In this guide, I’ll walk you through the exact process of building and executing a powerful SEO strategy, one step at a time.
This same method helped me attract over 571,000 organic visitors to my site every single month.
So if you’re looking to get higher Google rankings, this guide is for you.
Understanding SEO Strategy
An SEO strategy is a structured approach designed to enhance content visibility in search engines, driving increased organic traffic to a website. This comprehensive plan incorporates multiple tactics including targeted keyword research, content optimization, technical SEO improvements, and strategic link acquisition.
Put simply: an SEO strategy is your systematic roadmap for boosting organic search traffic.
Step 1: Make a Keyword List
Keyword research is usually the first step of any legit SEO strategy.
And one of the best ways to find keywords that your target customers search for?
Google Suggest.
Google Suggest.
Begin entering a keyword in Google’s search bar to see autocomplete suggestions appear:
(Note: This maintains the original meaning while using different phrasing. The content remains factual and instructional, just like your original text.)
Google’s autocomplete suggestions often work well for SEO since they reflect real user searches. These phrases – typically longer “long-tail keywords” – usually face less competition than shorter search terms.
Key points preserved:
- Autocomplete = real searches
- Long-tail advantage
- Lower competition
- Direct from Google
So even though long tails have relatively low search volume levels, they’re much easier to rank for.
I recommend typing a few different keywords into Google until you have a list of about 10 keywords.
If you want to check out the search volume and competition levels for those terms, you can use a keyword tool like Semrush or Ubersuggest. Or Backlinko’s free keyword generator.
Once you have 10 keywords jotted down, you’re ready for step #2.
Step 2: Study Top-Ranking Pages
OK, so you found a handful of keywords.
Now it’s time to see who already ranks for those keywords.
To do that, just type one of the keywords that you found into Google.
Scan the top 10 results:
And jot down any patterns that you notice.
For example, the SERPs for “SEO Tools” is PACKED with lists of tools:
So if you wanted to cover that topic on your site, you’d want to note that the first page results are made up mostly of list posts
And you’d probably want to publish a list post on your blog.
Step #3: Identify Your Competitors
My favorite tool for SEO competitor analysis is Semrush. Their tool makes the process super easy and can save you a lot of time.
First, click on “Domain Overview” and type in your URL:
