How do you build an SEO strategy?

An SEO strategy is the bridge you build between where your SEO is now and where you want it to be. With an SEO strategy, you decide how to get from A to B. Your SEO strategy is essential to get the steps and your way of working clear. Do you go for a rope bridge, a stone bridge, or do you take the zipline? We zoom in on it for you.

A well-developed SEO strategy helps you rank higher in search engines. It gives you direction among all your options. Which calls do you make, and what do you go for?

Before you dive headfirst into your SEO (search engine optimization), it's important to take a step back and think about your SEO strategy first. What exactly does that involve? We explain it here, so you can take your SEO strategy into your own hands.

Technology

Technology is the foundation of your SEO. That's why it isn't part of your SEO strategy: everything simply has to be in order before you start. Period.

Not sure where to start? Then read our SEO manual first.

Content

Content involves a lot of strategy. What content do you create? What should it look like? What do you say? What gets priority? Do you use content clusters? All questions that come up when you define your SEO content strategy.

We like to call content the fuel of your SEO strategy. You constantly need accurate, fresh and good content. You get it by writing new articles or updating old ones.

Authority

Authority also takes a fair bit of strategy. Here you mainly look at your link building. It's often seen as something difficult and vague where you can get a lot wrong. Link building isn't difficult, it just takes a lot of time. It's also easy to go down the wrong path. All the more reason to draw up a clear SEO link building strategy.

In this article, we keep our focus 100% on your SEO strategy. Articles about SEO strategy often cover the practical implementation, technical factors and action items. Those come up here too, but we don't go deeper into them. We make sure you can click through to the detailed explanation of each item.

An SEO strategy determines the road you take. The goal you're working toward comes later. You obviously need that to know where you want to end up. So improving your SEO with a clear strategy helps you set your SEO targets and largely determines how, and how fast, you reach them.

SEO is the foundation of your marketing. Okay, that's probably occupational bias, but still. Hear me out:

• Keyword research gives you insight into what's going on in your market.
• A competitor analysis gives you information about your competitors and helps you map out their strategy.
• SEO needs a lot of content. Thanks to your keyword research and competitor analysis, the content you publish is valuable.
• You then break that content down into smaller topics to make videos, social media posts and mailings. Handy, right?

SEO is a long-term strategy

SEO doesn't deliver results overnight. It takes a while before search engines (Google is still the most used in Belgium and the Netherlands) reward your efforts. The 3 pillars – technology, content, authority – have to be in order.

What exactly should you do, and when? That's why we wrote this white paper: your SEO strategy plays a decisive role in what you work on and when you do it.

Why is SEO a long-term strategy?

Your SEO strategy brings all your factors together in one picture. Based on that, you roll out your actual strategy. Let's zoom in on the factors that influence your SEO strategy.

Company size

Depending on the size of your company, extra parties, departments and processes get involved.

As a multinational or corporate organization, your website probably sits with your IT department. For them, SEO isn't always priority number 1.

As an SME, you depend on your web developer. Are they keeping up with the latest developments in SEO for SMEs?

You can already tell. Because of this, the way of working, the people involved and the speed at which you make changes differ enormously. Do you outsource things like copywriting or do them in-house? That makes a big difference too.

Budget

The budget you spend on SEO obviously has an impact on your strategy. With a limited budget, you have to set your priorities carefully. Got more room? Then you can roll out several things at once.

Niche

The niche you work in largely determines your SEO strategy. Who are your competitors? How do they approach SEO? And how can you do it better?

Do you have a general website or do you zoom in on a niche? That makes a big difference. Because a website about 1 product or service has more topical authority by default.

Keywords & competition

Which keywords do you want to rank for? The answer to that question helps determine which SEO strategy you implement. Do you choose Sniper SEO on long tail keywords, or do you go for the high-volume keywords?

Of course, your competitors aren't sitting still either. Who are you up against for which keyword and, importantly, how hard is it to rank for that keyword? Big online stores have often already built up a lot of content and authority. They have a head start and their technology is already in order. You won't overtake them overnight.

Technical possibilities

The quality of the websites, online stores and applications that developers build varies a lot. SEO is a separate specialization. So make sure to discuss with your web developer up front how they feel about it.

On top of that, it's not always possible to implement all our recommendations. Sometimes you run into the limits of your CMS (content management system).

What do you need to create your SEO strategy?

A carpenter is nothing without a hammer and a saw. An SEO specialist also needs tools to do the job correctly and professionally. These are the tools you need to draw up a solid SEO strategy:

• Google Search Console
• Ahrefs or any keyword tool (SEMrush, Moz …)

Drawing up an SEO strategy mainly takes knowledge, experience and expertise. This guide gets you off to a good start.

Take your time. Build in several rounds and don't settle too quickly for the first result that comes along.

SEO concepts you need to understand before you can draw up a strategy

Two last items before we really dive into your SEO strategy:

• SEO mindset
• Content clusters

The following things are a priority, because you need them to work out your SEO strategy. Not sure how to start on one of them? Click the links for more explanation.

Baseline measurement

With a baseline measurement, you look at your current situation. That's mainly useful for looking back on later. That way you know exactly where you stand in your SEO journey.

Questions

Where do you stand right now?

• How much traffic do you get thanks to SEO?
• Which keywords do you already rank for?

What you need

• Google Search Console

Technical audit

Your website or online store has to be technically sound. That's the foundation of everything. With a technical audit, you map out technical SEO issues and errors, but also opportunities. That way you know exactly how to get your technology in order. Only once everything is technically flawless do you start with SEO and the strategy that comes with it.

Questions

• What's still going wrong?
• Where are the remaining technical errors?

What you need

• Screaming Frog
• Ahrefs
• Google Search Console

Read more

• SEO manual
• Technical SEO factors

Keyword research

Keyword research gives you insight into what your audience searches for. Based on that, you map out your keywords and later choose which ones you want to rank for.

Questions

• Which keywords does your audience use?
• Which keywords are relevant?
• Which keywords do you prioritize?

What you need

• Keyword tool

Read more

• Keyword research

Competitor analysis

With a competitor analysis, you map out your competitors. You can focus only on your competitors in the search engines or cast a wider net right away. The better you know who does what, the better you know what you should (not) do.

Questions

• Who are my competitors?
• What are my competitors doing?
• How can I do better than my competitors?

What you need

• Analysis tool such as Ahrefs

Read more:

• Competitor analysis

Setting goals

The last step is setting your goals. Always use the SMART method here: your goal has to be Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic and Time-bound.

Questions

• Where do you want to be within period x?
• How do you know you've reached your goal?
• Is your goal realistic?

What you need

• Common sense
• Experience is a big plus

Read more

• SMART goals

When do you prepare these steps?

Do them before you start your SEO journey. This is your SEO kickoff.

Outsourcing your SEO strategy? Then other practical things come into play, such as getting to know your company, setting up access and mapping out the history. Just like a new employee, a new SEO agency goes through the steps to get to know your company.

Unexpected results

Maybe your results are disappointing at first. Think of too little search volume on your keywords compared to your margins (low search volumes aren't necessarily bad, discover B2B SEO). Or maybe the cost-benefit ratio isn't interesting enough for you to invest in SEO today? Yes, focusing on other channels first is also part of your SEO strategy.

You only get a clear view of this after you've gone through all the steps and analyses above.

So always double-check with an SEO consultant whether your investments can pay off. Marketing has to bring in money, and SEO is no different. The outcome of your analysis can also be that you don't continue with SEO.

Don't forget that SEO is a long-term strategy.

Want to know more? Read our SEO mindset guide.

Which steps do you need to take to define your SEO strategy? Without the preparation and nuances, you won't get far. Did you skip them? Then read those first. Good preparation is half the work, after all.

Step-by-step plan to build your SEO strategy

Step 1: Make sure your technology is in order

Before you start on your SEO strategy, your website or online store has to be technically in perfect order. So it's always the first step in your journey.

Step 2: Gather your keywords

Gather all your keywords and cluster them by topic. What do you group together and which keywords do you handle separately? Start from how you can best help your visitor.

Step 3: Determine the search intent

Determine the searcher's intent for each keyword. That way you know exactly what your visitor expects and what you need to work out.

Step 4: Create your content SEO strategy

It's best to create a separate strategy for your content. Think mainly about setting and working out your priorities.

Which keywords will you create pages or blogs for first?

This is where your keyword research meets your competitor analysis. Analyze the feasibility, whether the search intent is right and whether there's enough search volume on your keywords.

With those 3 elements, you decide which content you work on first.

Step 5: Map out what you need

You now know which keywords you're going to target, who your competitors are and what it takes to fully cover the search intent.

In the next step, you look at what you need and what you have to do to rank for that keyword.

• Do you need to update existing content?
• Are you producing new content?
• Do you need backlinks? If so, how many?
• Where do you need backlinks from?

You don't do this step completely during the SEO kickoff. SEO isn't an exact science. Work flexibly and look at what you need at that moment to rank higher.

Our way of working?

We don't have a crystal ball either. But by now we can estimate pretty well what it takes to get our clients ranking. That's why we work in different phases and invest our time where it's needed. Our worked-out SEO strategy is our guide for this.

Together with our clients, we set the priorities and plan when we tackle which keyword. That way we start straight from our findings.

Organize a workshop

To go through all these steps, it's best to organize a workshop. Put your heads together with your marketing team, test your ideas and take a first look at the practical implementation of your SEO strategy.

Count on at least half a day for this (excluding preparation).

Technology, aka on-page SEO

The technical setup isn't part of your SEO strategy. Your technology simply has to work flawlessly. Period. That has nothing to do with your strategy. It's either right or it isn't.

Your technology is the foundation you need to really get started.

A solid SEO strategy is essential to roll out a successful SEO journey. That's why we always start there. During a workshop, we go through your preparations, strategy and practical matters.

Our added value lies mainly in fine-tuning the workflows & processes for your SEO strategy and turning them into concrete action points. Carrying them out (or directing a marketing team to carry them out) is part of it too.

By now you've been working on your SEO for 6 – 12 months (the minimum time SEO needs to generate business results). So how do you tell whether you're doing it right?

We use a mix of Google Search Console and Ahrefs.

Here are some tips to measure and compare correctly:

Branded vs non-branded traffic

Filter out your brand name in Google Search Console. That way you're left with only the relevant traffic your SEO strategy actually contributed to.

• Filtering in Google Search Console

Tool & Google Search Console

The data in the console can be misleading at times. We recommend supplementing your Google Search Console data with a solid SEO tool. That combination gives you a correct and complete picture.

In the image above, you see the statistics for 1 keyword:

🟧 The orange line shows the average position in Google

🟦 The blue line shows the number of clicks

🟪 The purple line shows the number of impressions

Notice that the orange line first shows the site ranking very high (position 1). However, the clicks and impressions are lower than what an SEO tool tells us. So we know the site was only shown in extremely relevant scenarios. Very high right away, without much result (clicks).

So before we started growing in Google, you can see the position first dropped sharply. After that, the site kept growing nicely. You'll often drop first before you grow.

This shows you why a good SEO tool matters in combination with Google Search Console.

Optimize your SEO strategy

Writing 2 SEO texts a month and hoping for the best? No, we don't play that game. It doesn't work. We look at where you stand right now and what you need to rank higher. A new blog? Then we write it. Extra backlinks? Then we go looking for them. Something still off on the technical side? Then we sort it out with your web developer.

We stay flexible. Your SEO strategy is the guide for making the tough calls.

A fixed schedule doesn't work. Ticking off your standard to-dos every month won't make the difference. Out with it!

So can't you plan at all?

You absolutely can. But be creative. Plan when your copywriter works on which keywords. But dare to switch gears faster when you notice other things need priority during your SEO journey.

You can't do without your SEO strategy. All deliverables matter and contribute to your strategy. Look beyond SEO alone. For us, SEO is the foundation of marketing, but it's certainly not the only marketing strategy.

And no, SEO doesn't work for every niche. Not for every company either, and certainly not for every personality. It takes patience, perseverance and knowledge. Don't have those? Then get an expert to help you.

Having an SEO strategy made

Let us walk you through our process. You can learn from it yourself, and it gives you a better idea of how we work.

We always start with an SEO kickoff, where we do all the preparation. Once that's worked out, we bring everything together in a workshop. Besides the practical matters, we present everything, ask for your input and dot the i's. After the workshop, we polish the final details.

Based on that information, we draw up the SEO strategy. Where do you stand today, where do you want to go and what bridge do we build in between? That's how all the puzzle pieces fall into place.

Next, we roll out your strategy. We meet monthly to discuss it.

That way we systematically work through everything that's needed.

Each time, we look at what you need to rank higher. Is it new content? Better (updated) content? Or extra backlinks? We step in where needed and apply what works best for you.

We don't promise to write 2 SEO blogs every month. Publishing content without an SEO strategy simply doesn't add up.

What don't we do?

One-off analyses. We always go for a long-term collaboration. Why? Lots of companies want an SEO analysis but then don't take action. We want to do things differently.

We work everything out and take the right steps at the right time.

We monitor your SEO continuously. Think technology, architecture, structure, positions, content … We step in where needed.

There are 3 ways to do that.

1) Time for action

Take this blog and get started. After reading it, you have all the tools and knowledge to start on your SEO strategy yourself. Good luck! 💪

Still have a question? Feel free to send us a message. We're happy to help.

2) SEO bootcamp & coaching

Join us on an SEO bootcamp. We take you through all the steps, build an SEO strategy together, give SEO training and get you ready to start with SEO in-house.

After that, you can join our SEO coaching program.

3) Workshop

No time or no desire to take your SEO strategy into your own hands? Give us a call and we'll see how and with what we can help you.

We prepare everything, set up a workshop and make sure your SEO strategy is ready. We also start working out your SEO strategy right away.

What is the best SEO strategy?

It depends. As always in SEO, you look at your situation, analyze it and make choices based on that. The best SEO strategy for you is hiding somewhere, no doubt about it. Finding it is our challenge.