SEO strategies for personal branded websites

Without effective SEO strategies, your website is basically hiding in plain sight – and that’s not why you built it, right?  

Whether you’re running a personal brand or business, the goal is clear: you want people to find you, see what you offer, and stick around. But here’s the challenge – SEO is constantly evolving. And it begs the question, what actually works today? Which strategies should you use to kick-start your online presence as a beginner? And how can seasoned pros fine-tune their approach? 

Lucky for you, we’ve got the answers. Let’s break it down. 

Playing the keywords game right

To help search engines understand your content and match it with relevant queries, strategically incorporating keywords remains an important aspect of SEO. 

However, with advancements in semantic search, search engines increasingly focus on content meaning rather than exact keywords. Therefore, it’s important to create well-structured, meaningful content that naturally integrates relevant keywords.

Leveraging long-tail keywords

According to a Backlinko study, 92% of all keywords people type into search engines are long-tails. This doesn’t necessarily mean they contain many words. Rather, they get their name from search query volume.

Focusing on long-tail keywords in your research has its benefits. They are less competitive, easier to rank for, and more specific, which helps you attract engaged visitors who are more likely to convert. 

To find effective long-tail keywords, consider using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner to guide your research.

Strategic keyword placement

You’ve decided on your keywords; now is the time to strategically place them. This is where on-page SEO comes into play as an important strategy to help improve your rankings, drive more traffic, and increase conversions.

Some on-page SEO ranking factors include URLs, headings, meta descriptions, and image alt descriptions. So, it’s a good idea to add your keywords there to help give better relevancy signals to the search engines.

What’s more, many websites use keywords in their domain names, coupling them with interesting TLDs, to further improve UX and signal relevancy. For instance, a catchy domain name paired with .ME signals the value of personal connection with the audience. Additionally, it allows you to create a call-to-action right there in the URL. 

Do domain names and extensions help SEO?

Domains like connectwith.me or explorewith.me signal engagement and interactivity, aligning well with SEO’s user-focused strategies. Using memorable catchphrases can create an immediate connection with your audience, which helps improve click-through rates and organic traffic.

Additionally, a .ME domain reinforces the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) concept by emphasizing a personal or brand-focused touch, building trust and a sense of authenticity in your online presence. For example, the platform diagnose.me uses this approach brilliantly, offering users an actionable and memorable URL that conveys expertise and trust in the field of health consultations.

Technical SEO strategies for your website

Technical SEO focuses on the site’s back-end architecture and helps search engines crawl and index it more effectively. In other words, it helps search engines better understand your site, which improves your rankings.

So, let’s talk about some technical SEO strategies you should use to your advantage.

First, there is site speed. Faster page loading provides a better user experience. More than 40% of users tend to abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load (source: Kissmetrics). If you’re wondering how to improve site speed for SEO, start by minimizing complex code, enabling browser caching, and compressing images.

Furthermore, Google has confirmed it treats HTTPS as a ranking signal. So, it’s a good idea to secure your site with an SSL certificate.

Naturally, you should also ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Use relevant tools, such as Google Lighthouse, to perform a comprehensive audit, including mobile usability, performance, and SEO.

Apart from all this, schema markup provides search engines with additional context regarding your content, and an XML sitemap helps them crawl it effectively. For a deeper dive into these topics, check out this guide to schema markup and this guide to XML sitemaps.

Internal linking for link equity

Internal links point from one page to a different page on the same website. They are important for distributing link equity across the website and serve as a signal of relevance to search engines.

For new websites, internal links are pivotal in helping Google understand the site’s content.

But don’t add internal links just for the sake of adding them. Instead, have them point to relevant content. And, while there’s no documented limit on the number of internal links you can add, 2-5 should be enough, depending on the content length and overall site structure.

Content is still king but with a twist

“Content is king”. Bill Gates uttered this phrase almost 30 years ago, and it has survived all the algorithm updates – and for a good reason.

Content is still king. But there is a twist.

Sure, you must choose the right topics and cover them in depth. But, you also have to structure your posts, making them attractive to search engines and your audience. So, use short paragraphs, and don’t forget the subheadings. Furthermore, update your old posts regularly to keep them relevant.

What is E-E-A-T in SEO?

Today, the Internet is flooded with content, sharing relevant information and potentially harmful misinformation and disinformation. To combat this, Google introduced a concept known as E-E-A-T (which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), which is integral to how content is ranked. 

So, create high-quality content that demonstrates authority, showing your experience and expertise. To demonstrate authority, you can:

1. Cite credible sources and link to authoritative sites within your niche.
2. Showcase your qualifications or professional experience directly in your content (e.g., through bios or author pages).
3. Gain recognition through guest blogging or industry awards, which help establish credibility in your field.

When you do this, you build trustworthiness and this is critical in boosting organic traffic. 

Off-page SEO strategies to build backlinks

On-page and off-page SEO strategies work together to improve your rankings and drive more traffic.

Here’s what to focus on when doing off-page optimization.

First, there’s link building, which is important for link equity and improving your pages’ ranking chances. Focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable and relevant websites, as Google prioritizes organic, contextually appropriate links. Encourage brand collaborations, leverage guest blogging, and make PR efforts, but avoid practices like paid backlinks or spammy links from unrelated sources, which can result in penalties.

Furthermore, share your content on social media to increase both visibility and traffic. And, of course, join relevant communities, forums, and Q&A sites to build authority.

Important: Redefining SEO strategies to adapt to Google’s SGE

Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) is a new approach to search results. It uses generative AI in search, aiming to quickly and clearly answer users’ questions without them having to click on individual website links.

While this may sound scary, potentially rendering the traditional approach to gaining organic traffic through keywords ineffective, here’s the thing. It’s not all that bad.

What’s more, SGE can help content that otherwise may not have ranked in the top 10 be found.

That said, it’s important to adapt your SEO strategies based on this change.

First, optimize your content for E-E-A-T, as discussed above. Then, create content that directly addresses specific queries and straightforwardly answers users’ questions.

Moving on, diversify your traffic sources through community engagement, social media, and e-mail marketing. 

On top of that, since SGE relies on local search intent, don’t ignore the importance of local SEO strategies. Instead, optimize your Google My Business profiles, leverage reviews, and attract nearby customers with local keywords.

Wrapping up

Effective SEO strategies are essential to put your site on the map.

So, create a strategy that will kick-start your new website. Or, redefine your existing one to adapt to algorithm changes.Whatever you do, remember this. SEO is your path toward driving organic traffic and building an authoritative and trustworthy brand.

Looking to make your personal website stand out? A .ME domain adds a personal touch that’s memorable and unique. Visit hover.com to explore available .ME domains and find the one that fits your brand perfectly.