#068: Explode Your Traffic Using Simple SEO Tips with Jeff Hawley
Today we are talking about how to explode your traffic using simple SEO tips. SEO, otherwise known as “search engine optimization,” is a constant buzzword in online business.
If you don’t have good SEO, people won’t find your blog.
Today, my guest is Jeff Hawley. He is an SEO expert. Jeff works with publishers, bloggers, and creators to find successful SEO strategies.
In this episode, you will learn that SEO is more of an art form than a numbers game. If you’re trying to grow your organic traffic from Google, this episode is for you!
Table of Contents
Most Common SEO Mistakes Bloggers Make
Jeff likes to work with bloggers who haven’t begun to work on their SEO because “they haven’t screwed it up yet.”
They have focused on putting out good content, growing their traffic, and perfecting their niche. It’s easy to go in and then fix the SEO part of the equation.
Google is very smart, and it cannot be tricked like it could in the past. The more authentic you are, the better for SEO.
If you have a large library of content, it is not dead content in your archives. It is content you can take out and refresh.
You Can’t Trick Google
Being able to trick Google is still relative today; there are ways you can play the system. The reason Jeff does not invest in that is that it is a continuous hustle. Google always figures it out.
Jeff got into SEO because he wanted to build organic momentum.
With organic traffic, once it gains momentum, it drives itself. If you’re gaming the system, you’re going to be working until you’re caught, then having to figure out the next tactic.
Smart Keyword Usage
You also don’t want to stuff your post up with keywords.
Google is smart enough to know the content of your post. You can use keywords where it is natural and easy to read.
Google is becoming more like a human, where it can understand what phrases mean even if it isn’t the same keyword over and over.
It is better to have content that makes sense and is better for the reader’s experience, than an overkill of keywords.
How to Create Good Content For Google
Content that is thorough and offers a good user experience is what Google is looking for.
We do not read websites the way we read a book, word for word.
We are in a scanning era. We glance through the headings, bullet points, and then maybe go back later and read the whole thing.
When a user goes to Google, they have a question, they have a problem they want solved. Google wants to serve up an answer.
When we create content, we need to make sure it’s something that can answer a user’s question fully and any other questions that may pop up in the topic.
You can write a post about a topic, and then link to other posts you have that can answer questions about the original post so that you are the full answer needed by the user.
On our site, Catch My Party, the posts about girl baby showers do really well, so I have written posts to cover every single aspect of a girl baby shower.
Google knows that I am the authority on girl baby showers and will direct users to my site.
It is not a mathematical equation.
You have to know your audience and know whether you should branch out, keep it simple, link to someone else, or build your own content. You get to decide what is right for you.
How Long Should My Blog Posts Be?
There is no rule that says long posts are better than short posts or vice versa. It depends on the subject and the searcher.
Thorough content is proving to be more SEO successful than shorter content, but that is not a universal rule.
You need to be aware of how your content looks. You want it to be a very user-friendly experience, especially in this age of phone scrolling.
One example would be photos in a food blog.
You need to make sure the photos you’re posting are there to help your audience, and not just there because you like them, or they’re pretty.
The more photos you have that are the same, the more likely your audience is to just skim quickly through them.
Utilizing Old Content
A lot of content is evergreen and can be used over again.
You can update old content and breath life into it. It shows that you are invested in your content and it is still relevant.
If you are constantly updating, your entire site will be moving forward together. No old content will be left years behind and lose relevance.
Every week, I post three posts. One is new content, one is our favorite party from that week on our site, and one is an old blog post I have updated.
It saves time because it’s easier to update an old post than create an original one. It has also given us a fresh perspective on our old content.
Know that if you go back and look at your old content, you may notice how bad it is, but don’t stress. Update it and give it a new lease on life.
Working On Other Platforms
Even if you are nailing it in Google, you need to work on your other platforms of marketing as well.
Jeff primarily focuses on Google, because the other platforms tend to follow, but he knows that he should work on others as well.
Pinterest is a completely separate entity. It operates on a different level.
Content that works well on Pinterest also tends to work well on Google.
In the end, traffic from Google is more valuable from an advertiser’s perspective than traffic from social networks.
Your ads are worth more if someone comes to your page through Google versus Facebook.
Quick Tips For Keywords
SEMrush is an expensive platform, but it’s helpful because of the sheer keyword volume.
And you can always just use Google itself to find relevant keywords for your posts.
You can just type in searches and see what comes up. You can get inspiration from the results that pop up, but Google has a helpful feature where you can also see related searches.
You can use a browser extension called keywordseverywhere. It is good if you have keywords in mind already, but not good for inspiration.
The keyword tool that Jeff likes is called Answer The Public. It helps get into the mind of users and know exactly what they’re looking for.
Contacting Jeff
You can find Jeff at hashtagjeff.com.
You will be able to see the course he offers and read more about him.
Jeff also has audits that help with the technical side so you can focus on the fun part. It will help you know the right direction to go with your own SEO.
What Type of Online Business Owner is MiloTree Right For?
Are you in the middle stages (advance beginner and above) of growing your blog? Have you got some traffic but you know you need more?
Let MiloTree help you get to that next level by helping you grow your email list and social media followers on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube. Sign up today!
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TIMESTAMP
- Intro
- 1:30 Accidental Entrepreneurship
- 4:26 SEO Mistakes Bloggers Make
- 7:11 You Can’t Trick Google
- 10:15 Smart Keyword Usage
- 13:25 Creating Good Content For Google
- 19:40 How Long Should My Blog Posts Be?
- 27:11 Utilizing Old Content
- 33:22 Working On Other Platforms
- 36:50 Quick Tips For Keywords
- 41:16 Contacting Jeff
Read the podcast transcript here:
Transcript for Episode #068: Interview with Jeff Hawley on How to Improve SEO
Want to learn more about SEO? Here are more episodes we recommend:
#047: One New Strategy that Will Grow Your Traffic with Deepak Shukla
#038: How to Gain Mega Free Traffic with the SEO Skyscraper Technique with Deepak Shukla
#013: What Bloggers Need to Know to WIN at SEO with David Christopher
