How To Implement and Balance Short-Term and Long-Term SEO Strategy
SEO has always been a cornerstone for online success and nowadays it is not much different. Even with the emerging popularity of paid advertising, AI and social media, SEO still remains number one method of getting high quality traffic with minimal investment.
One of the most essential part of digital marketing planning is to implement both short-term and long term SEO strategies and setting achievable goals for both.
The Short-Term SEO Strategy
Short-term strategy depends on many factors. For instance, is this the first time SEO strategy is implemented or the website already have some rankings in major search engines. Though different actions might be taken, here are few things that should be considered right away:
SEO Traffic Boost
One of the primary goals of short-term SEO is to drive immediate traffic. Again it depends on the condition of the website, different methods may apply. In my practice, I’ve learned that majority of the websites suffer from “Technical SEO” issues for me this is the first step most of the time. This often lead to immediate traffic boost.
Return on Investment
Though SEO usually takes very good amount of time, often first results are visible in the first month of the campaign. This is a quick return on your investment, but also contribute to long term results. In comparison paid advertising can be very expensive and end up in flames without contributing to long-term goals.
SEO Trends and Adaptation
Unless there is a major update that can create large shifts in SERP, minor algorithm changes are performed on a daily bases. It is a good idea to keep an eye on official sources of information and quickly adjust to latest trends. Constantly tweaking keywords based on traffic and conversion can bring real difference in terms of sales and leads.
- Keyword Research
As mentioned above, if website already ranks, but the keywords are not in top 10, this is should be the first step is to push existing keywords with lower rank to the top. Additional keyword research may discover less competitive keywords with good conversion rate. - On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization is a complex variety of actions that always comes to mind as the first steps of SEO campaign. Meta data and text content are first area that require amendments. - Quality Backlinks
Link building takes time, getting quality backlinks in the first states is not always easy. For the first steps some of the local directories might be a good choice. Diversified link building campaign is a key in short term strategies. - Mobile Optimization
Mobile first optimization, as Google says. Majority of the traffic nowadays comes from mobile devices, so it is essential to get mobile version of the website well optimized for maximum impact. As well as we have the voice search optimization which is new trends and most of the time is done on mobile devices. - Page Speed
Web Core Vitals, has become an important SEO signal, but it doesn’t just end there. Improving user experience often leads to higher conversion. Do no underestimate the speed of the website. - Local Search
Local search optimization is a cornerstone in every SEO strategy. With the help of Google My Business, Google Business optimization nowadays is one of the first steps in short-term SEO strategies.
The Long-Term SEO Strategy
Exponential growth should happen in the long term strategy. In essence this is one very long to-do list that needs to be followed. Consistency and scheduling the workflow are playing an important role in long-term SEO strategy. This also include constantly tracking and analyzing the results, regular competitor analysis, competitor backlinks audit and to set achievable goals and KPIs.
Sustainable Growth
Quality content publishing on the website blog, keeping the other content fresh at the rest of the website and of course content marketing strategy and publishing calendar are the first things that comes to mind, when we are talking about sustainable growth in SEO.
Brand and Authority
SEO always contributes to brand building strategy as a byproduct of link building campaign and content marketing. Keeping Google My Business profile fresh and creating photo publishing schedule, together with social signals deliver high quality traffic from the right audience. As soon as a website becames an authority and hold high Domain and Page Authority, it is much easier to achieve high SERP.
Trust and Credibility
High ranked websites holds a credibility and often is seen as trustworthy. Nowadays, people spend more time in research and reviews, before buying online. Websites that appear more often in top search results and trusted by visitors. Of course reviews on Google My Business profile and other review websites can just contribute to trust and credibility as well as help the SEO in general. Trusted sources of information are often quoted and referenced in links or in social media, this helps a lot with link building automation.
- Content Quality
Content quality equals content authority, equals low bounce rate and higher rankings in major search engines. One advice from season SEO professional – don’t relay on AI generated content for SEO purposes, it is better to hire an experienced article writer to produce high quality content that is easy to digest. - Backlinks Building
In long term strategy quality link building plays major role and many of the quality links can bring referral traffic to a website - User Experience
User experience, content structure and constant tweaks. SEO practitioners are often the one that get the task of conversion rate optimization.
Well rounder approach on both strategies is a must in 2023. Without implementing both, success can be questionable.
Why should prioritize always the long-term SEO?
Well, SEO generally takes time, unless all pieces of a puzzle are in place, the impact wont be significant. It is always a good idea to try to predict things and look into perspective when approaching SEO strategies. Short term SEO will boost the long term strategy!
Follow the Trends and Official Sources
The digital landscape is constantly evolving. Stay informed about the latest SEO trends and algorithm updates. Even long-term strategy should be adapted in case of necessity and major algorithm changes.
Analyze The Results
Results analysis should be done every 72 hours, to determine any shifts in rankings. Your direct competitors are not sleeping and they also perform actions. Try to learn from them and try to do things better than them.
Implement both, this is the only way. Personal advice is not to expect results fast, but to look into perspective. Aim for brand building through quality content marketing, this can assist the SEO a lot.