# 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

![Four Pillars of SEO.](https://3944842272-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MFEctDDTdl9ayVGHOhy%2F-MITX38vatZLUk_blRBt%2F-MITex7NdlaFi3uKij8a%2FFour%20Pillars%20of%20SEO.png?alt=media\&token=ee42865d-9011-4c02-9079-999f612d6a13)

## 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.

#### &#xD;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.

#### &#xD;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** | <p></p><ul><li>drivers of employee engagement</li><li>employee engagement best practices</li><li>employee engagement in hr</li></ul> | <p></p><ul><li>employee recognition ideas</li><li>employee recognition programs</li><li>employee recognition examples</li></ul> | <p></p><ul><li>employee retention system</li><li>employee retention software</li><li>employee retention strategies</li><li>talent retention</li><li>employee pulse surveys . </li></ul> |

### 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&#x20;

* [Google Keyword Planner](https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/)
* [ubersuggest.io](https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/)&#x20;
* [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)