An SEO roadmap can help anyone navigate the digital marketing landscape in 2022. While most businesses now acknowledge their need for search engine optimization, their paths to achieve their goals range from one extreme to another.
The primary downside of SEO is that Google hides its algorithm from the public. As a result, speculation, supposition, and misinformation infiltrate public discourse. You’ve probably seen it in pitches from SEO agencies.
Business owners would benefit from an SEO roadmap based on data. Think about it, most business decisions come down to carefully processed data, so why should digital marketing be different?
In the following post, Nolen Walker outlines the SEO roadmap for success in 2022.
What is an SEO Roadmap?
An SEO roadmap is a reference document that guides users through a defined SEO process. Roadmaps allow users to efficiently execute SEO tasks for campaigns at scale.
How is an SEO Roadmap Different from an SEO Strategy?
Roadmaps contrast strategies in that they outline global SEO processes at scale rather than custom plans for a specific campaign. On the other hand, an SEO strategy deals with customized tactics that vary from one project to another.
Implementing an SEO strategy is not possible without a roadmap, as the roadmap serves as the foundation for your SEO campaigns. Furthermore, it’s not possible to design a system without first having an SEO roadmap.
Setting SEO Goals
To form a good SEO roadmap, you must first think about what you want to gain from SEO. This will be key to determining what SEO services you need and how much of the job you can reasonably do in-house.
Benchmarking is an integral part of any business analysis. Start by setting goals for traffic, budget, and conversions to target your roadmap for success.
Here are a few benchmarks you need to consider when shaping your SEO goals:
SEO Traffic Goals
SEO is all about driving traffic to your website, social media outlets, landing pages, and other online content. So what’s a realistic traffic goal for your first month? What bout your second and third months?
If your website already generates substantial traffic, ask yourself how much you can expect to raise it in the first month. Not all companies can handle more traffic. For example, how many new leads can you take on?
SEO Budget Goals
Suppose you are planning to outsource your SEO strategy to an agency. In that case, the price can run the gamut from reasonably cheap to very expensive. So first, determine how much you want to spend on SEO in 2022.
You have to come to a concrete number on your monthly SEO budget for at least the first few months. Then, if you see the results you want and are ready to kick things into a higher gear, you can adjust your budget later.
SEO Conversions
Depending on your business type, you may have different conversion measurements. For example, an e-commerce business can easily measure conversions through user tracking. However, service-based companies must take additional steps.
Google Tag Manager can help you identify when website visitors call your phone number or submit a contact form. Then, work in Google Analytics to monitor conversions based on your specific business model.
Prioritizing SEO Goals
Determine which of your SEO goals is most important to deploy the most resources towards its implementation. For example, are you looking to increase traffic in the first month? If so, designate a specific increase as your top priority.
Secondary priorities remain crucial to properly craft your SEO roadmap, for example, after completing tasks that will assist conversion increases, move on to your following highest priority items, like increasing conversions.
Identify Quick Fixes
In most cases, you can identify quick SEO fixes for your website or overall SEO presence. Therefore, your SEO roadmap should include these quick and easy fixes for yourself or your team to carry out before the real work begins.
These easy fixes can consist of:
Dead Links
Dead links are an instant rankings killer, and fixing or replacing them is a breeze. To make things even easier and faster for you, try using a broken link finder tool. Google dislikes 404 errors almost as much as visitors.
Claiming your Business
Claiming your Google Business Profile is something you can do right now. An optimized GBP allows businesses to appear in the Local Map 3-Pack on Google Search. Therefore, GBP optimization is one of the quickest fixes.
Meta Descriptions
Optimizing meta descriptions, headings, and page descriptions is an easy way to improve search indexing. While the tasks may seem tedious, they make a significant difference at scale.
Optimizing means ensuring that keywords are included in these descriptions. You should also ensure that relevant keywords are included in the alt text and image captions throughout your website.