Once you have implemented a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, it is essential to re-optimize your content. While it may be appealing to just “set it and forget it,” SEO and its strategies constantly evolve. For this reason, you want your site and content to continually evolve to find ways to appeal to your target audience.
But first, there can be no re-optimization without data analysis. You’ll need to determine whether your content is performing well in organic search today before you know which pages to re-optimize.
Use Google Search Console to check on search queries to your site or specific content page and your website’s indexing status. Get insights into your web traffic and conversions from Google Analytics. Consider a tracking tool like Semrush or Moz for tracking specific keywords and analyzing keywords targeted by your competitors.
Between all of these tools, you’ll be able to stitch together a picture of what is performing and what isn’t — and therefore which pages need to be re-optimized the most.
SEO Re-Optimization When You Are NOT Seeing the Results You Want
The first thing to address is, “Are you seeing the results you want?” If the answer is no, it’s time to check on a few parts of your strategy. Two of the most important things to consider are:
1. Are you targeting the right keywords?
Make sure you are choosing the best, specific keywords. These long-tail keyword phrases should fit your page’s topic precisely and be able to compete with similar content on the search engine results page (SERP).
Conduct a thorough competitive keyword analysis using tools like Google Keyword Planner and Semrush to study the content that is currently ranking well for your target keywords. Analyze your competitors’ content structure and the information they provide to see how your content compares and what more you can offer users. If you need to fix part of your SEO puzzle, you want to go back and re-examine these essential pieces.
2. Does your content match user intent?
In August and October 2023, Google announced 2 more core updates focusing on helping people “see original, helpful content created for people in search results.” The emphasis on demonstrating that content matches audience expectations has never been higher. Google’s E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) framework is an excellent guide for content creators to follow to put their best foot forward to satisfy user intent. Follow an informed E-E-A-T SEO perspective on content creation to help improve search rankings or drive more traffic to a site.
SEO Re-Optimization When You ARE Seeing the Results You Want
Now, let’s say you are seeing the results you desire. You are starting to see improvement. Your content has moved up in rank on the SERP you want it to. Should you stop there? Definitely not!
Continual content improvement is crucial. By making small but significant updates, you show search bots crawling your site that your content is continuously relevant, and also ensure that your audience gets the most helpful and reliable content on your pages.
It is best to focus on four elements to make these continual improvements. Ask yourself: Is your content:
1. Clear?
2. Concise?
3. Compelling?
4. Competitive?
- Make Your Content Intent Clear for Searchability
Choosing the right keywords is integral to the visibility process, but it is not the only element. You want to be attentive to your keywords, placed strategically throughout your webpage, with your primary targeted keyword at the top.
Throughout the page, tailor your content to your audience. Relevant and specific content helps build brand trust and loyalty. It also helps you present your content in the order you know your audience wants to receive it. Sprinkle targeted keywords throughout the copy to enhance the content the audience receives, not overpower it. In a best-case scenario, the keywords you have woven into your content improve searchability for the quality product or information you already have.
- Keep It Concise for Your Audience
Remember that your readers have to slog through — or decide whether to skip — every word you write to get the value they seek. Make it easy for them by coming to the point quickly and organizing your thoughts succinctly.
- Choose Compelling Updates
Ensure you provide the most visually appealing and easy-to-access content for the best engagement. You want your audience to avoid heading to your webpage and finding giant blocks of text that are hard to read. Present your quality content in such a way that makes it easily digestible, clear for your audience to comprehend, and organized for your audience to engage with.
For example, images help elucidate your message and stand out. They also help break up the content on your page into a more digestible format and make it more memorable and possibly more likely to be shared.
Consider adding video content. The popularity of Instagram reels and TikTok demonstrates that video content is here to stay. Videos appeal to visual learners, particularly for how-to content. They can be an excellent additive high-quality element to your page if you make sure your written description and video title complement the content of your page.
Also, look for opportunities for additional engagement elements. These opportunities are not a one-size-fits-all step. Different pages, products, and services benefit from a range of engagement opportunities. Potential engagement ideas include:
- Adding an FAQ section;
- Displaying customer reviews;
- Including a callout question or quote box;
- Suggesting related articles or content;
- So many more!
- Outpace the Competitors
Finally, you want to consider how to stand out from the competition. Your competitors are going to continue their on-page efforts. Re-optimizing your content ensures that it stays fresh and continuously improves in an effort to remain ahead of the competition.
To ensure your content truly stands out, providing more comprehensive or detailed information than other content targeting the same keyword theme and audience is crucial.
What makes your content better? If you can’t answer that question, ranking well will be more difficult. Do you provide more complete information? Do you provide more engaging information? Does your page explain with more examples or visual elements that help your audience understand more readily? Do you have a unique perspective or new data that advances the conversation on the subject?
Find your unique value add and include it prominently on your page to help stand out from the competition.
In addition to providing unique value, you want to establish the unique authenticity that makes your site the go-to source. Build trust with your audience by showcasing your research, thoughtful analysis, and in-depth insights. When you use sources, cite them for transparency and credibility. You don’t need to be the first to discover the information you present, but you do need to present and analyze it in a unique way.
Further your authenticity by making sure your content genuinely aligns with your brand and is relatable to your audience. You know your audience better than anyone and have an understanding of what their preferences are. Consider what additional questions they will have. How can you answer them? In what ways can you be understanding of what your audience needs?
Some audiences may need charts and graphs to help them understand the data you are presenting. Others will joyfully devour statistics or delight in lists of examples. Having empathy for your audience and enthusiasm for your ability to help provide them with the information they desire in a helpful format will be apparent in your passion for your topic.
Present content your audience truly needs in a quality, brand-consistent tone to establish your website as a reliable source of information. Craft content that is authentic and truly audience-centric to establish your website as a valuable resource worth linking to and sharing.
In conclusion, remember that content re-optimization is an essential part of SEO. As you re-optimize your content, remember to always start with the data — what’s not working, and what is working but could use an extra nudge. Apply these principles with each update to make your content clear, concise, compelling, and competitive, and you’ll be on the right track.
