Apart from creating content and building links, what else are you doing to push your SEO efforts?

Hey there, Honestly, when I'm not knee-deep in content or backlinks, I'm obsessing over site speed and user experience (UX). One time, I shaved 2 seconds off a client's page load time, it was like winning the SEO lottery. Speed doesn't just help rankings; it makes people stay, and that's half the battle, right? I'm also big on leveraging data. Tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg give me insight into what users actually do on the site (spoiler: it's not always what you think). I once restructured a homepage based on heatmaps, and conversions shot up by 30%. Oh, and schema markup? Total game-changer. It's like leaving breadcrumbs for Google. I used it for a client's local SEO, and their click-through rates skyrocketed. SEO's a puzzle, and I kinda love figuring out the odd pieces. :blush: Cheers, Damilola Ademuyiwa SEO Specialist dammyade.com

When it comes to SEO, content creation and link building are just the tip of the iceberg. To truly stand out and turn traffic into transactions and revenue, I focus on several additional strategies that boost visibility, improve user experience, and ultimately drive conversions. Here are some key approaches: 1. Internal Linking for Seamless Navigation Internal linking isn't just about spreading link equity, it's about guiding users to the right content. I take a deep dive into my clients' sites to ensure pages are connected in a way that makes sense for both users and search engines. Whether it's linking to high-priority pages or ensuring anchor text reflects search intent, this helps reduce bounce rates and improves crawl efficiency. 2. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) SEO isn't just about traffic and keyword rankings, it's about what users do once they land on the site. I constantly test CTAs, simplify navigation, and refine layouts to increase conversions. A well-optimized site converts casual visitors into paying clients, which is the ultimate goal of any SEO campaign. 3. Optimizing for Local SEO For any business, local SEO is a game-changer. I optimize Google Business Profiles, generate local citations, and gather customer reviews to dominate local search results. Simple tactics like adding location-based keywords and creating hyper-local content can yield significant results at a low cost. 4. Leveraging Schema Markup Schema markup is one of the most underrated tools in SEO. Whether it's local business schema, FAQs, or review snippets, structured data enhances search appearance and drives higher click-through rates. 5. Staying Ahead with Data and Testing SEO is never static with the advancement of AI and the algorithm updates. I experiment with different strategies, analyze performance and tweak campaigns based on real data. Every tweak, no matter how small, builds momentum over time.

While content creation and link building are still essential, we're focusing more on micro SEO strategies to enhance our SEO efforts. This means honing in on long-tail keywords that reflect user intent, which helps us rank for niche searches with less competition. We're also paying close attention to technical SEO-making sure our sites are mobile-friendly, load quickly, and use structured data markup effectively. Another area we're prioritizing is optimizing our Google Business Profile for local SEO. It's crucial for businesses to show up in local searches these days. Plus, we're exploring off-page SEO strategies beyond just link building, like engaging with audiences on social media and pursuing digital PR opportunities. These tactics are helping us build a stronger online presence and establish greater brand authority.

Both AI engines like ChatGPT Search and traditional search engines like Google are prioritizing content that demonstrates expertise, experience, authority, and trust (EEAT). While many organizations excel at developing expertise, showcasing that expertise throughout a website is the real challenge. SEO success in 2025 and beyond will depend on: 1. Transparent, Authoritative Content: Create detailed content that highlights expertise with author bios, real-world case studies, and expert insights to build credibility. 2. Optimized User Experience: Prioritize fast-loading, user-friendly websites that encourage trust and engagement. 3. Trust Signals: Display certifications, partnerships, privacy policies, and secure connections to instill confidence. 4. Building Authority: Collaborate with respected industry voices and organizations to strengthen your reputation. Looking ahead, a potential new focus on 'notoriety'-how widely recognized and discussed your brand is-could expand EEAT into NEAAT (Notoriety, Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust). Driving media mentions and fostering engagement will help establish your brand as a trusted and recognized leader.

Aside from creating content and building links, I put a lot of focus on social media and reputation management to strengthen SEO. Social media is great for driving traffic and expanding the reach of my content-it also helps build brand trust and authority. With reputation management, positive reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp play a big role in improving local rankings. I also make sure business listings are accurate, respond to feedback quickly, and keep an eye on brand mentions to stay ahead of any potential issues.

There is a significant trend emerging where more clients are increasingly focusing on technical SEO rather than solely relying on backlinks and content development. This shift is primarily driven by the high cost-per-clicks (CPCs) reported in their respective industries, leading them to seek more cost-effective SEO strategies. Feedback from our clients indicates that technical SEO offers a more sustainable approach to enhance their visibility and rankings. As a result, we have been dedicating substantial efforts to assist clients in addressing various technical challenges. Specifically, issues such as crawl budget optimization and indexing problems have become common areas of concern. By resolving these technical issues, clients experience improved organic search performance, leading to increased website traffic. Ultimately, this focus on technical SEO is enabling clients to achieve higher returns on their marketing investments. Interesting times in the digital marketing space!

Links and content are great for driving traffic, but a website's usability is just as important. After all, attracting visitors is only half the battle-you need to convert that traffic into meaningful actions. That's why I make sure my site is fast, easy to navigate, and designed with the user in mind. I rely on GeneratePress for its lightweight, fast-loading design, backed by solid hosting. My approach also includes keeping the layout clean and simple, with clear calls-to-action on every page to make it easy for visitors to take the next step.

The most effective SEO strategy I've found is building a genuine brand presence alongside purposeful content. Instead of just creating helpful articles, I focus on developing a distinct voice and perspective that people recognize and trust. When your brand becomes known for specific expertise or insights, the content you create carries more weight and naturally attracts links. For example, I regularly share detailed takes on AI and web development trends. It's not just about answering questions - it's about becoming the source people think of for specific topics. When that happens, links come naturally because you're seen as an authority figure, not just another content creator. Because while SEO fundamentally comes down to content and links, the way to get both is through authentic brand building, not just churning out answers to search queries.

I'm working to improve our overall digital footprint. Google is increasingly looking at different signals about a brand, which includes product reviews, organic mentions on social media and YouTube, and more. In addition to the standard SEO tactics, I'm implementing holistic strategies like using email marketing to boost behavioral signals (e.g., repeat traffic), repurposing the idea(s) behind our content for each platform natively, and stimulating more user-generated content that increases our market coverage. Finally, I try to participate in the relevant Facebook groups and Reddit subreddits. Not only does it help share the knowledge of our product more, but it also helps with creating content for hyper-specific issues that audience shares!

Aside from making content and building links, I'm also working on building a personal brand that people can recognize and trust. I'm doing this through LinkedIn, Medium, my newsletter, and my personal website. Why does this matter for SEO? Well, people tend to click more on names they know and trust, which can boost click-through rates. Google can also give higher rankings to well-established brands because they are seen as more credible. Plus, a solid personal or business brand helps you stand out from all the surface-level AI content online. It also makes it easier to handle Google's algorithm updates without getting hit too hard.

I'm Cyrille ADJALALA, SEO Expert & founder of Cycylab, an SEO agency specializing in helping chiropractors rank higher on Google. While content and backlinks are foundational, my agency takes a multi-layered approach to SEO by focusing on: Entity Optimization: We ensure that Google fully understands the businesses we optimize by leveraging tools like schema markup and semantic SEO. This boosts trust and relevance in competitive niches. User Behavior Insights: We analyze click-through rates, dwell time, and bounce rates to optimize site usability and engagement. A satisfied user signals search engines that the site is worth ranking. Competitor Gap Analysis: Beyond traditional audits, we identify overlooked keyword opportunities, untapped backlink sources, and areas where competitors underperform, crafting strategies to fill these gaps. Let me know if you'd like me to elaborate further!

One often overlooked yet impactful approach to pushing SEO efforts is building a network with seasoned professionals. SEO lacks hard-and-fast rules, making credible information challenging to find. To overcome this, I've actively engaged with industry experts on LinkedIn and even initiated conversations with "YouTube gurus" who I follow. Many of these professionals are surprisingly open to answering questions through direct messages. I'm also active in several SEO forums on Reddit. While the platform is known for misinformation, those willing to dig deeper can find valuable insights leading to true experts. By connecting with professionals who specialize in areas of SEO outside my own expertise, I've built a reliable network of practitioners. Whether I need advice on anchor text ratios for backlinks or insights into emerging trends, solutions are now just a message away. In SEO, relationships are just as crucial as rankings-because the right connections can simplify even the most complex challenges.

Website SEO audits are a must. Removing 404 pages, redirect chains, optimizing website speed, etc. can help you further improve your rankings. This area often gets overlooked, but having a fast website without errors helps you get that extra push for rankings. In our case, we've overlooked website speed for a long time because we had great results even with a slower website, but after passing Google's core web vitals for mobile we've seen a whopping 30% increase in traffic the following month.

To push our SEO efforts beyond content and link building, we take a comprehensive approach by reanalyzing key pages from the ground up. Our focus is on improving user flow while emphasizing On-Page SEO, UX, and CRO. This involves incorporating elements like hero sections, custom videos tailored to the page, sections addressing key pain points, structured data (breadcrumb, review, local business schema), FAQs, testimonials, and other trust-building components. These redesigns consistently lead to significant improvements in engagement and conversion rates.

We always ask our clients to promote every new piece of content on social media platforms to get more people to the website, but also to make sure crawlers find the links faster. Another thing to push our SEO efforts is optimizing the meta descriptions, titles, page speed and fix the largest technical issues. There are many more things to do in SEO, but these are the first we focus on (besides content creation and link building)

Outside just creating content, the name of the game right now is establishing authority. Making sure Google sees the people who create content on your website as unique, authoritative and authentic humans is incredibly important. As more and more websites across the globe spew out millions of AI-generated pages of copy and links, what matters most is telling Google WHY you are the one they should trust, and why they should show your content to users instead of your competitors. Build out profiles for the people that write on your website. Show their experience, link to their LinkedIn profiles, and give them a unique voice. The more human you can make your website, the more robots will love to promote it.

We've observed that using social signals plays a significant role in pushing our SEO performance. To achieve this, we focus on identifying the most suitable social media platforms and niche forums where our target audience is highly active. By creating platform-specific content to engage with our audience, we not only drive qualified traffic to our website but also enhance our overall branding efforts. This approach ensures that the content connects with the audience and sparks meaningful interactions, which in turn sends positive signals to search engines. Additionally, by focusing on high-quality, shareable content formats designed for platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, or Reddit, we consistently attract high-intent visitors who are genuinely interested in our offerings.

Apart from creating content and building links, I'm working on building a stronger backlink profile by finding partnerships, spotting places where our brand is mentioned but not linked, and reaching out to websites with useful resource pages. I'm also making sure we don't have any bad or harmful links by checking regularly and removing them if needed. To improve off-page SEO, I use social media and forums to create awareness about our brand and drive more traffic. I also connect with communities and influencers in our niche to expand our reach. Additionally, I keep an eye on what our competitors are doing to find new ideas for building links. My focus is on finding smart ways to grow our authority and visibility online beyond just creating content and links!

Beyond creating new content and building links, we're heavily focused on "surfacing" our existing content. We analyze our website traffic and identify pages or blog posts that have historically performed well. We then refresh these pieces with updated information, improved visuals, or additional insights, and republish them. This strategy allows us to breathe new life into older content, improve its visibility in search results, and provide ongoing value to our audience. It's a way to leverage our existing assets and ensure that our best work continues to reach and engage users. This approach not only boosts our SEO efforts but also reinforces our commitment to providing high-quality, relevant content to our audience.

Apart from traditional work with content and links, we also actively invest in audience research through user tests and A/B testing, as well as focus on optimizing the website structure. For example, recently we conducted a survey on the homepage and gathered ideas for improvements, as well as identified weak points in the website structure and strengthened them through internal linking. We're also revamping the main menu to better distribute internal weight and introduce content clusters. These activities positively impact SEO, as the website becomes more convenient for users and internal link equity is directed to the right assets.