# SEO
## SEO Mental Models
* For urgency-driven services, Google Ads is more suited than SEO.
* SEO is not useful if few people are searching for product/service and when the domain is < 1 month old.
* Efforts on SEO won't reduce spend on Google Ads. These two are independent channels; use both.
* Start with Google Ads. Prove efficiency there and then move to SEO. Layer-up. A concept I have covered elsewhere in this playbook. `Buyer coming to you` >> Google Ads → SEO → `You going to buyer` >> Social Media Ads → Content Marketing → PR.
* Focus on a few channels - money and energy. And layer-up the channels. Don't fire up multiple marketing channels/initiatives.
## Outline of SEO Efforts
* Monitor SERP of target keywords \[search engine result position] at the beginning.
* Analysis of resultant traffic using Google Analytics.
* Research keywords.
* Identify key topics around primary and secondary keywords.
* Create pages in pillar cluster format.
* Carry out on-page optimization for these pages and rest of the website.
* Follow it up by executing off-page optimization.
* Monitor the progress.
* Refine your efforts.
## Four Pillars of SEO
## On-Page Concepts
### Keyword Research
**Step 1: Brainstorm**
* Most obvious ones that come to your mind.
* Use [ubersuggest.io](https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/) for more ideas.
####
Step 2: Use Google Keyword Planner
* Go to "Find new keywords".
* Enter keywords from step 1.
* Click on "Get started button".
* Note down keywords with good "avg no. of monthly searches".
* Note down keywords in "idea" list if they are relevant and have good searches.
#### Step 3: Use SEMRush
* Type 1 main keyword from your list.
* Note down the competitor domain that comes up.
* Search for that domain name in SEMRush.
* Note down the organic search for that website.
* Find out top organic keywords. Check 'view full report'.
* Within that find the keyword you are researching for. Use filters.
* Note down volume (should be same as Google suggested) and traffic %.\*
* Replicate the process for keywords you are researching for.
* For smaller website, choose 10 keywords to concentrate on.
####
Check how lucrative the keywords are
* Enough people searching.
* Commercial intent.
* Realistic competition.
**\*Note:** Percentage traffic tells us no. of visitors to that website - at that ranking - from that keyword, which tells us how much traffic we can get by beating them. We can get how much money we can get from that keyword: Your conversion rate into that much traffic - say 3% of 57 = 1.5 new customers. That much you stand to gain. �
### Identifying Topics
Here is a hypothetical example of laying out key topics and sub-topics to develop pages in pillar (key topic) - cluster (secondary keywords) format for a HRTech SaaS product.
| | Web Page 1 | Web Page 2 | Web Page 3 |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| | Engagement | Recognition | Retention |
| **Topic** | Employee Engagement | Employee Recognition | Employee Retention |
| **Primary keywords** | engaging employees | employee recognition | retaining employees |
| **Secondary keywords** | - drivers of employee engagement
- employee engagement best practices
- employee engagement in hr
| - employee recognition ideas
- employee recognition programs
- employee recognition examples
| - employee retention system
- employee retention software
- employee retention strategies
- talent retention
- employee pulse surveys .
|
### Latent Semantic Indexing
Google knows what keywords "should be" there in a topic. Find those and include in your content. How to find these keywords:
* From Google: Take a note of keywords at the bottom of the search results page.
* LSIGraph.com: Type primary keywords. It will give you results.
* Competition: Use keyword density tool for top 5 organic results.
### Social Media
* What works: Inorganic measures - sales promotions and paid ads.
* What doesn't: Organic measures with lousy content. Exceptional content.
* For SEO: Don't make too much fuss about it. Be present on multiple channels. Have enough quality content which signals your "business is alive".
### Directory Structure / Folders / URLs
* Keep pages you are trying to rank for max one folder deep.
* Use primary keyword in URL. Keep it 5 words or under.
* Use primary keyword in Title Tag.
* Use primary keywords near the start; ideally as first words.
* H1 - use only H1; use primary keyword. H2 - use synonyms. H3 - whatever naturally fits in; don't strive for optimization.
## Off-Page SEO Concepts
## Tools
* [Google Keyword Planner](https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/)
* [ubersuggest.io](https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/)
* [SEMRush](https://www.semrush.com/)
* [Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com/)
* [SERPFox.com](https://serpfox.com/)
* [LSIGraph.com](https://lsigraph.com/)
* [SEOBook Keyword Density Analyzer](http://tools.seobook.com/general/keyword-density/)
* [Keywords Everywhere Chrome extension �](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/keywords-everywhere-keywo/hbapdpeemoojbophdfndmlgdhppljgmp)
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