SwapClear14 SEO tips for more traffic in 2024 - ChecklistThe ahrefs blog ranks on the first page of Google for > 13,600 keywords and using these tips helped them get there1. Stop focusing on things that don’t matter Here's the painful truth: Half of what's written online about SEO is false. To save you time, we've busted some SEO myths and outdated advice: reference image 2. Keep search intent top of mind, always Build your content around what searchers are searching for. Plug a seed keyword in Google, then study the top-ranking pages to see the kinds of content that is ranking (e.g. product listings vs listicles vs videos). 3. Craft compelling title tags We conducted a study and found that Google rewrites title tags only ~33.4% of the time. This means Google still shows a webpage's title tag two-thirds of the time—so don't neglect your title tags. reference image 4. Refresh declining content You should refresh + republish content once it starts losing organic traffic. To find declining content, open Google Search Console and follow these steps: reference image Next, identify pages that are likely freshness-dependent—i.e. those that may have deteriorated in value or usefulness. You can then check if those pages still align with search intent in Ahrefs: reference image 5. Boost important pages with internal links Internal links can help to distribute PageRank across your site, help visitors to navigate better, and help Google to better understand your content. Find relevant internal linking opportunities with Ahrefs' Site Audit: reference image 6. Improve page experience signals Google rolled out its page experience update on mobile in 2021—and in Feb 2022 for desktop. These are the factors it considers for desktop: - Core Web Vitals (CWV) - HTTPS - Absence of intrusive interstitials Let's hone in on CWV—speed metrics that measure the user experience based on visual load, visual stability + interactivity. Here's how to check on yours: (Note: CWV is one of >200 ranking factors, but is still worth looking into.) reference image 7. Double-dip on mixed intent keywords Sometimes, people look for different things when doing a Google search. For example the search results for "on page SEO" is a mix of guides, definitions + lists—with the guide ranking highest. This is known as a mixed-intent keyword. reference image Our advice for mixed intent keywords is to create content for the *dominant* intent. Already ranking for a mixed intent keyword? There may be an opportunity to "double dip" and win multiple first-page rankings. Here's how: reference image 8. Include FAQ sections When researching a topic, you’ll often find related questions people are searching for. An example is when we plug "H1 tag" into Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer > Questions report: reference image Since it'd be unnatural to seamlessly fit all these questions into our blog post, we added an FAQ section to the end—allowing us to capture more long-tail traffic for related keywords. We now rank for the below search query, based on a question in our FAQs: reference image 9. Include expert quotes This adds credibility to your content, and could encourage your sources to share your blog post on their social media pages. reference image 10. Optimize for low-hanging featured snippets Featured snippets are excerpts from top-ranking pages that show up in the search results. Winning a featured snippet for a high-volume term can help boost your page ranking + dramatically increase organic traffic to the page. reference image Some featured snippets are easier to win—so consider prioritizing low-hanging opportunities. This means keywords with decent monthly search volumes and that you're for ranking in the top 10. Follow these steps: reference image 11. Upgrade image backlinks If you create custom illustrations for your site, others may embed them in their own content—and credit you by linking back to the image file instead of the source page. As a result, any "authority" from that link wouldn't go anywhere useful. In such cases, it's worth reaching out to the post author and asking them to swap out the link. Find such issues using these steps: reference image 12. Fix dead pages with backlinks Backlinks to dead pages are wasted opportunities, so check for + fix them periodically. Remember to also redirect the dead page to somewhere that makes sense! Otherwise, Google might see the redirect as a soft 404, and its links won't count. reference image 13. Run an annual content audit This involves analyzing your website's pages to see if they're performing as intended. You can then decide whether to update/consolidate/delete underperforming pages. Learn how to conduct a comprehensive content audit here: reference link 14. Build more backlinks Backlinks are one of Google's top three ranking factors—and whether you have a chance at ranking depends on how competitive the topic is. Still, securing a few high-quality backlinks can often help you rank better in Google + boost your organic traffic.Thread by @ahrefsBuilt using Interact List Share Copy to clipboardShare via FacebookShare via LinkedInShare via RedditShare via TwitterShare via Whatsapp