In the vast landscape of digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) stands tall as a formidable force, determining the online visibility and success of businesses and websites. As the digital realm continues to evolve, it’s crucial to stay ahead of the curve by adopting strategies that yield significant results with manageable effort — enter the concept of “low hanging fruit” in SEO.
In this article, we’ll unravel the secrets to enhancing your website’s performance with 12 easily attainable and highly effective SEO strategies. These are not complex maneuvers that demand exhaustive resources; instead, they represent the low hanging fruit waiting to be plucked for quick wins in the world of search engine rankings.
What is Low Hanging Fruit for SEO?
“Low-hanging fruit” in the context of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) refers to relatively easy and quick opportunities for improvement that can yield positive results.
These are tasks or strategies that can be implemented with minimal effort and resources but can still significantly impact a website’s search engine rankings. The idea is to target elements that can be easily addressed and optimized for better performance.
Here are some examples of low-hanging fruit in SEO:
- Keyword Optimization: Identify and target long-tail keywords or phrases your target audience will likely search for. Ensure these keywords are strategically placed in your content, meta tags, and headers.
- Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Write compelling and relevant title tags and meta descriptions for your pages. These are often the first things users see in search engine results, so they should accurately represent the content of your pages.
- Image Optimization: Optimize your images by using descriptive filenames and alt text. This helps search engines understand your content and improves accessibility for users.
- Fixing Broken Links: Identify and fix broken links on your website. Broken links can negatively impact user experience and may affect your site’s search engine rankings.
- Mobile Optimization: Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. With the increasing use of mobile devices, Google prefers mobile-friendly websites in its search results.
- Page Load Speed: Improve the loading speed of your pages. Faster-loading pages provide a better user experience and are favored by search engines.
- Local SEO: If applicable, optimize your website for local search. This includes claiming and updating your Google My Business profile, ensuring accurate business information, and obtaining positive local reviews.
- Content Updates: Regularly update and add fresh content to your website. This could include blog posts, news updates, or improvements to existing content. Search engines favor fresh and relevant content.
- Social Media Presence: Build and maintain an active presence on social media platforms. Search engines consider social signals and a strong social presence can improve SEO.
- SSL Certificate: Ensure that your website has an SSL certificate installed. This secures the connection and is a ranking factor for Google.
By focusing on these low-hanging fruit strategies, you can make incremental improvements to your website’s SEO without undertaking major overhauls. It’s a good starting point, especially for those new to SEO or with limited resources.
12 Low Hanging Fruit SEO Strategies to Use
Let’s dive into each of these low-hanging fruit SEO strategies:
1. Revise URL Structure
- Why: A clean and descriptive URL structure is user-friendly and helps search engines understand the content of your pages.
- How: Use short, descriptive URLs with relevant keywords. Avoid using symbols or numbers that don’t contribute to understanding the page content.
2. Prune Low-Quality/Low-Traffic Pages
- Why: Removing or improving underperforming pages can enhance the overall quality of your website and prevent dilution of SEO efforts.
- How: Identify pages with low traffic or engagement using analytics tools. Consider consolidating, updating, or removing pages that don’t add value to the user experience.
3. Improve Page Speed
- Why: Page speed is a crucial ranking factor and affects user experience. Faster-loading pages improve user satisfaction and can contribute to better search engine rankings.
- How: Compress images, enable browser caching, use a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and minimize HTTP requests to speed up page loading times.
4. Build (and Prune) Internal Links
- Why: Internal linking helps distribute link equity and guides users to relevant content. Pruning ensures that links are appropriate and do not lead to outdated or irrelevant pages.
- How: Create internal links where relevant, using descriptive anchor text. Regularly audit and update internal links to maintain relevance.
5. Tap Existing Relationships for High-Quality Inbound Links
- Why: Inbound links from reputable websites contribute significantly to SEO. Leveraging existing relationships can lead to high-quality backlinks.
- How: Reach out to partners, suppliers, or satisfied customers and encourage them to link to your content naturally. Consider guest posting on industry-related websites.
6. Install SEO Plugins
- Why: SEO plugins can simplify on-page optimization tasks and provide insights into how well your content aligns with SEO best practices.
- How: Install and configure SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack. Use them to optimize title tags, meta descriptions, and other on-page elements.
7. Install Google Webmaster Tools (now called Google Search Console)
- Why: Google Search Console provides valuable insights into how Google perceives your site, identifies issues, and offers suggestions for improvement.
- How: Set up Google Search Console for your website. Monitor performance, fix crawl errors, and submit sitemaps for better indexation.
8. Improve Site Load Time
- Why: Faster websites provide a better user experience and are favored by search engines.
- How: Optimize images, leverage browser caching, minimize server response time, and utilize tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and address speed issues.
9. Make Your Site Device-Friendly
- Why: With the increasing use of mobile devices, a responsive and mobile-friendly design is crucial for user experience and search engine rankings.
- How: Ensure that your website design is responsive and adapts to various screen sizes. Test your site on different devices to ensure a seamless experience.
10. Create More Content
- Why: Regularly publishing high-quality, relevant content helps attract and retain visitors. It also provides more opportunities to target valuable keywords.
- How: Develop a content calendar, identify topics of interest to your audience, and consistently create informative and engaging content.
11. Share Your Content
- Why: Social signals are considered by search engines. Sharing your content on social media platforms can increase visibility and attract more visitors.
- How: Promote your content across relevant social media channels. Encourage sharing and engagement.
12. List Your Website in Top Local Directories
- Why: Local SEO is essential for businesses targeting a specific geographic area. Listing your website in local directories improves visibility in local searches.
- How: Ensure your business information is accurate and consistent across local directories. Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing.
Starting on Your SEO with Summit Scout
By implementing these low-hanging fruit SEO strategies, you can make meaningful improvements to your website’s search engine performance without a significant investment of time or resources. Regular monitoring and adjustments based on performance data will help you refine your approach over time.
If you need some assistance with some of these low-hanging fruit SEO strategies, Summit Scout can help! Learn more about our organic SEO services and how you can start improving your business SEO strategy today!
