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SEO for Startups

There is close to no level of excitement of a fresh rounding of funding to grow your business. You probably have multiple consultants and agencies dangling their bates directly in front of your face praying for you to bite. Today, this piece attributes five quick growth hacks in the realm of SEO for startups. We wil discuss areas I am currently testing to boost organic search results, certain topics, I have tested. Real-life results; No Bullshit!

An essential dime always left on the ground is the foundation of a website. I could give two shits about what platform it is built-in. But before we get into it, let’s discuss a startup with a new domain. 

Today, the first thing we will talk about is starting with a brand new domain. I know a lot of you have 500 people coming to your site monthly and think you are all badass lol. 

Build A Truckload of Backlinks 

It is obvious, but true. Go to Google and type in keywords the startup can benefit from and start clicking away. Scroll to the bottom of those pages and find out who wrote the articles. Mention your site and how much better your content is in comparison to the one their mentioning.

But again, you already read this tactic. Want to learn growth? Offer them cash, throw a link at the beginning of the article, then be on your merry way. Build a relationship with the blogger or website. Do NOT be that person who is one and done; you might need it again.  

Pay attention to link types, if you want to rank for Pet Shop throw in key terms like Pet Shops, Shops for Pets. Use phrase and broad match for keywords. Google knows when you are trying to play them. 

Write Great Content

Blog. Blog. Blog. You’ll hear quality over quantity. Eight hundred words and even two thousand. 

Mix it up and see what works for your website. Pop the term into Google and see the average of what ranks on the first page. I built a blog from 0 to 10,000 monthly sessions in 8 months through this tactic. 

AUDIT!

Everyone misses this step. After spending thousands on blogs per month, go back, and check performance. Ensure blogs are not competing with keywords. A competing keyword is two URLs that rank for the same key term. Think about what page you want to rank and either condense it or add a link if there’s still value. 

Take the laundry list of blogs and re-write, then re-publish them. Show Google updating content is vital to your audience. 

I have seen an average increase of 300% across 30 pages re-optimized in two months.

And now…

Imagine being a startup who inherit a shitty foundation. 

Check The Sitemap, Dude!

The first thing you should do is get your butt into Google Search Console. The sitemap is one of the most crucial areas as you begin to build a structure. Now, you really won’t know the direct impact you’ll have for a couple of months.

In the sitemap look for the following errors:

  • Duplicate content
  • 3XX & 4XX errors in the sitemap
  • Redirect URLs
  • BS URLs in the sitemap
  • No-Index URL

The sitemap is an area I am testing on a VERY weak foundation. The great thing is the website has a lot of improvement.

Re-Optimize Old Content

Look for pages that currently have links. Re-write the content. I have seen keywords skyrocket to the first page with a little bit of TLC. When I say re-optimize, delete the old content and make it more relevant.

About Author

an image of Ryan Jackson from Jackson Digital

Ryan Jackson

SEO and Growth Marketing Expert

I am a growth marketer focusing on search engine optimization, paid social/search/display, and affiliate marketing. For the last five years, I have held jobs or had entrepreneurial ventures in freelance and consulting. I am a firm believer in an intense side hustle outside of 9 to 5’s. I have worked with companies like GoDaddy, Ace Hardware, StatusToday, SmartLabs Inc, and many more.

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