Intermediate SEO

If you’re beyond the basics of SEO and ready to take your skills to the next level, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog, we’ll dive into intermediate SEO strategies that will help you further optimize your website, improve rankings, and drive more organic traffic. While you may already have a basic understanding of keyword research, on-page SEO, and technical SEO, these intermediate strategies will give you a more advanced approach to SEO, providing a competitive edge for your website.

1. Refining Your Keyword Strategy

At the intermediate level, keyword research and optimization go beyond just targeting a few basic keywords. You need to develop a comprehensive strategy that incorporates the following:

a. Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are more specific phrases that typically have lower search volume but higher intent. For example, instead of just targeting “SEO tips,” you could target “SEO tips for small business owners.” While these keywords are less competitive, they often convert better because users searching them are more likely to be further along in the buying process.

• Actionable Tip: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to identify long-tail keywords in your niche. Incorporate them naturally into your content.

b. Keyword Clusters and Content Silos

Keyword clustering involves grouping similar keywords into topics or clusters. By organizing your content in clusters, you signal to search engines that your website is an authority on a specific topic. This structure helps your pages rank better.

• Actionable Tip: Start by creating pillar pages (high-level content) that target broad keywords, and then build supporting content around them (cluster pages) targeting more specific terms.

c. Search Intent Optimization

Search intent refers to the reason behind a user’s search query. There are four main types of search intent: informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial investigation. At the intermediate level, it’s crucial to match your content with the search intent of your target audience.

• Actionable Tip: Analyze the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) for your target keywords. Determine whether searchers are looking for information, products, or services and tailor your content accordingly.

2. Enhancing On-Page SEO

Your on-page SEO efforts should go beyond basic keyword placement. To enhance your rankings, consider the following intermediate on-page techniques:

a. Content Depth and User Engagement

Google rewards content that provides comprehensive answers to user queries. As an intermediate SEO practitioner, aim to create content that covers topics in depth and encourages user engagement.

• Actionable Tip: Focus on creating long-form content (1,500+ words) that covers all angles of a topic. Include images, infographics, and videos to keep users engaged. Tools like AnswerThePublic can help you discover common questions related to your keywords.

b. Optimize for Featured Snippets

Featured snippets are the boxed answers that appear at the top of search results. Optimizing your content for featured snippets can significantly increase your click-through rate (CTR).

• Actionable Tip: Structure your content to directly answer questions using bullet points, numbered lists, and tables. Use schema markup to help search engines understand the content.

c. Improve Internal Linking

Effective internal linking helps search engines discover and index new content, while also passing link equity (ranking power) throughout your website.

• Actionable Tip: Create a well-planned internal linking strategy. Ensure that your pillar pages are linked to relevant cluster content, and vice versa. This helps Google understand the importance and relevance of each page.

3. Advanced Technical SEO

Now that you have a solid understanding of technical SEO, it’s time to dive deeper into more advanced tactics.

a. Core Web Vitals

Google’s Core Web Vitals are a set of performance metrics that measure the user experience on your website, focusing on speed, interactivity, and visual stability. These metrics have become important ranking factors.

• Actionable Tip: Use Google PageSpeed Insights and Google Search Console to identify issues with your Core Web Vitals. Focus on improving Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) to enhance user experience and SEO.

b. Fix Crawl Errors and Broken Links

Search engines rely on crawling to index your website. If your site has crawl errors or broken links, Google may struggle to index your content, leading to lower rankings.

• Actionable Tip: Regularly check for crawl errors in Google Search Console and fix any broken links using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs. Set up 301 redirects to ensure that users and search engines can find the right pages.

c. Optimize for Mobile-First Indexing

Google now predominantly uses mobile versions of websites for indexing and ranking. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, you risk losing valuable search traffic.

• Actionable Tip: Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check your site’s mobile usability and make necessary adjustments.

d. XML Sitemap and Robots.txt Optimization

Make sure your XML sitemap is up to date and that your robots.txt file is not blocking important pages from being crawled.

• Actionable Tip: Regularly update your sitemap to include new pages and ensure it’s submitted to Google Search Console. Use your robots.txt file to block low-value pages (like thank-you pages or duplicate content) from being crawled.

4. Building High-Quality Backlinks

At the intermediate level, link building becomes more strategic. Instead of focusing on quantity, focus on building high-quality, authoritative backlinks that will help your site rank higher.

a. Competitor Backlink Analysis

Analyze the backlinks of your competitors to identify opportunities for acquiring similar links.

• Actionable Tip: Use Ahrefs or Moz to check your competitors’ backlink profiles. Reach out to the same websites they’re getting backlinks from and pitch your own content.

b. Guest Blogging

Guest blogging remains one of the most effective ways to build quality backlinks while expanding your reach in your industry.

• Actionable Tip: Identify authoritative blogs in your niche and pitch them guest post ideas that are both valuable to their audience and relevant to your own.

c. Broken Link Building

This technique involves finding broken links on other websites and offering your own content as a replacement.

• Actionable Tip: Use Check My Links or Ahrefs to find broken links on high-authority websites. Reach out to the site owner, inform them of the broken link, and suggest your content as an alternative.

5. Tracking and Measuring SEO Success

At the intermediate level, it’s essential to track the performance of your SEO efforts to see what’s working and where there’s room for improvement.

a. Use Google Analytics and Search Console

These tools are essential for monitoring traffic, ranking positions, and user behavior.

• Actionable Tip: Set up Google Analytics to track organic traffic and user engagement metrics. Use Google Search Console to monitor keyword rankings and check for any crawling or indexing issues.

b. Monitor Keyword Rankings

Tracking your keyword rankings is crucial to understanding the effectiveness of your SEO strategies.

• Actionable Tip: Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to track your keyword rankings over time. Identify which keywords are driving the most traffic and make adjustments based on performance.

Conclusion

Intermediate SEO is about fine-tuning your strategies and focusing on areas that will help you stay ahead of the competition. By refining your keyword strategy, enhancing your on-page SEO, diving deeper into technical aspects, building quality backlinks, and tracking your performance, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility and rankings. SEO is an ongoing process, and these advanced techniques will give you the tools you need to take your efforts to the next level.

Keep testing, keep learning, and keep optimizing! Happy SEO-ing!