Effective SEO Strategies for Early-Stage Startups

Understanding the Basics of SEO and the Keyword Funnel

I wrote 100 blog posts in three months, carefully following SEO guides and including competitive keywords. But even after six months, my website is nowhere to be found in Google search results. What am I doing wrong?

Have you experienced something similar? Many startups face these challenges. The root cause of this problem is often a lack of understanding of the “keyword funnel.”

A keyword funnel is not just a list of popular keywords; it’s about strategically placing keywords according to the customer journey. By effectively utilizing this funnel, you can create content tailored to each stage of the customer’s path.

Awareness Stage

The first stage is when the customer becomes aware of a problem. Here, you would target keywords like “how to reduce smile lines”. You might create a blog post titled “5 Home Remedies to Reduce Smile Lines: From Massage to Exercises,” offering non-surgical solutions to capture the interest of potential customers without directly mentioning cosmetic surgery.

Consideration Stage

Next is the consideration stage, where you target keywords like “types and effects of fillers”. Content for this stage could be a detailed guide like “The Ultimate 2024 Guide to Filler Procedures: Comparing Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen, and PLLA.” The focus here is on providing in-depth, expert information to users interested in these procedures and guiding them towards making an informed decision.

Decision Stage

Finally, at the decision stage, you use specific keywords like “Ulthera 500 shots cost”. The content might take the form of a product introduction page, such as “2024 Ulthera 500 Shots Treatment Guide: Costs, Effects, and Aftercare,” providing precise information to help users make their final choice by offering detailed insights on the procedure, pricing, and aftercare.

The Importance of Choosing the Right Keywords

When selecting keywords, tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest can be invaluable for keyword analysis and optimization. These tools help you identify target keywords, analyze keyword intent, and understand competitors’ keyword strategies. Creating content aligned with the keyword funnel ensures that you provide information that precisely matches the user’s search intent. This approach not only boosts traffic but also significantly increases the likelihood of conversions.

Larger Keywords That Potential Customers Might Search For

For example, instead of targeting the keyword ‘Wegovy effects,’ you might target broader terms like ‘2-week diet’ or ‘diet without exercise,’ which have much higher search volumes. However, remember that these keywords should still be related to your product’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition).

Make Use of Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are phrases of two or more words that clearly indicate the searcher’s intent. For example, instead of just ‘tax accountant,’ targeting ‘tax accountant salary’ provides clearer insight into the searcher’s intent.

Check Google Search Console

You should carefully check if your published content is well-indexed, what its current ranking is, if there are any technical SEO issues, and if there are any backlinks.

Examining Zapier’s Strategy for an Alternative Approach

Let’s look at Zapier’s SEO strategy as an example of an alternative approach for products with low search volume. Zapier is an online platform that helps automate workflows between various applications. However, the keyword for this service has very low search demand. Despite this, Zapier’s blog attracts over 1.6 million organic visits per month. How did they do it?

Zapier used a “roundabout strategy.” They identified a high-search-volume keyword like “best calendar app” and wrote an article titled “The 5 Best Calendar Apps in 2024.” In this article, they introduced various calendar apps, explaining how Zapier integrates with these apps to offer better functionality. They also linked to other relevant Zapier pages, naturally guiding users to explore more about the platform.

Conclusion

SEO is not just about listing keywords. It’s about understanding the customer journey, providing valuable content that meets their needs, and continuously refining your strategy. With a strategic approach like this, even early-stage startups can achieve effective search engine optimization.