5 Advanced SEO Tactics to Win in 2021

The Growing Advantage of Established Websites in Google Search

Recent Google algorithm updates have consistently favored older, high-traffic websites, leading to increased search rankings while potentially impacting newer, smaller sites.

Data from GrowthBar indicates that large websites have experienced a 28% year-over-year increase in organic search traffic.

The Power of Accumulated Trust

Sites like Wikipedia, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Amazon, Home Depot, and Target benefit from years of established Google trust signals, a resource that is difficult for newer sites to replicate.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that Google prioritizes larger websites, and this trend shows no signs of diminishing.

Google’s Prioritization of User Experience

Google’s primary goal is to provide the optimal search experience for its users. Poor search results could drive users to alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo or Bing, which would be detrimental to Google’s business.

Given the current climate of media distrust, Google must protect its reputation by delivering reliable search results. The algorithm, therefore, tends to favor well-known and established domains, especially within sensitive categories like “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL).

Confirmation from Google’s Spokesperson

John Mueller, a key representative for Google Search, has acknowledged the importance of established content, stating that “freshness…is something that we don’t always use” and that showing “content that has been established” can be beneficial (SEJ).

Strategies for Competing with Larger Sites

For those implementing SEO strategies on smaller websites, competing with these established giants requires a unique approach.

While foundational SEO practices like creating high-quality content and building backlinks remain crucial, it’s also necessary to explore innovative tactics to enhance SEO performance and leverage remaining opportunities in organic search.

Advanced SEO Tactics

These tactics, while not overly complex, are exceptionally important for search marketers seeking to gain an edge in the current landscape.

Success requires a more strategic and resourceful approach than simply mirroring the strategies of larger competitors.

Key Considerations

• Focus on building trust signals through consistent, high-quality content.
• Explore advanced SEO techniques to maximize organic search throughput.
• Capitalize on arbitrage opportunities that still exist within organic search.

Leveraging Content Generators to Maximize Efficiency

Last year witnessed over $300 billion invested in content marketing by businesses. This substantial expenditure reflects the fact that consistently producing fresh content remains a primary method for attracting organic search traffic. Regardless of whether you operate an established website or are launching a new WordPress SEO project, content will likely form a core component of your overall SEO approach.

However, achieving significant content scalability, particularly for a startup, necessitates a considerable time commitment and potentially the management of numerous writers. Your valuable time may be more effectively allocated to product development or customer support rather than the meticulous planning of countless blog posts.

This is where the implementation of a content generator tool proves invaluable. A new generation of SEO tools is currently evolving, with many now incorporating OpenAI’s GPT-3 technology – a highly sophisticated artificial intelligence language model.

The Impact of AI on Content Creation

These tools have revolutionized the workflows of SEO professionals and content creators by automating key stages of the content creation process. Many platforms now leverage SEO data and integrate it with OpenAI capabilities to assist in the development of blog outlines.

These outlines often include SEO-optimized elements such as titles, suggested word counts, relevant keywords, compelling headlines, and engaging introductory paragraphs.

While a final review, editing, and the infusion of your unique voice and style are still essential, the primary advantage of utilizing content generators lies in the substantial time savings achieved during the planning and revision phases.

We have successfully reduced our article creation timeframe from four hours per piece to approximately 90 minutes. Consider the possibilities that arise with such a significant time recovery!

The Future of Content and SEO

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the roles of content creators and SEO specialists. GPT-3 is not intended to supplant human capabilities, but rather to enhance and streamline our work.

Furthermore, reducing the time spent on blog content allows for increased focus on other critical areas of business growth. This shift in focus can lead to greater overall efficiency and success.

• Time Savings: Significantly reduces the time required for content planning and creation.
• SEO Optimization: Assists in creating content optimized for search engines.
• Scalability: Enables businesses to produce content at a larger scale.

Identifying Emerging Trends

Effective SEO invariably begins with thorough keyword research. This is a universally accepted practice among digital marketers, and for good reason – it confirms search demand and assesses competitive intensity before committing to a topic.

However, the widespread nature of keyword research presents a challenge. Because competitors utilize the same tools and reports, discovering truly unique opportunities can prove difficult.

A consistently successful strategy involves pinpointing topics experiencing rapid growth in popularity. Consider the potential benefits of focusing on subjects like Ethereum or launching an Amazon seller venture several years ago. While initial search volumes might have appeared modest, these keywords now generate hundreds of thousands, even millions, of monthly searches. Furthermore, leveraging Google’s preference for established domains would provide a significant advantage.

Here are several resources I recommend for identifying rising keywords and categories:

Personal Expertise: On multiple occasions, I’ve successfully identified promising emerging topics based on my own knowledge. Possessing specialized knowledge within a particular field can offer a valuable informational advantage.

Twitter Analysis: Given its foundation in trending topics, Twitter serves as a valuable source of insights. If you suspect a category is gaining traction, a simple search and review of historical data can validate your hypothesis. Utilizing virtual assistants to compile this data can streamline the process.

Google’s Rising Retail Categories: Initially launched to assist retailers in adapting to the evolving commerce landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic, this Google product remains a useful resource for identifying rapidly increasing search volumes within the e-commerce sector. It’s a relatively unknown, yet powerful, tool.

Google Trends: While widely recognized, Google Trends deserves mention. This tool visualizes search volume changes over time. Simply input a search term to view a corresponding graph. I find that Trends data can sometimes be deceptive and lack complete accuracy, but it is useful for recognizing seasonal fluctuations in search interest.

The core objective is proactive trend identification. Constructing an SEO strategy around emerging keywords with moderate search volume and limited competition significantly enhances your prospects of outperforming larger, more established competitors.

The Interplay of UX/UI and SEO

User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) are critically important aspects of website design. It may not be widely known, but robust functionality and ease of site navigation are beneficial not only for visitors, but also for search engine optimization (SEO).

Google’s primary goal is to deliver exceptional websites and pages to individuals utilizing its search engine. Consequently, prioritizing UX/UI can significantly impact search rankings.

A Case Study: Marketing Agency Finder

At Growth Marketing Pro, a marketing agency finder was developed to assist readers in identifying suitable agencies for their specific marketing requirements. This tool now outperforms prominent platforms such as G2, Capterra, and Clutch in search results for relevant keywords.

The key differentiator lies in the inclusion of a “noteworthy clients” section alongside each agency listing. This feature allows users to quickly identify brands that have engaged the agency, providing valuable social proof.

Following the implementation of this feature, the finder experienced a substantial increase in search visibility, currently attracting over 5,000 organic visitors monthly for highly competitive keywords. Competitors lacking this functionality are consequently ranked lower by Google.

The Importance of User Engagement

A suboptimal user experience can deter visitors, regardless of the quality of the information or products presented. A positive user experience is fundamentally reliant on a well-designed user interface.

Without a clear and intuitive UI, users are unable to effectively interact with and benefit from the site’s content.

Strategic UX/UI Testing for SEO Gains

Large-scale modifications to a website are an effective method for evaluating user experience. Rather than focusing on minor A/B tests, impactful changes to elements like the sitewide header, blog post formatting, and prominent calls to action (CTAs) should be considered.

This approach can yield substantial SEO improvements, particularly when competing against larger organizations with potentially outdated or inflexible websites.

Key Takeaways

• Prioritize User Experience: Google rewards websites that provide a positive experience for visitors.
• Implement Social Proof: Features like client testimonials or case studies can increase user trust and engagement.
• Embrace Bold Changes: Don't be afraid to make significant UX/UI adjustments to improve performance.

By focusing on UX/UI, businesses can enhance both user satisfaction and their search engine rankings.

Leveraging Competitor Google Ads for SEO Success

A common misstep among SEO professionals and business owners is equating website traffic with profitability. A large volume of visitors is insufficient; these visitors must translate into paying customers to generate a return on investment. Traffic arriving from irrelevant keywords or low-intent searches represents diminished value.

Ensuring the acquisition of targeted traffic requires a strategic approach. Rather than pioneering new methods, consider capitalizing on proven strategies employed by competitors. Investigating competitor activities can reveal effective tactics and identify opportunities for improvement.

Tools such as GrowthBar facilitate competitive intelligence, allowing you to determine if competitors are actively utilizing Google Ads and the specific keywords driving their campaigns. The fact that a competitor is investing in paid advertising for certain keywords strongly suggests their potential value for organic ranking efforts.

Generally, keywords with higher Cost-Per-Click (CPC) rates indicate greater commercial intent. This is because these terms are highly competitive, with numerous advertisers willing to pay a premium to Google for visibility. Therefore, identifying keywords competitors are bidding on can inform a robust organic SEO strategy.

Why This Strategy Works

• Validated Keywords: Competitors have already tested and confirmed the value of these keywords through paid advertising.
• Higher Intent: Keywords driving paid campaigns typically reflect searches with strong purchase intent.
• Competitive Landscape Insight: Understanding competitor bidding strategies provides valuable context for your own SEO efforts.

By analyzing your competitors’ Google Ads campaigns, you can uncover valuable keyword opportunities and refine your SEO strategy for maximum impact. This approach allows you to focus on terms that are demonstrably capable of driving conversions and revenue.

Focusing on keywords that already demonstrate value in paid search can significantly improve the efficiency of your organic SEO efforts. It’s a data-driven approach to identifying high-potential targets, ultimately leading to a stronger ROI.

The Power of Visual Content

The human brain processes visual information at a rate significantly exceeding text – approximately 60,000 times faster. Furthermore, a substantial 90% of the information reaching the brain is visual in nature. This demonstrates a clear preference for visual communication, a fact that SEO marketers can effectively leverage.

GrowthBar highlights Zumper.com as a prime example, achieving over 9 million organic searches monthly. A key component of their success is a consistently strong infographic strategy. Their ability to transform exclusive local home rental data into compelling visuals is particularly noteworthy.

Effective content distribution is paramount when utilizing graphics and infographics. Infographics offer a highly accessible format for online content consumption. They simplify complex information, particularly data that is challenging to visualize.

Their broad appeal and inherent shareability contribute to increased social media reach. Crucially, they provide valuable embeddable content for bloggers and news outlets, fostering the acquisition of backlinks – a vital element in driving targeted website traffic.

Leveraging Infographics for SEO

If your organization possesses unique insights or data unavailable elsewhere, consider presenting it as a report or infographic. Promote it through social media channels and share it with industry contacts.

Google’s indexing process will make your work discoverable, and bloggers are likely to incorporate it into their own content, further enhancing your backlink profile.

Our annual SEO survey consistently attracts backlinks due to the exclusive data it contains, which is frequently cited by bloggers seeking reliable statistics.

However, avoid indiscriminately adding visuals solely to boost engagement. The impact of visuals is contingent upon their inherent interest and the uniqueness of the data they present. Unremarkable or non-proprietary data will likely fail to resonate with audiences.

Companies Excelling in Visual Content

Several companies consistently demonstrate excellence in visual content creation. These include Glassdoor, Zendesk, and HubSpot. Each leverages proprietary business data to produce compelling and highly citeable content.

Therefore, when developing substantial content pieces, remember to incorporate relevant visuals. Zumper’s strategic use of infographics has enabled them to outperform larger competitors like Redfin and Zillow in search results for “rentals,” a feat you can replicate.

Final Thoughts

Achieving top rankings over established, dominant websites within your industry presents a significant challenge. However, it’s crucial to recognize that these larger entities often operate with considerable inertia.

Their websites may be encumbered by legacy systems and internal processes, potentially hindering their ability to adapt quickly. By leveraging current SEO strategies, you can position yourself to compete effectively for valuable keywords.

Strategic Advantages

It is important to maximize efficiency through the use of contemporary tools, such as automated content creation platforms.

Furthermore, continuous monitoring of emerging keyword trends and identification of overlooked opportunities are essential for success.

The Google SERP is filled with potential for growth. A proactive and intelligent approach in 2021 will enable you to secure a portion of this opportunity for your business.