Google - The Pinnacle of Any SEO Project

Did you know that almost 90% of all Google searches happen without a person even leaving the house?

It's true. While it may be tempting to get distracted with social media and Netflix binges when you have free time, nothing will ever top the pure joy of pulling down relevant search results while also impressing your friends with your knowledge.

Google has always been the pinnacle of any SEO project since its introduction to the average person. The range of useful information it can pull down from a simple search is incredible. It's not just about finding the right webpage – there's so much more to SEO than that.

Here's a handpicked collection of SEO tips, tricks, and tactics you can use to master the art of getting your website ranked high in the search engines.

Keyword research

The very first step in any SEO project is to conduct some keyword research. Just like any other kind of digital marketing, SEO is all about being found online. There are four main keyword tools you should know:

• Google Keyword Planner
• Mikki Search
• SEO Tools
• Long Tail Pro

Each of these tools is essential for any SEO campaign. Let's take a quick look at what each one can do.

Google Keyword Planner

Google's Keyword Planner is, in fact, just a keyword tool. It's a free app that can be accessed from any device, even if you don't have a Google account. What sets it apart from other keyword tools is its unique approach to keyword research. Rather than pulling in results from Google AdWords, you're presented with relevant suggestions for your niche. For example, if you're trying to promote a weight loss product, you'll discover that people are actually searching for products related to weight loss, rather than just using the word “SEO”.

The planner also alerts you when new keywords are being used frequently in the marketplace, which can help you determine their strength and whether or not they're worth pursuing.

Mikki Search

Did you know that many people in your niche are searching for your product, but aren't finding your website in the relevant search results? That's called Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short. Fortunately, there's an app for that. It's called Mikki Search and it can be found at chrome.com/mobile/apps. (Yes, Google owns YouTube and most of the other platforms you might think of.)

Mikki Search is a simple and free app that can literally change the way you do SEO. Why? It collates and organizes all the search data from various platforms (web, app, and mobile). You can then analyze this data to find the keywords and phrases people in your niche are actually using to find what you offer.

This information is vital in the SEO world. Knowing what keywords people are using and how they're using them helps you determine your target audience and the best SEO strategy for your website or digital product. For example, let's say you're a pet store and you want to rank for the keywords “pet care tips”. You would examine the data to find that most people in your target audience are searching for “pet care tips”, rather than just using the word “pet”. Knowing this, you could adjust your strategy to incorporate pet care tips in some way (e.g., add a blog post about trending topics related to pets, start a YouTube channel about pet care, etc.).

SEO Tools

While it's great to have a solid understanding of the theory behind SEO and how to strategically apply it, sometimes you just need an app or two to make your life a little easier. SEO Tools are SEO apps that can automate some of the routine tasks involved in getting your website or blog ranked high on Google.

Here's a short list of some of the most popular SEO tools:

• SEOTools4Free
• SEMrush
• SEOMoz 
• Keyword Drip  
• Yoast 

The advantage of having SEO Tools is that you can access all the major functions from any place, even if you don't have access to a computer. This makes life a little easier (and sometimes a lot easier). Plus, you can easily share your tasks and notes with your team, if you're working with other marketers in an agency setting.

Long Tail Pro

If you've ever tried to search for a specific topic on Google, you've most likely come across “Long Tail Pro.” This is because Google favors content that is specific and answers the questions of its users. It's like a smart search engine that knows what it's looking for.

Long Tail Pro is a keyword tool that can help you find long-tail keywords that are less competitive. So, if you're looking for the name of a certain brand or product, you can likely find them through a search on Long Tail Pro, rather than trying to come up with the exact keyword combination. You can install Long Tail Pro on multiple devices (e.g., phone, tablet, and desktop), so no matter where you are, you'll always have access to the information you need.

While these apps are essential to any SEO campaign, the truth is that not all of them will help you significantly increase your website traffic. You have to pick and choose which ones will give you the best return on investment.

Backlinks

Did you know that the number of backlinks (inbound links) to your website is one of the major ranking factors in SEO?

Backlinks are important because they indicate the strength of your domain and your SEO strategy. When other websites link to your content, it shows that other websites consider you to be an expert in your niche. Backlinks can also appear in the form of social media shares, which increases the likelihood that a user will visit your site.

There are multiple free tools you can use to find backlinks, such as…

• Majestic SEO
• Ahrefs
• Open Site Explorer

Each of these tools can be accessed from any device and from any location. This makes it much easier to get quality backlinks to your site, regardless of your location.

Content creation

We already established that having a blog on your website is considered a key metric in SEO. However, what most people don't realize is that creating high-quality content is also an essential part of SEO. Why?

Blogs, articles, and other content all serve as unique opportunities to get links back to your site. When other websites and blogs reference your content, they're essentially giving you a backlink.

The problem is that not all content is created equal. You have to make sure that the content you create for SEO purposes is of a high-quality. Otherwise, you're wasting your time. For example, if you're an agency that specializes in SEO and you have a client who wants to get some content created, you can't just tell him to write an article about “How to increase the popularity of my [insert product name here]”. You have to take into consideration all the aspects that come with this project, from an editorial standpoint to the graphic design. Quality, of course, is a major key.

Analytics

Did you know that every website, even those owned by large organizations, need to have analytics installed?

Google Analytics software helps you monitor and analyze traffic on your site. It provides you with all the necessary information you need to make strategic decisions about your digital marketing efforts. (You don't have to run Google Analytics on your own blog – you can use a free service like Statiguides.)

With Google Analytics, you can track the demographic, the location, the time, and the devices people are using to visit your site. You can even dive into a deeper analysis of your traffic to find the reasons that people are landing on your site and what actions they're taking once there.