15 SEO Tips to Boost Organic Rankings & Traffic

The right SEO techniques can improve your organic (unpaid) search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your website.

You might be wondering whether good SEO is also good generative engine optimization (GEO). You’re not alone—many marketers are feeling confused about how SEO and GEO differ and whether the same methods work for both.

Just look at how much the search volume for the term “geo vs seo” has increased over the last year:

The good news is that traditional SEO methods like the ones we’re about to go over are just as critical when optimizing for generative AI tools. Particularly when you consider that even ChatGPT draws from Google’s index. 

With that in mind, here are 15 SEO tips that the Semrush blog relies on:

1. Target the Right Keywords

Targeting the right keywords is key to driving more organic search traffic. 

Before creating content, perform keyword research to learn which keywords your target audience uses and which ones align with your goals. Consider:

• Conversion potential: How likely are searchers to become customers?
• Search volume: How many people search for this keyword monthly?
• Keyword difficulty: How hard is it to rank for this keyword?

Use Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to find suitable keywords. 

Enter a seed keyword (a broad term related to your business) and your domain (for personalized results). Then, click “Search.”

The tool generates keyword ideas with insights on search volume, keyword difficulty, and search intent.

Filter results as needed. 

For many businesses, commercial or transactional keywords are a priority, since these keywords target users ready to research or purchase.

To focus on commercial or transactional keywords, use the “Intent” drop-down filter and select “Commercial” and “Transactional.” 

You can also filter by “Volume” or “Personal KD%” to show terms that meet specific monthly search or difficulty thresholds.

Don’t limit your SEO strategy to commercial and transactional keywords. 

Include informational keywords to educate your audience and capture potential leads who may buy in the future. 

Filter by “Informational” intent to find relevant topics.

Then export your keyword list to CSV, Excel, or the Keyword Strategy Builder.

Check the box next to the keywords you want to add and click “+ Add to keyword list.” Then select a list from the box that appears, or create one with the “Create new empty list” button.

2. Perform a Keyword Gap Analysis

A keyword gap analysis compares competing domains to find keywords that those sites rank for but your site does not. 

Use Semrush’s Keyword Gap tool:

1. Enter your domain and up to four competitors.
2. Click “Compare.”

Go to “All keyword details for:” and select the “Untapped” tab.

This tab shows keywords one or more competitors rank for but your site does not. 

Filter out branded terms or apply other filters, and then export or add the keywords to a keyword list.

3. Make Sure Your Content Meets Search Intent

To rank, content must match the user’s search intent (the reason a user searches for a keyword). The four main types of search intent are:

• Informational: Users want information (e.g., “how to fix a water leak”).
• Navigational: Users want a specific page or site (e.g., “reddit login”).
• Commercial: Users research products/services (e.g., “best espresso machine for beginners”).
• Transactional: Users want to buy (e.g., “buy amazon gift card”).

Check a keyword’s intent with the Keyword Overview tool:

Then, create content that satisfies the intent.

For an informational keyword, you could create an educational guide on the topic.

For commercial keywords, appropriate content might include product comparisons and roundups:

For transactional keywords, appropriate content would likely include product landing pages.

Always analyze the top-ranking pages to see what type of content Google deems most relevant and align your content format with the established user expectations.

For example, if you search for “small business tools” on Google, you’ll see that the top-ranking pages are all roundups of small business software, not pages for specific tools.

Therefore, if you targeted this keyword, you should create an article listing various small business software, instead of focusing only on your sales pages.

4. Take a Unique Angle with Your Content

Researching top-ranking pages helps you understand what type of content works, but avoid copying them. 

Instead, offer a unique angle. 

In the search results for “small business tools,” the titles and article structures are all similar:

To differentiate your article, try adding a personal survey or a distinct data set, and include this information in your title. 

For example: “15 Top Small Business Tools According to 500 Business Owners.” 

This unique approach can capture attention on the search results page and make your post stand out from generic roundups. 

5. Make Your Content Easy to Read

Engaging content is only effective if readers can understand it. Here are ways to make your content more readable:

Use Simple Language

People of different ages and educational backgrounds may read your pages, and many will be non-native speakers. 

Write in plain language, and limit jargon or advanced terminology unless necessary. If you must use technical terms, explain them briefly.

Use Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant to check your text’s readability. 

Click “Analyze my text” to start.

Then, paste your text (or import it from an existing URL), enter your target keyword, and click “Get recommendations” on the right-hand side of the screen.

After adding your content, see the “Readability” score. Aim for 60 or higher (eighth- or ninth-grade level). 

If your score is lower, simplify your wording.

A good exercise is to have a friend or family member who is unfamiliar with the subject matter read the text and tell you which parts are difficult to understand. 

Then, rework these parts.

Stick to Short Sentences and Paragraphs

Long sentences can be difficult to follow, and large blocks of text can overwhelm readers. 

Write short, direct sentences and limit each paragraph to three or four lines to enhance scannability.

Use the Right Font Size

Font size significantly impacts readability.

Try 18px to 24px for desktop and 16px to 20px for mobile, but experiment as necessary.

Structure Your Content with Headings

Headings create a clear hierarchy, improve user navigation, and signal content structure to search engines. 

The first heading on your page should be the H1 heading, followed by one or more H2 headings, under which you can nest H3s, H4s, and so on (down to H6).

Include your primary keyword in your H1 to make it easier for both search engines and users to understand what your content is about.

Also use secondary or related keywords in H2 or H3 headings, when relevant and natural.

Use Lists

Bullet points and numbered lists provide quick takeaways and can help you appear in featured snippets:

Lists also break up large sections of text, making it easier for people to scan your content.

Add Visuals

Images, charts, videos, or GIFs break up text blocks and help clarify complex information. 

A general rule is to include a relevant image every 300-500 words, but only add visuals that genuinely serve readers.

6. Demonstrate E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. 

Google’s Search Quality Raters use these elements to assess content performance. You can apply these same standards to evaluate your pages.

• Experience: Show that you have firsthand experience with the topic.
• Expertise: Demonstrate a deep understanding of the subject.
• Authoritativeness: Cover relevant topics extensively to appear as a leading resource.
• Trustworthiness: Combine the above factors to show your advice is reliable.

Incorporate Personal Experiences Into Your Content

If you have direct experience, include it. This can provide proof that you understand the topic deeply.

For example, let’s say you’re reading an article about the top restaurants in your city. Consider which of these you would trust more:

1. A generic article providing a basic description of each restaurant and the types of meals available
2. A detailed article with images, where the author describes their personal experience with each restaurant and shares their subjective opinion and rating for each venue

You’d likely say article No. 2 because it displays proof the author was there and detailed descriptions that go beyond what someone could learn by simply reading about the restaurant online.

Display Your Expertise

Explain your qualifications with detailed author bios. 

Include job titles, relevant degrees, or years of experience. 

Here’s an example from an article about retirement:

This bio makes clear to both readers and search engines that the author is qualified to talk about the topic. You can also find out more on the author’s page by clicking the “Read more” link.

Build Authority

If you want to become an authority on a topic, publish a range of content that covers it fully. 

For instance, a coffee site might include the history of coffee, preparation methods, equipment reviews, and more.

Combining personal experience, expertise, and authority builds trust. Search engines may favor sites that are established and credible resources.

7. Optimize Your Content for Featured Snippets

Featured snippets are excerpts of text from pages that are sometimes displayed at the top of the search results, usually answering a question:

Because the featured snippet is the first thing a user sees on the search results page, this type of result tends to get a lot of clicks. 

Find Keywords That Trigger Featured Snippets

Use Semrush’s Organic Research tool to find relevant keywords that trigger featured snippets, such as terms you already rank for which you can optimize.

Enter your domain and click “Search.” 

Open the “Positions” tab.

Filter by “SERP Features” > “Domain doesn’t rank” > “Featured snippet.” 

This filter shows the keywords you already rank for that have a featured snippet, but another site captures it.

Optimize Your Content for Featured Snippets

Examine the current featured snippet’s format. 

By aligning your content with the snippet’s format and directly addressing user questions, you can increase your chances of earning a featured snippet spot.

If the existing snippet is a straightforward answer to a question, answer that question within your content. If the featured snippet is a list, try adding a relevant list to your content.

Keep text for potential snippets concise, around 200-300 characters, and add the most important information at the very start of the snippet. 

8. Use Short, Descriptive URLs

Short, descriptive URLs help users understand your content at a glance and often look more trustworthy. 

Compare these two options:

• https://example.com/seo-best-practices
• https://example.com/seo-24682496.html

The first URL is clearer and more descriptive. 

Aim for a concise URL slug that is indicative of what the page is about, ideally including your primary keyword. 

For example, if your target keyword was “dog training tips,” your page URL might be “https://example.com/blog/dog-training-tips/”

Avoid using years or dates. If you update the page, the date you initially included in the URL will no longer be relevant. 

To update the URL and change the date, you’ll need to set up a redirect from the old URL to the new one. If you don’t do it right, you’ll end up with broken links on your website and potential lost rankings.

9. Make Your Website Blazing Fast

Page speed is a ranking factor in Google’s algorithms for desktop and mobile searches. Faster sites usually lead to a better user experience, which Google values. 

Follow these tips to make your website as fast as possible:

Use a CDN

A content delivery network (CDN) stores site content on multiple servers around the globe. When users visit your site, the closest server delivers the content, reducing load times.

Popular CDNs include Cloudflare and Akamai.

Minify JavaScript and CSS Files

Reduce the size of your JavaScript and CSS files (and help them load faster) by removing unnecessary data such as comments and line breaks.

Tools like Minifier or Toptal JavaScript Minifier & Compressor can help.

Limit Third-Party Scripts

Each external script makes a request to another server, which can slow down page loads. 

Remove or disable any scripts that no longer provide value.

For example, maybe you have a script from an A/B testing tool on your website, but you no longer run A/B tests.

Opt for Dedicated Web Hosting

With dedicated web hosting, your website is hosted on a dedicated server that isn’t shared with other websites.

The advantage of using dedicated hosting is that there’s no risk of your website slowing down due to other websites on the server using more resources than usual.

Compress Your Images

Large images can lead to slow page load speeds.

Compress them using tools like Kraken or Optimizilla without sacrificing much quality. 

Optimize Your Fonts

To display text, your website first needs to load the fonts used on the page.

Using a lot of different fonts (or using fonts with large file sizes) can have a negative impact on page load speed.

To address this problem, limit font usage or rely on system fonts to keep page speed high.

Be aware that using fewer fonts might make your website look a bit bland, so weigh the user experience against the page speed performance benefits. 

10. Use Internal Links Strategically

Internal links (links from one page on your site to another) help users and search engines navigate your content. 

Use internal links strategically by directing people (and crawlers) to your most important pages, such as product or service pages. Link both to and from these pages. 

Anchor text should accurately describe the linked content. For example, using the anchor text “list of best in-ear headphones” to link to a roundup article about in-ear headphones. Avoid using generic anchor text, such as “click here”

Only add internal links that are relevant and helpful to users. 

11. Avoid Orphan Pages

Orphan pages are pages that have no internal links from other pages, making them hard for visitors and search engines to find. 

Use Semrush’s Site Audit tool to detect orphan pages. 

Type in your domain and click “Start Audit.”

You’ll then create a project, where you can customize various settings for the audit, like how many URLs to crawl.

You can also just move forward with the default settings and click the “Start Site Audit” button.

After analyzing your website, the tool will present you with a detailed report. Navigate to the “Issues” tab.

Type in “orphan” into the search box. The tool will then show you if your website has any orphan pages. Click the linked part (with the number) to see a list of your orphan pages.

Decide how to incorporate these pages into your overall site structure by linking to them from relevant, high-traffic pages.

12. Fix Broken Links

Broken links are links that lead to pages that don’t exist anymore.

The two most common causes are:

• Deleting a page but not removing the links that point to it
• Changing a page’s URL without setting up a proper redirect

Having a lot of broken links on your website can frustrate users and result in a poor page experience. 

Page experience affects how Google ranks websites in search results, so you should ensure your website doesn’t have any broken links.

Use Semrush’s Site Audit to locate broken internal links.

In the “Issues” tab, type “broken” to see any discovered errors. 

To see a list of pages containing broken links, click the linked part of the issue.

Fix these by either removing them or updating them to the correct URLs.

13. Update Your Content Regularly

Fresh content with accurate data can keep visitors engaged and improve rankings. 

When updating, consider:

• Checking facts and sources: Make sure your data is current. Link to primary sources where possible.
• Reviewing links: Verify that internal and external links still point to active, relevant pages.
• Replacing outdated images: Use up-to-date graphics and product screenshots. Update any images of your business’s location after a move to avoid confusing customers.
• Adding missing information: If new details or user needs arise, include them. Address all parts of a user’s query to maintain strong relevance and meet search intent, so users don’t go back to Google and click another result.

14. Create Topic Clusters

Topic clusters organize content around one main topic and build topical authority.

Each cluster starts with a pillar page that covers the topic broadly, supported by cluster pages that explore subtopics in more detail. All these pages should link to each other where relevant.

Once you complete a topic cluster, you should have covered everything a person might want to know about the subject. Doing so shows both Google and users that your website is an authority on the topic.

Use Semrush’s Keyword Strategy Builder to easily plan out your topic clusters:

Enter up to five seed keywords then click “Create list.” Or use a custom keyword list you created earlier:

The tool will then generate a list of relevant pillar and cluster page ideas for you.

Filter the suggestions by search volume, keyword difficulty, or intent. 

For example, if you want to focus on commercial keywords, click the “Intent” filter. Then select “Commercial” from the drop-down and click “Apply.”

Select the pillar and cluster pages you’d like to include in your strategy. Once you’re happy with your selection, export the list by clicking the “Export” button.

When you have a plan, create high-quality content for both the pillar and cluster pages.

15. Get High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks (links from other sites to yours) boost your domain’s authority and trust signals. High-quality backlinks are crucial for building credibility and improving rankings. 

You can build or earn backlinks through several methods:

Steal Competitors’ Backlinks

Websites linking to your competitors might also link to you, especially if your content is relevant. 

By analyzing your competitors’ backlink profiles you can get a list of domains that link to sites like yours. Then, you can include these domains in your link building outreach campaigns.

Use the Backlink Gap tool to find domains linking to competing sites but not yours. 

Enter your domain and up to four competing domains. Click “Find prospects.”

Pay attention to the “Best” tab, which shows websites that link to all competing domains but don’t link to your website.

Clicking the numbers under a competitor will show you more details about the links to that site, like the link source, the anchor text, and the target URL. 

Use this information to understand what kind of content gets links, so you can pitch relevant resources.

Find Unlinked Mentions

Domains that mention your brand in their content but don’t include a link to your website are a great link building opportunity. 

These sites are already familiar with you and are more likely to give you a backlink if you ask for it.

Find unlinked mentions using the Brand Monitoring app:

Click the “Get started” button on the app page.

Choose the “Brand” option.

Add your brand name.

In the “Sources” section, select the types of sources you’d like to track for brand mentions. “News” and “Blogs” are likely to be the most relevant options for you here.

Click the “Create Query” button.

The tool will then find mentions of your brand online and present a list that looks like this:

Filter the mentions by date by using the “Date range” drop-down filter.

Or use the “Outlet domain” drop-down to filter by Rank, Name, and Authority.

Once you’re happy with the list, reach out to these websites and ask for a link.

For more specific tips, check out our guide to link building outreach.

Attract Links Naturally

You can attract links by offering a valuable resource that others want to share (also known as link bait). 

Depending on your audience, you could offer a free tool, a study report, a statistics roundup, a template, or even an infographic.

For example, Semrush’s ranking study analyzed 28,000 domains and revealed how long it takes to get on Google’s first page

The study was shared extensively in the SEO community, and generated 1.4K backlinks from over 200 referring domains.

Get creative and figure out what kind of resource might become popular among your target audience.

Ideally, it should be:

• A unique resource that isn’t already out there 
• Something your audience will find valuable
• Full of actionable insights and advice your audience can implement to address a pain point or solve a problem

Put These SEO Tips Into Action

These 15 SEO tips will help you improve your site’s organic visibility, enhance user experience, and boost performance in search results. 

Semrush has a range of tools covering keyword research, competitor analysis, link building, and more. Try the free trial to implement these strategies and optimize your site’s ranking potential.