1 July 2024

Top 9 SEO Practices in 2024: Skyrocket Your Traffic

SEO in 2024 is all about nailing those strategies that help your website shine in search engine results without paying a dime. Follow these practices to boost brand awareness and rake in that sweet, sweet organic traffic. Let's jump into the top SEO strategies for this year!

We thank Ramazan Mindubaev, Head of SEO at JetTRINET, for his help with this article. Ramazan is one of the top SEO specialists according to the SerpStat rating. He regularly organizes SEO conferences and is the author of the book "The Bright Side of Website Promotion."

1. AI Content Creation

AI isn't just for sci-fi movies anymore; it's a game-changer in SEO. Imagine having a super-smart robot assistant that can help you with keyword research, content creation, and optimization. Tools like ChatGPT can generate and tweak content, making your site more appealing to both users and search engines.

Key Tools:

ChatGPT: This beast handles complex language tasks with ease. The free version (ChatGPT-3.5) is great, but for just $20 a month, you can level up with ChatGPT-4.
Midjourney: Perfect for generating images from text prompts. Your ideas come to life in vibrant, precise visuals, though it’s a bit pricey.
Surfer SEO: Helps you plan, write, and optimize your SEO content. It's a bit on the pricier side, but worth every penny for the powerful content editor and AI outline generator.
Frase.io: This one’s all about speeding up your content creation process with precise keyword guidance and AI-driven writing.

Remember, AI tools can sometimes miss the mark, but they’re a fantastic way to streamline your workflow and crank out quality content. Plus, who doesn’t want a robot helper?

2. Quality and Expert Content

Gone are the days of spammy, keyword-stuffed articles. Google is cracking down on low-quality content, so it's all about delivering real value to your readers. Create comprehensive, expert content that genuinely helps your audience. Regularly update your blog to keep it fresh and relevant.

Tips for Quality Content:

Write thorough articles on topics that interest your audience.
Regularly update old posts to maintain credibility.
Use tools like Frase.io to help generate and optimize content.
Mix up your formats—videos, podcasts, and FAQs keep things interesting and cater to different preferences.

And hey, if you can throw in a cat video or two, even better!

3. Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM)

SERM is all about maintaining a shiny, positive image online. Manage reviews, engage with your audience, and keep an eye on what people are saying about you. Tools like Google Maps can boost local visibility, while review sites like Trustpilot build credibility.

Tips for SERM:

Encourage happy customers to leave reviews.
Actively respond to feedback, both positive and negative.
Use local partnerships to build a strong community presence.

Think of it as online dating for your brand—you want to look good and impress!

Pro tip: Consider adding call tracking, so you know where your customers are coming from.

4. E-E-A-T and YMYL

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) and YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) are the gold standards for content quality, especially for sensitive topics like health and finance. Google wants to know that your content is trustworthy and backed by experts.

Improving E-E-A-T and YMYL:

Create high-quality, helpful content written by experts.
Include author bios and credentials.
Use credible sources and provide references.
Build a strong brand image and manage your online reputation.
Get backlinks from reputable sites to boost your credibility.

It's like earning a gold star from Google—show them you know your stuff!

5. SILO Structure

Organize your website content into clear, related categories to make it easier for users to navigate and for search engines to understand your site. A well-structured SILO setup can boost your rankings and user experience.

Benefits of SILO Structure:

Helps cover all relevant topics and keywords.
Makes site navigation intuitive for users.
Improves crawlability and indexing by search engines.

Think of your website as a well-organized library, where everything is easy to find.

6. Get High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks are like votes of confidence from other websites. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more credible your site appears to search engines.

Tips for Building Backlinks:

Create valuable, link-worthy content.
Reach out to website owners for link placements.
Reactivate dropped domains with existing backlinks.
Engage in crowd marketing by participating in forums and social media.

Just remember, it’s about quality, not quantity. Even one good link is better than a dozen mediocre ones.

7. Essential Technical SEO Audit

A technical SEO audit ensures that search engines can crawl and index your site efficiently. Fixing errors, broken links, and incorrect redirects is crucial.

Key Areas to Audit:

Ensure URLs return a 200 OK status.
Set canonical URLs correctly.
Check for indexable URLs and fix any errors.
Optimize site speed and display.

Think of it as giving your website a thorough health check-up.

8. Mobile-Friendly User Experiences

With more people browsing on mobile devices, your site needs to look and work great on any screen size. Optimize for mobile to keep users engaged and reduce bounce rates.

Core Web Vitals:

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading speed. Aim for 2.5 seconds or less.
First Input Delay (FID): Measures interactivity. Aim for 100 milliseconds or less.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability. Aim for 0.1 or less.

Making your site mobile-friendly is like giving your users a smooth, enjoyable ride.

9. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

CRO is all about turning visitors into customers. Optimize your site to make it easy for users to take action, whether it's signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.

CRO Tips:

Use text-based calls to action (CTAs) within blog posts.
Add live chat features to high-converting pages.
Run A/B tests on landing pages to find the best designs and content.

Think of CRO as the secret sauce that makes your marketing efforts truly pay off.

Takeaway

And there you have it! These top SEO practices for 2024 are designed to boost your organic traffic and enhance your website's visibility. Remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time to see results, but by combining these strategies, you'll be well on your way to SEO success. Happy optimizing!

If you're working on SEO for your Shopify store, don't forget to pick one of analytics tools designed specifically for Shopify.