Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about making your website more visible to people using search engines like Google. By improving your site’s ranking in search results, you can attract more visitors who are looking for what you offer. Let’s break down the four key parts of SEO :
On-page SEO is about optimising individual web pages. This means tweaking your content and the HTML code so that search engines understand your site better. When done right, on-page SEO helps your pages show up higher in search results for relevant queries, making it easier for potential visitors to find you.
Off-page SEO involves everything you do outside of your website to boost its ranking. Think of it as building your site’s reputation. This includes getting high-quality backlinks from other websites, being active on social media, and managing online reviews. Off-page SEO is crucial because it tells search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative, which helps improve your ranking and attract more organic traffic.
Technical SEO focuses on the behind-the-scenes aspects of your website. It’s about making sure your site is technically sound so search engines can easily crawl, index, and display it. This includes optimising your site’s speed, mobile-friendliness, and ensuring it’s secure. Technical SEO ensures your site performs well and provides a good user experience, which can lead to better rankings and more visitors.
Local SEO is especially important if you have a physical location or serve a specific area. It’s about making sure your business appears in local search results. This involves optimising your online presence to attract more local customers, such as getting listed in local directories, gathering positive reviews, and ensuring your business information is accurate and consistent. Local SEO helps local customers find you easily, whether they’re searching for your products or services.
In a nutshell, combining on-page, off-page, technical, and local SEO is key to boosting your online presence. This makes your website more search engine-friendly and authoritative, attracting more visitors and growing your business. In digital marketing, the best SEO tools can greatly enhance these efforts. For New Zealand businesses, staying updated with industry standards and using underutilised tools can provide a competitive edge. Let’s explore top SEO tools for Kiwi businesses, along with lesser-known tools.
Creating a brand new website? Start with free keyword research tools
If you are at the very beginning of creating your website you’ll need to find strategic keywords to optimise your website’s ranking on search engines.
Ryan robinson’s keyword research tool is simple and straightforward, plus it’s an excellent choice if you plan on adding a blog section to your website.
Ahrefs’ free keyword research tool allows you to view data on the initial 20 keywords related to yours.
ChatGPT can generate a list of potential keywords and phrases based on the content of your website or the industry you’re targeting. It can help identify related topics and subtopics that might be relevant for your audience.
And finally Google Keywords Planner, the go-to free research tool. Just create a Google ads account and voilà, you’ll have access to Google’s data on your list of keywords and it will give you keywords ideas.
Tips : for a new website, target keywords with at least 100 search volume per month with low competition.
Established website, here are your best SEO Tools for 2024
1. Ahrefs
- Why It’s Essential: Ahrefs is a powerhouse for backlink analysis, keyword research, competitor analysis, and site audits. Its extensive database and intuitive interface make it a favourite among SEO professionals.
- Key Features:
- Comprehensive backlink analysis
- Keyword explorer with difficulty scores
- Content gap analysis
+ Free tools available (with limited functions, but still very helpful)
2. SEMrush
- Why It’s Essential: SEMrush offers a robust suite of tools for SEO, PPC, social media, and content marketing. It’s particularly known for its competitive research and in-depth keyword tracking.
- Key Features:
- Domain vs. domain comparison
- Organic traffic insights
- Position tracking
3. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
- Why It’s Essential: This tool excels in technical SEO by crawling websites and identifying issues such as broken links, duplicate content, and redirect chains. It can look a bit complicated at first, but
- Key Features:
- Detailed site audit
- XML sitemap generation
- Integration with Google Analytics
+ Free version available (good for websites under 500 links)
4. Google Search Console
- Why It’s Essential: Google Search Console is indispensable for monitoring your site’s presence in Google search results. It offers valuable insights into search performance and technical issues.
- Key Features:
- Performance reports (clicks, impressions, CTR)
- Index coverage reports
- URL inspection tool
++ It’s free!
++ A quick look into Google PageSpeed Insights will let you analyse the performance of your website and provide suggestions for improving its speed.
Least Leveraged SEO Tools in 2024
1. Answer the public
- Why It’s Underutilised: Despite its potential, many marketers overlook Answer Socrates for keyword research. It visualises search questions and autocomplete suggestions in a unique, engaging way.
- Creative Uses:
- Discovering content ideas based on user queries
- Identifying long-tail keywords for niche topics
2. ASEOquake
- Why It’s Underutilised: This browser extension provides quick, on-the-go SEO metrics but is often underestimated due to its simplicity.
- Creative Uses:
- Quick competitor analysis while browsing
- On-page SEO audits on the fly
3. InLinks
- Why It’s Underutilised: InLinks focuses on entity-based SEO and semantic search optimisation, areas often neglected by conventional SEO strategies.
- Creative Uses:
- Enhancing internal linking structures
- Optimising content for semantic search
If you are interested in talking to someone about the potential performance improvements available to your website please get in touch today.
