????SHARING for Newbies ]
At present, my focus has shifted away from indulging in SEO. I’ve traversed various SEO positions over the past six years—ups, downs, scandals, and victories—all in all, a tumultuous journey.
On the eve of the year’s end, I present an SEO blueprint and a few reflections, hoping to aid SEO newcomers in saving some time when navigating the SEO landscape.
- ESCAPE THE ILLUSION OF “ELEPHANT FORTUNE-TELLER”
Here, illusion refers to sanctifying a particular element in SEO, hastily concluding after reading case studies or experiencing a few projects firsthand. (I’ve been there too…)
For instance: Someone excels in writing content, and their website tops the charts, deeming content as the King. Another writes mediocre content but floods backlinks, soaring to the top, proclaiming backlinks as the “mother of content”…
Some are proficient in technical coding, scraping massive data, ascending in rankings and traffic. Others advertise on websites and also climb the ranks.
Some buy PBNs and post miscellaneous articles and still ascend… Some even reach the top without knowing why. ????
=> It’s essential to have a more comprehensive view instead of narrowly evaluating a few factors. (Refer to the SEO factor chart below for a broader perspective).
=> Certain factors significantly impact a website’s position on Google compared to others. Analyze and compare with competitors; you might not excel in one aspect but might shine in another, and vice versa.
- LEARN FROM FOREIGN DOCUMENTATION AND GOOGLE ITSELF
Foreign SEO documentation is detailed with illustrations and videos. If you’re not proficient in English, translate the necessary information into English and search. I personally avoid reading Vietnamese sites to steer clear of misinformation.
Some reputable foreign sites include Backlinko, Gotchseo, Moz blog, Holisticseo…
Google’s documentation for webmasters is always precise and easy to understand: Google Search Documentation has plenty of valuable insights.
- DON’T BLINDLY TRUST GOOGLE’S “LONG-NOSE” KID
Every time Google releases algorithms or updates, trust only 50%, and use analytical thinking to evaluate the overall situation before implementation.
I usually browse SEO forums and social channels like Facebook and Twitter to see what discussions are happening globally.
Afterward, I search keywords in various industries to check their impact on rankings, analyze a series of sites for a general assessment, and then contemplate decisions for optimization and adjustments in SEO projects.
- BE CAUTIOUS OF VIETNAM’S SEO TRENDS
If you pursue sustainable SEO, be wary of trends in Vietnamese SEO.
In SEO strategy, I try to inherit certain strengths from the top players and find ways to go against the trend instead of blindly copying.
For example: When everyone in the top heavily focuses on text links, I invest heavily in guest posts, with only a few high-quality text links.
When everyone targets the meta title to the hottest key with the highest search volume, I shift the title targeting to 2 or 3 niche keys with the same search intent as the main key.
When everyone drives search traffic to one main key, I decrease the prominence of that main key and increase the search traffic volume to all niche keys.
When everyone concentrates on domain matching keywords, I focus on acquiring brand domains for SEO.
There are many more strategies to go against the trend, and I’ll delve into this issue in a separate analysis. ????
- 2024: IF THERE’S NOTHING NEW, DON’T WRITE ANYMORE!
SEOers using intelligent AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, or systems that scrape and entirely rewrite articles can generate hundreds of thousands of indexed content on the internet.
=> Honestly, if you overlook human emotions and style in the article, these AI tools outperform an ordinary content creator.
If you’re a content writer who synthesizes information on the internet and rewrites it as is, it’s best to search for new topics for your articles, create unique elements in your writing to triumph over ChatGPT.
Ask yourself: Why does Google have to index content that’s already fully available in its data?
- THE SEO GAME IN 2024: AI VS. HUMAN?
Who or which business entity is the “real” deal? Google places more trust in articles from a real-life company outside the virtual world.
Google believes more in an individual with credibility and expertise in the industry.
Google relies on reviews and comments from reputable sites discussing your brand and the broad coverage of your brand.
Who optimizes better: Optimizing content Optimizing technical aspects of the website Optimizing entities Optimizing UI/UX
Who has more resources: Backlink resources Traffic resources Number of personnel
Wishing everyone a prosperous Lunar New Year and many more years ahead with ample filling in their Chung cakes when deciding to choose a career in SEO. ????
Source and translation: Huy Tran, Nghien SEO
