🤫How I Mastered Keywords to Increase Search Rankings!

🤫How I Mastered Keywords to Increase Search Rankings!

April 27, 2023

Hey, Shane here,

Welcome back to Marketing Mix by Shane. Today’s topic is all about keywords.

To start things off, here’s what you’ll find in today's email:

  • How I use keywords to successfully rank high on search engines

  • This week’s featured tool

  • The latest in marketing and tech gossip

  • The latest updates from my blog

How I Use Keywords to Successfully Rank on Page One of Search Engines

Growing my website, ShaneBarker.com came with plenty of challenges. None more so than in 2022, as the new Google updates rolled out, which saw plenty of websites lose a lot of organic traffic, including my own as well.

This meant going back to the drawing board. A deep analysis of Google’s updates gave me the insights I needed, but I knew that would not be enough.

I set my goal, which was to return traffic to where it was before the updates hit, which meant a tedious amount of research, a well-crafted SEO strategy, and of course a host of SEO tools including Semrush and Ahrefs.

To summarize my SEO strategy:

  • Make more use of secondary keywords to have a higher chance of ranking for those keywords

  • Create high-quality, engaging content

  • Add more visual media to articles such as gifs, videos, and infographics

  • Create content from a personalized point of view 

For this newsletter, I will be focusing on the first part, which is how you can use secondary keywords to win valuable rankings.

Here’s how I do my keyword research:

Using any keyword research tool, in this case, Semrush, I first decide on a topic and my primary keyword. In this case, it’s “How much does youtube pay you for 1 million views.”

This is the coveted featured snippet, and as you can see, ShaneBarker.com does not currently have the featured snippet, although is ranked on the first page.

Making use of Semrush’s Keyword Magic tool, as well as the Organic Research tool for competitor research, I not only research the primary keyword but make note of multiple other keywords to use as secondary keywords.

From there, I create and export a list of secondary keywords that can be sprinkled throughout the article.

What happened next shows the importance of using secondary keywords wisely throughout your content. As I mentioned above, the YouTube article did not rank 1st to get a featured snippet for the primary keyword.Instead, it ranked first and won a featured snippet for an alternative phrasing of the keyword. This is due to the use of the phrase as a secondary keyword throughout the article.In this case a simple change to “How much does youtube pay per one million views.” As you can see ShaneBarker.com won the featured snippet.

What this meant for this article was a huge spike in traffic for the last 3 months since I updated the content.Not only did impressions double, but the total clicks to the article increased by 5 times the amount before! This is not only because the article ranked first on SERPs, but also because it had the featured snippet, which according to Search Engine Watch, accounts for over 35% of all clicks on the internet.If you’d like to find out more about using keywords, SEO, and how you can improve your site’s SERPs, check out my blog.

Shane’s SEO Toolset

  • Semrush - The all-in-one SEO platform (30-day free Pro trial!)

  • WordStream - Find the best keywords to use for free.

  • Linkody - Easily track your link-building campaigns (30-day free trial!)

  • Canva - Create high-quality infographics, images, and videos (30-day free trial!)

  • ChatGPT- Easily create content outlines and get new ideas using the latest in AI technology.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive list of tools, check out my resource page.

To learn the ins and outs of my SEO strategy, I’ve compiled two decades’ worth of experience into this 72-minute online SEO course. It’s totally free, and throughout the four modules, you’ll learn all the secrets SEO has to offer.

This Week's Featured Tool

Semrush, the leading SEO and digital marketing tool, offers a treasure trove of valuable insights for digital marketers. Semrush's data-driven features give marketers powerful tools to optimize their online strategies.

Semrush's robust suite of features includes in-depth competitor analysis, keyword research, backlink analysis, and more, allowing marketers to gain a comprehensive understanding of their online landscape.

Key Features:

  • In-depth competitor analysis

  • Keyword research for SEO and PPC campaigns

  • Backlink analysis for understanding link-building strategies

  • Domain analytics for comprehensive insights on organic search, paid search, and backlinks

  • Customizable reporting for tracking performance and measuring success

Semrush’s pricing and tiers are straightforward and easy to understand, and offer options that work for small businesses, all the way to large organizations and agencies.

There are 3 pricing tiers:

  • Pro Plan: $119.95/month

  • Guru Plan: $229.95/month

  • Business Plan: $449.95/month

Not convinced? Read my full Semrush Review before you make your decision. 

What Happened This Week?

Here are the latest happenings in digital marketing this week:

Discover the Future of AI in SEO: A Closer Look at Auto-GPT and Its Impact on Digital Marketing - Search Engine Journal Article

Unleash the Power of Evergreen Content for SEO Success: Learn Why It's a Must-Have Strategy - Search Engine Land Article

What Users Are Reading From My Blog

Here are the latest articles from ShaneBarker.com:

Unleash your online potential with expert insights on building an irresistible online presence. From crafting engaging content to navigating social media strategies, SEO best practices, and more - this is your ultimate guide to conquering the digital world!

Gain the competitive edge and unleash the power of SEO competitor analysis - your ultimate guide to outperforming your competition online! Don't miss this article packed with expert tips, strategies, and tools for SEO success.

Master the art of URL structure: unlock the secrets to optimizing your website's URLs for SEO success with expert insights. Don't miss this article packed with proven strategies and best practices to boost your website's search engine rankings!

That’s all for this week’s newsletter, for more on the latest digital marketing trends, tips, and information, head over to ShaneBarker.com

See you next week!

Shane Barker

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