Be SEO Competitive: 5 Ways To Stay Strong in The Game

The truth is that SEO is not a self-paced game.

It is innately a competition of sorts – and a stiff one at that. You go against your competitors to win the coveted title of ranking #1 (or landing on page one, if you’re not being very ambitious). If you mind your own business without glancing at how others are doing, you might find yourself outpaced in almost all aspects, and if that’s the case, you can kiss your search ranking goals goodbye.

Hence, you and your marketing team should be on your toes when it comes to SEO activities. It’s a balance between constantly improving your own site while at the same time, looking out the window to get a taste of the competition.

1. Target keywords strategically.

   
   Getting the top rankings on Google is not the ultimate objective; you also have to know which keyword queries yield the most traffic for your site. Just because a string of particular articles gave you the top spot doesn’t mean you have to stick to that framework. If it has minimal effects on your site traffic, then the top spot is practically useless, and thus you have to look for alternative routes.

   
   

2. Keep an eye on your competitor’s on-site SEO activities.

   
   When your rival sites make dramatic changes to their sites, it could be that: one, they have stumbled upon a better way to optimize their site for search results, or two, they’re updating in response to penalties or failure to achieve high rankings. Either way, you have to be aware of their movements so you could respond (or not respond) accordingly.

   
   

3. Check if other sites are banking on backlink profiles.

   
   Sometimes, marketers accidentally discover new linking strategies they can use to try to beat you. By using tools like Majestic SEO (free, with paid plans starting at $49.99 per month) or Open Site Explorer (free, with paid plans starting at $99 per month), you can uncover if they’re working on unpublicized techniques behind your back. This can also identify potential linking partners for your own site.

   
   

4. Be updated with current SEO news and trends.

   
   If you haven’t noticed yet, SEO is a constantly-evolving field of marketing. For all you know, last month’s popular trends are already futile, and you have to stay abreast of what’s new. Make it a habit to regularly check Search Engine Land or Search Engine Watch for fresh nuggets of gold.
   Example: Twerk Marketing: Lessons From Miley Cyrus’ Infamous VMA Performance

   
   

5. Content is still king; focus on it.

   
   Did you really expect to finish off this SEO blog post without it telling you to that content creation is still the key? It’s a fact, and it remains to be. Making quality content as your priority is a win-win situation – it appeals to both the strict indexing programs and, most importantly, people who read your posts.

Be An SEO Doctor: Content Writing Tips From Dr. Gregory House

He’s known for his cynical, biting wit and arrogance but House is nothing less of a medical prodigy. How he mocks people and certain realities have apparently no depreciating effect on his expertise as a doctor; in short, he’s a jerk but he gets the job done.
 

House uses metaphors in translating complex medical scenarios into a language that’s easier to comprehend, usually choosing odd examples but nonetheless logical. His funny antics will go down in history, but his less-famous, more serious words of wisdom are frank but surprisingly insightful.

In reflecting on how to write hard-hit ting and effective content, House’s words could serve as a mighty prescription:

“People choose the paths that grant them the greatest rewards for the least amount of effort.”

Blog marketers have lived an era of using keyword-saturated articles as a means of gaining site traffic, which is a relatively easier route compared to writing true and useful content. Eventually, though, loyalty from people will have to be hard-earned through writing something they find useful, and not just a snare for them to visit your site.

"Mistakes are as serious as the results they cause."

When a flawed post has been read, the idea will stick to the minds of the readers, which is something irreversible (even if you delete or modify the post). Once it’s out there, there’s no undo button. Sharing thoughts and opinions online comes with a huge responsibility, both to the readers and the company whose reputation you’re trying to preserve.

"If you can fake sincerity, you can fake pretty much anything."

Blogging should be all about a crusade towards genuine sharing of information and assistance. They need to know and feel that you’re sincere with what you do; otherwise they’re just going to think you are “bartering” for something from them – which is theoretically true, but not an idea that you would want them to plant in their minds.

“New is good.”

People appreciate fresh ideas and novelty approaches to delivering content. It goes to show how a company thinks out of the box and find new ways to entertain and educate their readers.

“Everything sucks. Might as well find something to smile about.”

House is a misanthropist of the real world, but he finds ways to alter his line of thinking and make grand lessons from it. Likewise, bloggers must also be adapting a behavior of buoyancy and encouragement, serving as a cure, rather than a disease, for the readers.