How Do You Build Discovery and Relevance for Search Engines?
The internet can feel like a crowded room, with millions of websites all shouting for attention. When you're trying to get your website noticed, it’s easy to feel like you're competing with the entire world.
But it’s not impossible! If you're wondering how to build discovery and relevance for search engines, you've come to the right place. This is where the magic of SEO comes in.
How Exactly Does Discovery and Relevance Come Into Play In Your SEO Strategy?
Discovery is the process of making sure search engines, like Google, find and index your website. If you’re not properly indexed, you won’t show up in search results, no matter how great your content is.
Relevance, on the other hand, is about how closely your website’s content matches what people are searching for. What is most important is the intent behind the search.
Together, these two elements form the backbone of SEO. Without them, your site could be invisible to both search engines and users. But don’t worry—building discovery and relevance doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right strategies, you can make your website stand out.
Why Bother with Discovery and Relevance?
Great question! Imagine you’ve built a beautiful website filled with useful information or exciting products. You’re proud of it, and you’re sure people will love it. That is, if they can find it.
Without proper discovery, your website is like a billboard in the middle of a desert. No one’s going to see it, no matter how great it looks.
Trust us, when we say we’ve seen this over and over again, we aren’t kidding. The prospect we’ve talked to, even some of our clients had this notion that having a beautiful website was enough to drive traffic…definitely not the case.
Now, let’s say people do stumble upon your site, relevance comes into play. When someone searches for something related to your content, products, or services, your website needs to be recognized by search engines as a good match.
If your content doesn’t meet user expectations, or it doesn’t directly answer their questions, your site will be passed over for something else. Now are you getting the picture why your competitor might be getting more traffic or visibility compared to your business?
Ok, here’s why it matters:
- It gets your site seen: The more discoverable and relevant your website is, the better your chances of climbing to the top of Google’s search results. And let's be real, no one clicks on page two. Do you?
- It brings in traffic: Good rankings lead to more traffic. More traffic means more potential customers. Simple, right?
- It builds trust: Being at the top makes you look legit. Users trust higher-ranked websites—think about it, when was the last time you clicked the 10th result?
So how do we make sure you’re not buried in the depths of the internet? It’s all about a mix of smart strategy, high-quality content, and some technical know-how.
Do Your Homework and Keyword Research
You can’t build discovery and relevance without knowing what people are searching for, is that simple.
Learn more about keyword strategy.
That’s where keyword research comes in. Keywords are the terms and phrases that people type into search engines when they’re looking for information, products, or services.
By knowing what keywords are most relevant to your business, you can tailor your content to match those searches, improving both discovery and relevance.
But it’s not just about stuffing your content with keywords. You need to choose the right ones. Here's how:
- Go for Long-Tail Keywords: These are those super specific search terms. They may have lower search volumes, but they usually come with less competition—and higher chances of conversion. So, if you are starting out, this should be your focus. Learn more about how many keywords to use for SEO.
- Understand User Intent: It’s not enough to know the keywords; you need to understand why people are searching for them. Are they looking for information, ready to buy, or just browsing?
- Use Keyword Tools: Tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush will give you insight into the best keywords to target based on your industry.
Once you nail down your keywords, the content you create will be naturally aligned with what people are actually searching for. And when you start giving searchers what they need, guess what happens? You start building discovery and relevance. Boom.
Learn more about SEO Content Writing and Why Content is King.
Content Creation - It’s Quality, Not Quantity
If SEO were a party, content would be the life of it. You want to create content that not only includes the right keywords but is also valuable.
You can churn out dozens of blog posts every week, but if they don’t offer real value, they won’t help you build relevance. Google has gotten a lot smarter about detecting what’s useful and what’s fluff, so your focus should be on creating content that genuinely helps your audience.
Here’s how to create content that stands out:
- Answer Common Questions: The more directly your content answers a searcher’s query, the more relevant it is. Use your keyword research to figure out what people want to know, then create content that directly addresses those queries.
- Create Long-Form Content: In-depth guides and how-tos (think 1,500+ words based on our internal data) tend to perform better. Why does Google see this as more valuable? Because they offer real value.
- Update Regularly: Google loves fresh content, so make it a habit to update your posts at certain intervals. For example: If you wrote something about 2023 and we are now in 2024, then it might merit reviewing your blog post and see how to updated with fresh content.
When you put out content that answers real questions and solves real problems, you boost relevance and build trust. And that trust translates to better rankings.
On-Page SEO - Don’t Forget the Details
Creating great content is just one part of the puzzle. The next step is making sure it’s optimized for search engines. Even the best content needs some fine-tuning to ensure it’s search-engine friendly.
On-page SEO is all about optimizing the nuts and bolts of each page to help search engines figure out what your content is about.
Here’s what you need to focus on:
- Title Tags: Your title tag is the first thing people see in search results. These should be short, sweet, and packed with your primary keyword. Keep it between 50 to 60 characters.
- Meta Descriptions: This is your pitch in search results. It’s your chance to convince users to click on your page. Make it compelling and between 150 to 160 characters.
- Header Tags: Help search engines understand the structure of your content. H1 for the title, H2 for sections. Make sure your content is easy to skim. Read here how to structure and how many words to use for your headings.
- Alt Text for Images: Don’t forget to describe your images! Search engines can’t "see" them, but alt text helps them understand what the image is about. This can also help with accessibility for users with disabilities. Read here how to optimize images for SEO.
On-page SEO might seem like a minor detail, but it’s critical for improving your discovery and relevance. Little tweaks can make a big difference in helping search engines index your pages properly.
Link Building - A Network of Trust
If content is the life of the SEO party, then link building is your VIP pass. Google loves when reputable websites link to yours—it’s like they’re vouching for your credibility.
If you’re serious about ranking higher in search results, you need to start incorporating backlinks into your SEO strategy.
But how do you get these valuable backlinks?
Here are a few strategies:
- Guest Blogging: Contribute to reputable blogs in your niche and include a link back to your site. It’s a win-win—you get exposure to a new audience, and you get a valuable backlink.
- Broken Link Building: Find broken links on other sites and suggest your content as a replacement. This helps them clean up their site while giving you a new backlink.
- Internal Links: Don’t forget to link to other pages on your own site. It helps search engines crawl your site and keeps visitors around longer.
Backlinks are like digital endorsements. The more quality backlinks you gather, the more trustworthy and relevant your site appears to Google. This means better rankings, more traffic, and higher relevance.
Learn more about The Role of Backlinks in SEO Today.
Technical SEO - Get Under the Hood
Your website could have the best content in the world, but if search engines can’t find it or it loads too slowly, all that effort is wasted.
Technical SEO ensures that your site is easy to crawl, fast, and secure. It’s all about optimizing the behind-the-scenes aspects of your site to ensure it’s easy for search engines to crawl and index.
Here’s what you need to keep in check:
- Site Speed: A slow site is a big no-no. Make sure your site loads quickly, both on desktop and mobile. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to make sure your site is running smoothly.
- Mobile Optimization: Google now uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it looks at the mobile version of your site before the desktop version.. Make sure your site works perfectly on all devices.
- XML Sitemap: This helps search engines navigate your site and index all your pages.
- Robots.txt File: Use this to tell search engines which pages to crawl and which to ignore.
Technical SEO might sound boring, but without it, all your hard work on content and links won’t pay off. It’s the foundation of your site’s discovery and relevance.
Read our Beginners Guide to Technical SEO.
User Experience (UX) - Keep Visitors Happy
Of course, we can’t forget about user experience. It’s not just about getting people to your site—it’s about keeping them there. Google looks at metrics like bounce rate and time spent on your site to determine how relevant your content is.
Tips to Improve UX:
- Reduce Clutter: A clean, easy-to-navigate site will keep people engaged longer.
- Core Web Vitals: Google’s Core Web Vitals focus on things like load time, interactivity, and layout stability. Make sure you’re hitting these marks.
- Responsive Design: Ensure your site looks great on all devices. Nothing frustrates a user more than a clunky mobile experience.
The better your UX, the more likely users will stick around, engage with your content, and come back for more. And when users are happy, so is Google.
You can read here all about Mastering Mobile CRO for Local Businesses
Local SEO - Don’t Forget About Your Community
If you’re a local business, nailing your local SEO strategy is a must. In fact, nearly half of all Google searches have local intent. Local SEO helps you show up when people in your area are searching for products or services like yours.
Here’s how to build relevance locally:
- Google My Business: Claim your local map listing, make sure all your business info is correct, and encourage reviews. Don’t forget to add photos, a business description, and relevant categories.
- Local Keywords: Include geo-specific keywords like “SEO services in Toronto” to attract local searchers. You can add these keywords to your titles, meta descriptions, blog content, and even in your alt text for images.
- Consistent NAP: Ensure your name, address, and phone number are consistent across all platforms. Google cross-references this data from all over the web, including directories, social media profiles, and other listings. This is CRUCIAL, for Local SEO so move it up your list.
By optimizing your local SEO, you ensure that people searching in your area can easily find your business—building discovery and relevance right where you need it most. And as more people in your community find and engage with your business, you'll build a stronger local presence, both online and offline.
Partner with Alterior Digital for SEO Success
At the end of the day, building discovery and relevance for search engines is about making your website visible, valuable, and easy to find. It’s about doing the research, creating great content, optimizing it, and then refining your efforts to keep getting better results.
Need help with all this? Alterior Digital can step in to handle the nitty-gritty. Whether you need help with technical SEO, content creation, or local SEO strategies, our team has the expertise to boost your site’s visibility and relevance.
With our proven methods and a commitment to keeping up with the latest SEO trends, we can ensure your website not only climbs the search engine ranks but also stays there. Learn how to Rank Higher on Google.
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