SEO is not DEAD ✅

Some of you might remember the article I wrote last time: SEO is DEAD ❌ , it was extremely productive, and even though the like vs dislike proportion favors the latter many of you provided valuable insight into how to improve berrynews.org SEO ranking and Domain Authority, thank you for that.

Based on your replies I've compiled a list of how to optimize your SEO and although many had valid points, a platform that aggregates news articles from various sources would be close to impossible to improve, I want to consider it as a challenge🦾

Answers to my 'What actions should I take?' question

This brings me to the first actionable improvement point:

1. Patience is key: Understand that SEO takes time. Two weeks is typically not long enough to see significant results, especially for keywords with high search volumes. I'll post an update once more time has passed and I've had the time to develop the SEO.

   
   

2. Focus on relevant keywords: Target relevant search queries. Being on the first page for low-volume searches won't drive much traffic. Aim for higher-volume, relevant keywords. Keyword optimization is an important factor and you have built-in tools in Google Search and Bing Search where you can find out what would work best for your website and update the metadata accordingly.

   
   

3. SEO is a comprehensive strategy: Optimize beyond just page speed. Focus on creating great content, building domain authority, acquiring quality backlinks, and setting up technical aspects like metadata and sitemaps properly. On the topic of backlinks, I will explain more later in this article.

   
   

4. Competitive niches require more effort: SEO in highly competitive sectors, like news, demands more work and strategic planning. Truer words have never been spoken, as I said challenge ACCEPTED🫡

   
   

5. Invest time in SEO: Dedicate time to understanding and implementing SEO best practices, including meta tags, content writing, and backlink strategies. Results will show over time. I've just finished reading "The Beginner's Guide to SEO" by MOZ and now moved to "Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide" from Google Search.

   
   

6. Set realistic expectations: Adjust your expectations for SEO outcomes. Initial traffic might be low, and growth is typically incremental. Consistent effort is required to see improvements and we shall see this in a couple of months when I post the update

   
   

7. Long-term strategy: Plan for SEO as a long-term strategy, giving it a few months to start showing results. Early expectations for quick gains are often unrealistic. This was one extremely valid but hard-to-achieve bullet point that I am working on.

   
   

How exactly do you improve SEO?

1. 🧘

   
   

2. Keyword research: if you want the full-length version you can find it here. I will try as best as possible to answer these questions for myself, but they are a blueprint for any SEO improvements.

   1. Ask what your users want.

      1. Ad-free news
      2. Time efficiency: A single platform to host them all
      3. Multiple sources and languages
      4. Unfiltered content

   2. What are your users searching for?

      1. TBD

   3. How often are your users searching the terms?

   4. The top 10 is unachievable but the top 100 is more than better

   5. What is your competition doing?

      1. Keywords by competitor

   6. Keywords by season

      1. Is it Easter already? 🐇🥚

   7. Keywords by region

   8. (Bonus) What type of search types do we have?

      1. Informational queries - how fall is Brad Pitt
      2. Navigational queries - just Google search "berry news" if you don't know the full link
      3. Transactional queries: buy a concert ticket
      4. Commercial research
      5. Local queries: best oliebollen in Den Haag?

   9. Tools:

      • Moz Keyword Explorer - (PAID) The tool extracts accurate search volume data by using live clickstream data.

      • Google Keyword Planner - (FREE) Google's AdWords Keyword Planner has historically been the most common starting point for SEO keyword research.

      • Google Trends - Google’s keyword trend tool is great for finding seasonal keyword fluctuations.

      • AnswerThePublic (PAID) - This free tool populates commonly searched-for questions around a specific keyword.

      • SpyFu Keyword Research Tool (PAID) - Provides some really neat competitive keyword data.

        
        

3. Backlink strategy is an essential component of SEO, as backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are a significant ranking factor for search engines. Developing an effective backlink strategy:

   1. Understanding backlinks

      1. Quality over quantity: One high-quality backlink from a reputable site is worth more than many low-quality links from dubious sources.
      2. Relevance: Backlinks from sites within your niche or industry are more beneficial as they are seen as more relevant.
      3. Diverse Link Profile: A natural backlink profile has links from various sources and types (e.g., blogs, news sites, educational sites)

   2. Content creation

      1. Valuable content: Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that others naturally want to link to.
      2. Shareable assets: Infographics, research studies, comprehensive guides, and thought leadership articles are examples of content that typically attract backlinks. As recently "announced" berrynews Europe and Spain "article share feature"

   3. Outreach and networking

      1. Blogger outreach: Reach out to bloggers or influencers in your industry for guest posting opportunities or to share your content.
      2. Relationship building: Develop relationships with industry leaders and content creators. Networking can lead to organic backlinks.

   4. Utilize social media and forums

      1. Share your content on social media platforms and relevant online communities. While most social media links are nofollow, they can lead to exposure and natural backlinking.

   5. Broken link building

      1. Identify broken links on other websites and suggest your content as a replacement. To be honest, this one I didn't properly understand.

   6. Guest blogging

      1. Write articles for other websites in your industry. Include a link back to your website within the content or in your author bio. If anyone wants to connect you can find me at @email

   7. Leverage PR and publicity

      1. Utilize press releases or reach out to news outlets for coverage of significant events, studies, or announcements from your company.

   8. Monitor your backlink profile

      1. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to monitor your backlinks. Keep an eye out for spammy links that might harm your site’s reputation.

   9. Competitor analysis

      1. Analyze the backlink profiles of your competitors to understand where they are getting their links from. This can provide ideas for your own strategy

   10. Be Active in industry forums and blogs

       1. Participate in discussions on industry forums and comment on relevant blogs. Make sure your contributions are meaningful; this can lead to natural backlink opportunities.

   11. Directories and listings

       1. Get listed in reputable directories relevant to your industry. Avoid low-quality directories as they can be harmful.

   12. Best practices and caution

       1. Avoid black-hat techniques: Buying links, participating in link schemes, or excessive link exchanges can lead to penalties from search engines.

       2. Natural growth: Build your backlinks gradually and naturally. A sudden spike in backlinks can appear manipulative to search engines.

       3. Focus on value: Always focus on providing value through your content and interactions. High-quality content that serves the user's needs is more likely to earn backlinks.

          
          

Developing a strong backlink profile takes time and effort, but it's a vital part of a comprehensive SEO strategy. Remember, the goal is to build a natural-looking backlink profile that grows organically over time.

This brings my article to an end.

If you are not familiar with some of these terms, I suggest that you check out the Glossary. And this funny message

As always, thank you stranger for your time and if you want to "make acquaintance" you can always subscribe to my Hackernoon account.

Until next time much love from Den Haag 🫶