As a business owner, you've probably heard of SEO, but understanding what goes into it monthly can feel a bit like untangling a set of headphones—frustrating at first, but totally satisfying once you get it. SEO isn't just a one-time task; it's an ongoing process that helps your website rank better in search engines, bringing in more potential customers.
In this article, we'll break down what a monthly SEO routine looks like. We'll cover everything from keyword research to technical upkeep and content creation. By the end, you'll have a clearer picture of the regular tasks that keep your website visible and your business thriving.
Keyword Research and Updates
Keywords are like the bread and butter of SEO. These are the words and phrases your potential customers type into search engines when they're looking for services or products like yours. The first step in a monthly SEO plan is to revisit your keyword strategy. Why? Because search trends change, and so do your competitors’ strategies.
Start by reviewing your current keyword list. Are these still relevant to your business? Are there new terms your audience might be using? Use tools like Google's Keyword Planner or SEMrush to get insights into search volumes and competition levels. Consider seasonal trends—what's popular in the summer might not be in the winter. For instance, if you run a garden supply store, "lawn care" might spike in the spring.
Here's a simple approach to keep your keyword strategy fresh:
- Review and refresh: Look at your existing keywords and decide if they still align with your goals.
- Check competitors: See what keywords your competitors are targeting. Tools like Ahrefs can show you which keywords are driving traffic to their sites.
- Explore new opportunities: Use keyword suggestion tools to find new keywords that you might not have considered.
- Long-tail keywords: These are longer phrases that are more specific and often less competitive. They can be highly valuable for attracting targeted traffic.
By regularly updating your keyword strategy, you ensure that your content remains relevant and continues to attract the right audience.
Content Creation and Optimization
Once your keywords are sorted, the next step is to ensure your content aligns with them. Content isn't just a way to fill your website; it's an opportunity to engage with your audience and answer their questions. Quality content helps establish your authority in your industry and keeps visitors coming back.
Every month, review your existing content and look for opportunities to optimize it. Are there pages that could benefit from updated keywords? Could some content be improved for better readability or engagement? Regular tweaks can make a big difference in how search engines rank your pages.
Creating new content is equally important. Aim to publish blog posts, articles, or other content regularly. This doesn't mean churning out content for the sake of it. Instead, focus on quality and relevance. Consider these tips:
- Address common questions: What questions do your customers frequently ask? Use these as topics for new content.
- Focus on readability: Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and subheadings to make your content easy to digest.
- Include visuals: Images, videos, and infographics can make your content more engaging.
- Internal linking: Link to other relevant pages on your site to help visitors and search engines navigate your content.
Remember, the goal is to produce content that is not only optimized for search engines but is also valuable and engaging for your audience.
Technical SEO Audits
While keywords and content are crucial, technical SEO forms the backbone of your website's performance. A monthly technical audit ensures your site runs smoothly, keeping users and search engines happy. Think of it as a routine check-up to ensure everything’s in tip-top shape.
Here are some technical aspects to keep an eye on:
- Site speed: A slow website can frustrate users and hurt your rankings. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your site's speed and identify areas for improvement.
- Mobile-friendliness: With more users browsing on mobile devices, your site must be responsive and easy to navigate on smaller screens.
- Broken links: These can harm user experience and SEO. Tools like Screaming Frog can help you identify and fix broken links.
- XML sitemap: Ensure your sitemap is up-to-date and submitted to search engines to help them crawl your site efficiently.
- Robots.txt file: Check this file to ensure you're not accidentally blocking important pages from being indexed.
Regular technical audits prevent small issues from snowballing into big problems, ensuring your site remains accessible and user-friendly.
Monitoring and Reporting
Tracking your SEO efforts is essential to understand what's working and what isn't. Without monitoring and reporting, you’re essentially flying blind. Make it a habit to review your site's performance metrics monthly.
Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to gather data on your website's traffic, user behavior, and search performance. Here are some key metrics to watch:
- Organic traffic: This tells you how many visitors are finding your site through search engines.
- Bounce rate: A high bounce rate might indicate that visitors aren't finding what they're looking for, prompting a review of your content and user experience.
- Conversion rates: Ultimately, you want visitors to take action, whether that's making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.
- Keyword rankings: Keep an eye on where your site ranks for target keywords and adjust your strategy as needed.
Monthly reporting allows you to spot trends, measure the impact of your SEO efforts, and make data-driven decisions to improve your strategy.
Link Building
Link building is an ongoing SEO task, and for a good reason. High-quality backlinks from reputable sites signal to search engines that your content is trustworthy and authoritative. This can significantly impact how your site ranks.
Each month, review your backlink profile and look for new opportunities to acquire quality links. Here’s how you can approach it:
- Guest blogging: Write articles for other websites in your industry. This not only builds links but also expands your audience.
- Resource pages: Reach out to sites with resource pages relevant to your industry and suggest your content as an addition.
- Broken link building: Identify broken links on other sites and offer your content as a replacement.
- Social media and PR: Promote your content on social media and connect with industry journalists and bloggers.
Effective link building requires a consistent and strategic approach, focusing on quality over quantity. This not only boosts your SEO but also enhances your brand's credibility.
Local SEO Efforts
If you're running a local business, focusing on local SEO can make a world of difference in attracting foot traffic and local customers. This involves optimizing your online presence to attract business from relevant local searches.
Here are some local SEO practices to incorporate monthly:
- Google My Business (GMB): Ensure your GMB profile is complete and accurate. Regularly update it with new photos, posts, and promotions.
- Local citations: These are mentions of your business on other websites, such as directories. Ensure your business information is consistent across all platforms.
- Customer reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on Google and other review sites, and respond to all reviews to show you value feedback.
- Local content: Create content that speaks to local events, news, or interests to engage your community.
Regularly tending to your local SEO efforts helps your business stand out in local searches, driving more traffic to your physical location.
Competitor Analysis
Keeping an eye on your competitors is a smart strategy in any business, and SEO is no exception. Regular competitor analysis helps you stay ahead of the game by understanding what others in your industry are doing right—or wrong.
Here's how you can incorporate competitor analysis into your monthly SEO routine:
- Keyword comparison: Use tools like SEMrush to see which keywords your competitors rank for, and identify any gaps or opportunities for your own strategy.
- Content analysis: Review your competitors' content to see what topics are resonating with audiences. What formats do they use? How frequently do they publish?
- Backlink profile: Analyze where their backlinks are coming from and identify potential link-building opportunities for your site.
- Social media engagement: Observe how they interact with their audience on social media. Are there strategies you could adopt or adapt?
Regular competitor analysis not only keeps you informed but also inspires new ideas and strategies to improve your own SEO efforts.
Staying Updated with SEO Trends
SEO is a field that’s constantly evolving, with search engines regularly updating their algorithms and best practices. Staying updated with these changes is crucial to maintaining and improving your rankings.
Here's how you can stay in the loop:
- Follow industry blogs: Websites like Moz, Search Engine Journal, and the Google Webmaster Central Blog provide valuable insights into the latest SEO trends.
- Join forums and communities: Participate in forums like Reddit’s SEO community or join LinkedIn groups to engage with other SEO professionals.
- Attend webinars and conferences: These events often feature experts discussing new trends and techniques in SEO.
- Experiment and test: Sometimes, the best way to learn is by doing. Try different SEO strategies and measure their effectiveness for your site.
Keeping up with SEO trends ensures your strategies are current and effective, helping you maintain a competitive edge.
Final Thoughts
SEO might seem like a complex beast, but breaking it down into manageable monthly tasks can make it much more approachable. From keyword updates and content creation to technical audits and competitor analysis, each element plays a role in boosting your website's performance.
And if you're looking for a partner to help you navigate the SEO world, I'm here to help. At Pattern, we specialize in driving more traffic from Google and turning that traffic into paying customers. Unlike most agencies, we focus on results, not just rankings. Our programmatic landing pages target hundreds of search terms to get your brand in front of more people ready to buy. Plus, we craft content that converts, ensuring your SEO efforts drive sales and lower your customer acquisition costs. We've been in-house growth leaders ourselves, so we know how SEO fits into a broader performance marketing strategy. Let's make SEO a growth channel for you, not a guessing game.