Unlock the fundamentals of SEO planning in this episode! Discover market insights, keyword strategies with SEMRush, competitor analysis, setting realistic goals, effective social media planning, and essential tool setups. Lay the groundwork for SEO success as we explore the core principles of digital visibility.
Planning Your SEO Strategy
Knowing Your Market
- Buyer personas
- Identifying pain points
- Pricing correctly
- Setting expectations
Keyword Research (Using SEMRush Keyword Magic Tool)
- Brainstorm relevant targets
- Utilize SEMRush for search volume, difficulty, and search intent analysis
- Recognize different search intent types: Informational, Commercial, Transactional, Navigational
- Setting Keyword Target Expectations
- Choose feasible keyword targets
- Ensure desired targets yield relevant search results
Competitor Analysis
- Identify true competitors
- Analyze their keyword rankings
- Examine competitors’ core and additional keyword targets
- Study competitors’ paid ad campaigns (SpyFu, SEMRush)
- Evaluate their content strategy, content volume, and SEO tactics
- Observe link building strategies, social media presence, and PPC campaigns
Setting Expectations
- Establish realistic goals (traffic, ranking, deadlines)
Social Media
- Select relevant social media platforms
- Focus on one primary platform, with others being less active
- Plan for efficacy, engagement, and amplification
- Create a strategic plan for each platform and their integration
- Optimize profiles on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube
- Promote cross-platform linkage
Tool Setups
- Set up Google Analytics for benchmarking
- Configure Google Search Console
- Consider using Screaming Frog for SEO analysis
Chapter 3 will cover “Onsite SEO Basics” in detail, possibly spanning multiple episodes.