11 Advanced SEO Strategies for Organic Success

Have you mastered the basic search engine optimization techniques? I really hope so, and that you’re starting to see some results. 

But let’s face it. Eventually, there comes a time when you need to look at advanced SEO strategies. Offering valuable content, mining online sources for new content ideas, and building a technical SEO checklist are just some of the things you need to think about. 

If the idea of advanced SEO makes you cringe, don’t worry. All you have to do is follow the steps in this piece and work them into your online strategy.  

Today, I’ll talk you through 11 tips to push your SEO game up a notch. 

Key Takeaways

• Creating a master list of topics and relevant long-tail keywords is crucial for content planning.  

• Using tools like Ubersuggest and Google Trends can help in identifying popular search topics.  

• Regularly evaluating and updating published content according to performance is important for driving results.  

• Use People Also Ask as a source for new keywords and article ideas. 

Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways
• 1. Have A Master List of Topics (and Relevant Long-Tail Keywords)
• 2. Build Out (and iterate on) A Technical SEO Checklist
• 3. Mine People Also Ask For Keyword/Content Opportunities
• 4. Improve Your Time To Value For Content
• 5. Build A Reoptimization/Update Schedule
• 6. Try To Generate/Implement Original Images
• 7. Manage URL Parameters
• 8. Minimize Keyword Cannibalization
• 9. Scout Unlinked Brand Mentions for Backlink Opportunities
• 10. Avoid Writing For Search Engines Instead of Human Users
• 11. Be Ready To Rework or Remove Underperforming Content
• Conclusion

1. Have A Master List of Topics (and Relevant Long-Tail Keywords)

If you’re wondering what to write about next, create a list of ideas ready to write up and keep your blog filled with fresh content. 

If you need some resources, here are some suggestions for getting content ideas: 

• Start with a keyword search. Then, use tools like Ubersuggest or expand your search to topic clusters with the social listening tool AnswerThePublic. 

• Use Google Trends to see what topics people are actively searching for. 

• Look at your published content. Which posts are engaging your visitors and driving results? Publish more of the same. 

• Answer users’ questions. Address user intent by including long-tail keywords in your headlines and content. 

• Complete an SEO analysis to find keyword and content gaps. 

• Keep up with trends. Content marketing trends are constantly changing. Keep up-to-date so you always have a list of hot topics available. 

Tip: You can improve your results by adding long-tail keywords naturally throughout your content. 

2. Build Out (and iterate on) A Technical SEO Checklist

When you approach advanced SEO optimization in an organized way, it makes it easier to keep track of tasks and build a standard workflow. 

Using a technical SEO checklist makes the whole task easier by allowing you to tick off each task one by one.  

If you don’t want to start a checklist from scratch, then there are several free templates available to help you manage this task. Here’s one from Moz. 

You can manually review individual pages or automate the process by crawling a website for larger audits. SEMrush and Ahrefs both offer free audit tools that check for crawl ability, internal linking, Core Web Vitals, etc. 

3. Mine People Also Ask For Keyword/Content Opportunities

You know the People Also Ask (PAA) section at the bottom of Google search results? You’ll usually see it when you’re searching online. The content that appears in PAA gets generated by an algorithm and features related questions according to search trends and search intent. That’s great news for your advanced SEO strategy. 

To find keyword and content ideas, just pick your keywords, enter them into Google Search, and scroll down to see the results. For example, if I enter “How to make keto coffee,” I get this: 

I could then create in-depth content around all these topics that meet search intent and queries people are actually searching for. Alternatively, I could use the PAA questions as long-tail keywords to target within content. 

For a more extensive list, there’s an awesome free tool from Also Asked. Just enter your search term, and you’ll get a ton of ideas. You’ll get three free searches a day. 

4. Improve Your Time To Value For Content

Whether it’s limited time or a limited attention span, your readers want to get to the main insights or answers fast.  

How do you go about this? 

Start by understanding your audience so you can create the content they’re looking for. By really knowing your audience, you can anticipate some of the common questions they might have and offer impactful, relatable, and valuable insights. 

And remember, advanced SEO isn’t just about how you write your content; it’s the way you present it and optimize it.  

That means: 

• Using clear, accurate, and concise headings 

• Adding bullets for quick scanning 

• Including infographics and videos to illustrate key points 

• Adding summaries like main takeaways and FAQs, as I often do 

Also, consider using the inverted pyramid style for blogs and website content. This method involves placing the most important information first and then the next important and so on, right down to the least important details.  

5. Build A Reoptimization/Update Schedule

SEO guidelines and best practices are always changing, and search intent and algorithms evolve as well. Statistics and sources you cite can also become outdated, and sometimes, your content needs refreshing, especially if it’s time-sensitive or the main page of your website. 

Your readers want the most up-to-date information, which means you need to have a re-optimization or update schedule in place. By keeping content fresh and relevant, you can improve your website’s ranking and user experience. 

For keywords, reoptimize your content by using: 

• Keyword gaps 

• Newly researched keywords 

• Long tail keywords 

• Alt text 

• Striking distance keywords (terms that you’re ranking for on page two of Google search) 

So, when should you make these updates? Nikki Lam, VP of SEO at NP Digital explains that having a set schedule “can be tough and a waste of time. It’s important to conduct ongoing SERP analyses to see what types of content Google is rewarding, what changes have occurred with search intent, and how you can best meet the ever-changing needs of searches. If you’re seeing that an update to your content would better meet user needs and offer more value, do it. If you think you’re hitting the mark, don’t refresh your content just to refresh it.” 

6. Try To Generate/Implement Original Images

Want to boost your website’s visibility and draw in more organic traffic? It’s time to start thinking about images. By using relevant, original images, you can set your site apart from others who might rely on stock images. You can also increase engagement and get more shares.  

Plus, these images can help reduce bounce rates. How?  

Well, original images make your content easier to understand, which keeps people on the page longer. I’m talking about images like infographics, charts, data visualizations, and anything that is easily shareable. 

To improve your chances of getting your images indexed, Google has a list of best practices: 

• Add HTML image elements to embed images. Using this as one of your advanced SEO strategies helps search engine crawlers index your content 

• Include an image site map and use responsive images 

• Use smaller file types like WebP 

• Optimize images, image landing pages, and SafeSearch 

• Use structured data to improve your chances of getting featured in rich results 

• Add descriptive titles, file names, and alt text 

• Ensure titles and snippets meet Google guidelines 

7. Manage URL Parameters

URL parameters are the additional information at the end of a URL. Here’s what they look like: https://www.example.com/products?category=electronics&color=blue. 

These parameters are either passive or active and either modify page content or provide additional information.  

Tools like Google Analytics use tracking parameters for tracking purposes. For example, you could use them to track different versions of the same page.  

Or you could use pagination parameters to improve navigation and readability. These split longer pages into smaller sections, allowing viewers to navigate to specific information. 

Although they’re very useful, too many parameters can cause problems. For instance, multiple versions of one page with different URL parameters can lead to diluted backlinks and an overused crawl budget.  

Another problem is duplicate content. Search engines may view URL variations as separate pages; this leads to duplication and it causes confusion over which page to prioritize for indexing. 

8. Minimize Keyword Cannibalization

Keyword cannibalization occurs when two or more site pages target the same primary keyword.   

For example, if your target keyword is “Meringue,” and you create one post on “How to Make the Perfect Meringue” and another post on “X Common Mistakes When Making a Meringue.” To avoid cannibalization, you can create a larger post that includes both titles as H2s and use it as pillar content. 

Minimizing cannibalization as your site grows is essential because you’re more likely to have pages targeting the same keywords. This is especially true if you have an e-commerce store or a large blog. 

SEO techniques to avoid keyword cannibalization include: 

• Conduct thorough research on relevant keywords related to your business. Determine which phrases will likely have the most impact and assign them to specific pages on your website. 

• Use tools like Ubersuggest or Google Analytics to determine which pages are performing well and which ones need improvement. 

• Another effective technique is using long-tail keywords instead of broad terms. As explained earlier, long-tail keywords are more specific and niche-focused, making it easier for search engines to match user queries with relevant content. 

9. Scout Unlinked Brand Mentions for Backlink Opportunities

Have you heard of unlinked brand mentions? They happen when someone mentions your brand but doesn’t link back to your site. This is usually another website, but it can also happen on social media, podcasts, video formats, in forums, etc. 

These unlinked brand mentions are gold for getting more backlinks, so you need to find out who’s talking about you and reach out to them. 

You can discover these unlinked brand mentions by signing up for Google Alerts, using search operators in Google Search, or using the Mention or Brand 24 websites for monitoring. You could also use Ahrefs Content Explorer. 

Not all links are equal, so check the page authority with Moz or Ahrefs before reaching out. 

Once you’ve checked the authority, contact the site owners and ask them if they’re open to adding a link. Simple! 

10. Avoid Writing For Search Engines Instead of Human Users

Of course, you need to write for users searching online. However, you must also consider the search engines and how they work. 

One side of this is focusing on meta tags, keywords, and other common SEO methods, but in a way that makes sense and adds value to your audience. Then combine this with quality content that resonates with your audience.  

Here are some tips for writing for users: 

• Pay special attention to your headlines and meta descriptions; make them descriptive and engaging, and include keywords. 

• Ensure your content is well-structured and easy to read. 

• Include clear, descriptive subheadings. 

Finally, don’t forget about E-E-A-T (Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness, and Expertise). It’s all part of Google’s content quality guidelines and puts the spotlight on valuable content expertise. Basically, it means sites showcasing their expertise and credibility are more likely to rank higher.  

Keep that in mind when you create your advanced SEO strategy. 

11. Be Ready To Rework or Remove Underperforming Content

Part of advanced SEO involves auditing content and analyzing metrics like page views, time on page, bounce rate, and conversion rates.  

If your content isn’t delivering for you and helping you reach your goals, then it’s time to start updating or removing content. 

Here are some tips for conducting an SEO audit: 

• Run a full scan of your website using an online tool like Ubersuggest, SEMrush, or Ahrefs. This will help identify any technical issues that may be affecting your search engine rankings. For example, look for broken links, slow-loading pages, and missing meta descriptions or alt tags on images. 

• Assess each page’s performance.  

• Look at your competitor’s sites to see how they rank for similar keywords. 

• Analyze the content on each page of your site. Does it contain relevant keywords and provide value to readers? Remember that quality is more important than quantity; aim for well-written articles rather than keyword-stuffed fluff pieces. 

Becky McManus, Sr. SEO Strategist, at NP Digital, says that “first and foremost, it’s important to define the indicators of poor performance that would trigger the consideration to remove a piece of content or not. If a page has seen steady drops in rankings or if it’s generating very low or no impressions at all, then it’s time to consider whether it can be saved or removed.  
 
Something like poor targeting or competing content on your site can probably be fixed. But if it goes beyond, that, you need to do a SERP analysis for the primary keyword target can help you understand if you have a right to win. For example, are the top-ranking sites relevant to you and/or your industry? Do you have unique insights to provide? Do you have access to specific SMEs that can help you be a part of the conversation?” 

Conclusion

You can’t control Google’s algorithm, search trends, or user intent, but you can improve your advanced SEO strategy and do what it takes to get and stay visible online.  

Relevant, high-quality content is always a solid place to start, but you can do much more. This could include performing a content audit, creating a technical SEO checklist to keep your site working smoothly, and going after unbranded mentions for more backlinks. 

By sticking with proven strategies that work time and again, you can be sure you’re staying on the right path to online success.