How to Create an SEO Strategy [Plus Free Tools & Templates]

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important part of any digital marketing strategy and it’s not going away anytime soon. As content marketing, social media and other marketing tactics evolve, SEO continues to be an essential part of growing an online presence. This guide will outline a six-step process for creating an SEO strategy that works for your business.

1. Set Objectives

The first step in creating any strategy is setting objectives. These should be measurable and achievable goals. Some examples of objectives for an SEO strategy could include:

• Increase organic traffic to the website
• Improve visibility for key phrases on search engine results pages (SERPs)
• Improve overall website ranking
• Increase page speed

2. Analyze Your Current SEO Situation

Once you have identified your objectives, the next step is to analyze your current SEO situation. This involves looking at factors such as:

• Current Google search ranking for key phrases
• Competitor analysis
• Backlink profile
• Keyword trends
• Website speed

These all contribute to your overall SEO performance and should be taken into account when determining your SEO strategy.

3. Identify Your Audience

Knowing who your target audience is will help you plan your SEO strategy. Identifying your audience will help you tailor your content and keywords so that they are more likely to reach the right people.

4. Research & Implement Keywords

Once you have identified your target audience, the next step is to research and implement keywords. There are various free tools available to help you identify the best keywords for your business, such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush and Moz Keyword Explorer. These tools can help you identify relevant keywords for your website and rank them in terms of priority.

5. Optimize Your Content & Website

Once you have identified and implemented the appropriate keywords, the next step is to optimize your content and website. This includes optimizing page titles, meta descriptions and content to ensure that they are search engine friendly. Additionally, it is important to ensure that website speed is optimized to ensure a good user experience.

6. Monitor & Evaluate Performance

The final step in creating an SEO strategy is to monitor and evaluate performance. It is important to measure the success of your SEO strategy and make changes as needed. It is also important to track changes in Google algorithms so that you can make adjustments accordingly.

Conclusion

Creating an SEO strategy is an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. Following the steps outlined in this guide will help you create an effective SEO strategy that works for your business. Additionally, there are various free tools and resources available to help you along the way, such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush and Moz Keyword Explorer.