Advanced SEO: Strategy, Best Practices, Using AI, SEO vs Ads, and Key Considerations

Why Does SEO Matter?

Good SEO means happier website visitors and that means more scrolls, clicks, leads and sales.

Good SEO also means that Google will understand and like your site. Here’s why that matters: Google earns over 75% of its revenue from ads, so it needs to deliver outstanding search results to attract users. As a result, Google prioritizes websites with strong SEO and sends them free traffic.

Introduction

Once upon a time, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was about stuffing keywords into content.

Today, SEO is about user experience, technical performance, accessibility, and content quality.

Backlinks are an advanced SEO essential so in this report, we’ve shared our Guide on how to get backlinks.

SEO Goals

Showcase Your Website: Tell Google exactly what your site is about.
Enhance User Experience: Keep visitors engaged and encourage actions: scrolls, clicks, leads, sales.
Demonstrate Quality: Show Google that your site is easy to use and offers high-quality, relevant content.

Is Advanced SEO Worth It or Should I Just Buy Ads?

👉 Quick SEO gives immediate results because it improves the user experience. Definitely do everything described in our Quick SEO Guide.

👉 Advanced SEO is a long-term strategy. It’s free, but takes time. If you can’t do it yourself, you’ll need to pay an expert.
👉 Paid ads (Google, Facebook, Instagram) deliver instant results—but require ongoing investment.

👉 If you’re in a highly competitive niche or have a new domain or website, SEO alone may not be enough—consider ads.

Can I Just Use AI to Do My SEO?

Not quite, not yet anyway. But it can help a lot, especially with writing copy and content.

See Related Posts at the end of this article for more information.

To succeed in SEO, your website should be:

✅ User-Friendly – Fast load times, mobile responsiveness, and intuitive navigation
✅ Accessible – Compliance with web accessibility standards (alt text, proper color contrast)
✅ Easy to Use – Streamlined forms, clear calls to action, and engaging content.

This guide combines foundational SEO principles with usability best practices to ensure your site ranks well and provides a seamless experience for visitors.

1. User-Friendly Site Essentials

Website visitors stay longer on user-friendly websites which is good for business – more leads, more sales.

Google promotes popular, fast-loading, mobile-friendly websites and penalizes the opposite.

Fast Load Speed

💡 Why It Matters: Slow websites frustrate users and are penalized by Google. People won’t wait for a slow website to load, they leave.

Quick Fixes:
✔ Compress images (keep under ~200KB where possible)
✔ Enable browser caching and minify scripts
✔ Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for faster global performance

✔ Use lazy loading if you have a content-rich site. See Appendix info about lazy loading.

Mobile Optimization

💡 Why It Matters: Most web traffic now comes from mobile devices, and Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing.

Quick Fixes:
✔ Use responsive design so pages adapt to different screen sizes
✔ Test your site on mobile using a mobile friendly test eg in Chrome Lighthouse

Engaging, Relevant Content

💡 Why It Matters:

High-quality content answers user questions, builds trust, and keeps visitors engaged.

Search engines like Google like high quality, fresh content.

Quick Fixes:
✔ Conduct keyword research to understand what your audience is searching for
✔ Use headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs for easy reading.

No Broken Links or 404 Errors

💡 Why It Matters: Broken links hurt both SEO and user experience.

Quick Fixes:
✔ Run a link-checking tool (e.g.GSC, Screaming Frog) regularly
✔ Set up 301 redirects if URLs change

👉 Need help with GSC – Google Search Console? Check out our guides here.

SSL Certificate (HTTPS)

💡 Why It Matters: Google favors secure sites, and users don’t trust sites without a SSL

Quick Fixes:
✔ Obtain an SSL certificate from a trusted provider
✔ Ensure all internal links use HTTPS, not HTTP.

Encouraging Reviews

💡 Why It Matters: Reviews boost website visits and local search rankings, and they establish credibility.

Quick Fixes:
✔ Ask customers for Google or Facebook reviews
✔ Respond professionally to all feedback, positive or negative

✔ See Appendix for Google and Facebook rules on asking for reviews.

2. Navigation & Site Structure

Clear Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons

💡 Why It Matters: A clear CTA (e.g. “Sign Up” or “Buy Now”) guides users to take action.

✔ Use contrasting colors and concise text

Search Functionality

💡 Why It Matters: A site-wide search bar helps users find content faster.

✔ Place it in the header or sidebar

Breadcrumb Navigation (For Large Sites)

💡 Why It Matters: Breadcrumbs show where users are on the site and improve navigation.

✔ Implement breadcrumb trails on sub-pages

Easy-to-Find Contact Info

💡 Why It Matters: Trust increases when visitors can easily reach you.

✔ Use a contact form instead of exposing your email (to reduce spam)
✔ Keep forms short to increase response rates – only request essential info

3. Accessibility (A Must-Have for SEO & UX)

Alt Text for Images

💡 Why It Matters: Helps visually impaired users and boosts image search rankings.

✔ Provide concise, descriptive alt text for key images

Sufficient Color Contrast

💡 Why It Matters: Low contrast hurts readability, especially on phones and for visually impaired users.

✔ Use a contrast checker to meet accessibility guidelines

Keyboard Navigation Support

💡 Why It Matters: Some users can’t use a mouse and rely on keyboard navigation.

✔ Test navigation using the Tab key

Captions & Transcripts for Videos, and Video SEO)

💡 Why It Matters: Many users watch videos on mute, and captions help SEO.

✔ Search engines can’t watch videos, but they read text—captions make your video crawlable and indexable
✔ Transcripts provide keyword-rich content, helping rankings
✔ Improves engagement and makes your content accessible to more people

✔ Video Usability and SEO – See Appendix for info on How to Optimize Your YouTube Videos for Maximum Visibility

4. User Experience (UX) Improvements

Easy-to-Complete Forms

💡 Why It Matters: Long forms scare users away. The more questions, the lower the response rate.

✔ Only request essential fields
✔ Use placeholders and labels

Consistent Design Across Pages

💡 Why It Matters: Consistency builds familiarity and trust.

✔ Keep typography, colors, and layouts uniform

Limited Pop-Ups & Ads

💡 Why It Matters: Too many pop-ups hurt UX and SEO.

✔ Use exit-intent pop-ups instead of interrupting browsing

5. Performance & Speed Optimization

Prioritize Critical Content (“Above the Fold”)

💡 Why It Matters: Users should start engaging immediately, even before full page load.

✔ Load important elements first

Compress Images & Use Next-Gen Formats

💡 Why It Matters: Large images slow sites down.

✔ Use WebP or tools like TinyPNG

Minimize Heavy Scripts

💡 Why It Matters: Excess JavaScript slows your site.

✔ Only use scripts if necessary

6. On-Page SEO Essentials

Meta Titles & Descriptions

💡 Why It Matters: These tell search engines what a page is about. They appear in search results and impact click-through rates (CTR).

✔ Keep titles under 60 characters
✔ Write compelling meta descriptions (140–160 characters)

Internal Linking

💡 Why It Matters: Helps users navigate and boosts SEO.

✔ Link naturally to relevant pages

7. Off-Page SEO & Reviews

Backlink Building

💡 Why It Matters: Backlinks are one of the most crucial aspects SEO. High-quality backlinks boost credibility and search rankings. If you’re serious about advanced SEO, backlink building is essential.

✔ Get links via guest blogging, industry relationships, and original research

Check out the Ultimate Guide to Backlink Building: Strategies for Real Search Success.

Local Citations & NAP Consistency

💡 Why It Matters: Critical for local SEO and appearing in Google’s Map Pack.

✔ Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) are consistent across directories

8. Analytics & Tracking

✔ Use Google Analytics (GA4) to track site performance
✔ Monitor Google Search Console for errors and keyword rankings.

See our article on GA4

9. Structured Data & Emerging Trends

✔ Add Schema Markup for rich snippets
✔ Optimize for voice search by targeting question-based long-tail keywords

10. When to Consider Paid Ads

SEO is a long-term strategy, but Google Ads or Facebook Ads can provide immediate traffic while you build organic rankings.

Conclusion: SEO + UX = A Winning Strategy

SEO isn’t just keywords—it’s about site speed, accessibility, content quality, and usability.

✅ Implement the quick wins from this guide

✅ Be sure to implement the steps in our Quick SEO Guide
✅ Optimize based on your specific business needs
✅ If you’re short on time, consider a strategy session

Need Help? Book a Free Strategy Session

SEO can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to figure it out alone.

🚀 Want a customized plan for your business?
💡 Need help implementing SEO or running effective ads?

📅 Grab a FREE 30-minute strategy call today: