50 Things You Might Not Know About SEO

I had someone ask me today to "build a website that has SEO". I had to chuckle a little because a basic website is never going to be SEO amazing on its own. That kind of ranking has to happen with time.

If you want to build a website with SEO, you're going to have to dedicate yourself to a daily or weekly posting of a blog, video with transcript, and/or podcast with show notes. The more words you have on your website, the more opportunities your site has for Google to match it up with someone's search words. Can you understand now how a website just gets better over time (as long as you're regularly posting).

It's so much easier now too with Chat GPT. You can ask it to write your blog posts, design a video script, or write up a podcast outline. It's like having your own copywriter ... at a fraction of the cost - FREE!

In summary, SEO is an ever-evolving digital marketing practice that aims to enhance a website's visibility and rank higher on search engine result pages (SERPs). Many of us are familiar with the basics of SEO, but the intricacies of this field go far beyond just keywords and backlinks.

Here are 50 lesser-known facts about SEO that can help you gain a deeper understanding of this essential aspect of online marketing.

I've highlighted my favs. 

1. Search engines process trillions of searches each year, with Google dominating the market share by a vast margin.

2. The first five results on Google's SERPs get about 67% of all clicks.

3. User experience (UX) plays a crucial role in SEO rankings, including factors like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and ease of navigation.

4. Search engines use algorithms that consider over 200 factors to rank websites.

5. Google's algorithm is continuously updated, with major updates like Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird.

6. Voice search is on the rise, with 55% of teenagers and 41% of adults using voice search daily.

7. Long-form content tends to rank higher on SERPs.

8. Websites with SSL certificates (HTTPS) are favored by search engines, as they provide better security and user trust.

9. Google considers a user's search history and behavior to personalize search results.

10. Bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who leave a site after viewing only one page) can impact rankings.

11. The average word count of top-ranking content on Google is over 1,800 words.

12. Backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites are vital for SEO success.

13. Social media shares may not have a direct impact on SEO, but they can indirectly influence visibility.

14. Schema markup helps search engines understand and display website content better in search results.

15. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) can significantly improve mobile search rankings.

16. XML sitemaps help search engines discover and index website pages efficiently.

17. Duplicate content can lead to ranking penalties.

18. Keywords in meta tags (title, description) still matter for SEO.

19. User-generated content, such as reviews and comments, can boost SEO efforts.

20. Mobile-first indexing means Google predominantly uses the mobile version of a site for ranking and indexing.

21. Pages with longer loading times tend to have higher bounce rates.

22. Google considers the freshness of content when ranking websites.

23. Natural language processing allows search engines to understand the context of user queries better.

24. Google Analytics and Search Console are essential tools for tracking and optimizing SEO performance.

25. Local SEO optimization is crucial for businesses with physical locations.

26. Video content can improve SEO rankings, especially on YouTube and Google's video carousel.

27. HTTPS migration can lead to temporary fluctuations in rankings.

28. EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is a critical factor in determining website credibility.

29. Content updates and republishing can boost SEO rankings.

30. Websites with a lower bounce rate and higher dwell time tend to rank better.

31. Using the target keyword in the URL can positively impact rankings.

32. Content with visuals, such as images and infographics, tends to perform better.

33. Outbound links to authoritative sources can enhance SEO credibility.

34. Click-through rate (CTR) can influence rankings, especially on Google.

35. Guest posting on reputable websites can improve backlink profiles.

36. Nofollow links are valuable for referral traffic and building relationships.

37. Google Search Console's "Fetch as Google" feature helps index new pages faster.

38. Improving the accessibility of your website can positively impact SEO.

39. Mobile usability affects rankings in mobile searches.

40. User reviews can lead to rich snippet displays in search results.

41. URLs with fewer folders and subdomains tend to be more SEO-friendly.

42. The age of a domain can affect its search rankings.

43. Social media profiles often rank well in branded searches.

44. Long-tail keywords can be easier to rank for and attract more targeted traffic.

45. Local citations on directories like Yelp and Google My Business influence local SEO.

46. SEO is an ongoing process, and rankings can fluctuate over time.

47. Engaging with your audience and building a community can improve brand visibility, indirectly impacting SEO.

48. Geotargeting can help businesses reach local customers more effectively.

49. Image optimization (compressing and adding alt tags) can enhance SEO for visual content.

50. SEO is not a one-size-fits-all approach; strategies need to be tailored to each website's unique needs and goals.

SEO is a multifaceted and dynamic discipline, constantly evolving to keep up with search engine algorithms and user behavior.

Understanding these lesser-known facts about SEO can help you make informed decisions to enhance your website's visibility, rank higher on SERPs, and build a stronger online presence.

Embrace the ongoing learning process, stay up-to-date with industry trends, and experiment with various strategies to unlock the full potential of SEO for your digital success.