105: If your target audience is in the US:

  1. Open incognito mode on Chrome.
  2. Go to https://google.com/?gl=us.
  3. Search for the keyword.

SEO tip #106: Not sure what to title your blog post? Here are two pointers

  1. Search for the keyword on Google and title your post similar to the search results.
  2. Title your posts like how you or other people will search for on Google.

SEO tip #107: Content ideas - Part 2

  • Net worth - x net worth (e.g. Bernard Arnault net worth)
  • Reviews - x review (e.g. iPhone 13 review)
  • Alternatives - alternative to x (e.g. YouTube alternatives)
  • Who is - who is x (e.g. Who is Elon Musk)

The lowest-hanging SEO fruit I do in 5 min which always works.

  1. Go to http://search.google.com
  2. Open "Performance" page
  3. Sort the "Queries" tab by "Impressions"
  4. In the top 20, find top 5 queries with "CTR" < 50%
  5. Insert them to your home page hero, h1/h2 & meta tags