Hey there, Caleb Ulku here. Today, we’re diving deep into the world of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how you might be approaching it all wrong. I started an SEO agency in 2016 and grew it to six figures in just three years, so I’ve learned a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t:

The Only SEO Joke You Need to Know

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s a little SEO humor for you:

Where’s the best place to hide a dead body?

On the second page of Google search results.

Jokes aside, this highlights a crucial point: improving your ranking from position 150 to position 11 might look impressive in your rank tracking software, but it won’t drive any additional traffic.

Nearly all of Google’s traffic comes from the first page. So, let’s focus on getting you there.

The SEO Formula

When I think about SEO, I keep this formula in mind:

Rank Position = Backlinks × On-Page × Domain Factor

Let’s break down each component:

1. Backlinks: Your Vote of Confidence

Backlinks are links from external sites (ones you don’t control) to your site. They’re essentially votes of confidence in your content. In fact, using links as a trust signal is what made Google’s search engine so dominant in the first place.

How important are backlinks? Studies show they account for about 50% of your ranking factors. That means if you do everything else perfectly but ignore backlinks, you’re only halfway there.

Pro Tip: Focus on getting links from many different domains. Six links from six different sites are more valuable than six links from the same site.

Pro Tip: Focus on getting links from many different domains. Six links from six different sites are more valuable than six links from the same site.

2. On-Page: Making Google Searchers Happy

On-page factors include your content, website structure, and how users interact with your site. (1) Google uses something called RankBrain to measure user engagement. Essentially, on-page is about keeping Google’s searchers happy.

When optimizing your on-page SEO, consider:

Content length and comprehensiveness
Relevant subtopics and word usage
Images with alt text
Embedded videos (preferably from YouTube)
Proper use of H tags (H1 to H6)
Optimized title tags and meta descriptions
Page speed
User engagement metrics

Remember, Google’s primary goal is to keep its users happy so they continue using the search engine. If your content satisfies users, you’re more likely to rank well.

3. Domain Factor: Your Site’s Overall Quality

This measures the quality of your entire domain. Is it mostly spam and low-quality content, or is it consistently high-quality? The overall health of your domain impacts the ranking of individual URLs.

Here’s something many people overlook: the age of your content matters. On average, a URL in the first position on Google is almost three years old. Even at position 10, we’re looking at content that’s about two years old.

Only about 1% of URLs in the first position are less than a year old. This is good news if you’re already ranking well, but it can make it challenging to unseat your competition if you’re just starting out.

My Approach to SEO Clients

When taking on a new SEO client, I consider two scenarios:

Established Sites: These sites are already ranking and getting some non-branded traffic. With established sites, the goal is to push URLs from the second or third page onto the first page. This is much easier than starting from scratch, and we can often see results in a month or two.
Non-Established Sites: These take longer and require more investment. Unfortunately, clients with non-established sites often have lower budgets, making it challenging to invest in the necessary work.

The Bottom Line

SEO is about doing what Google wants you to do. Type your target keyword into Google and look at what your top-ranking competitors are doing. Those URLs in the top 10 are making Google searchers happy. Your job is to do what they’re doing, but do it even better. Make Google searchers even happier.

Your job is to do what they’re doing, but do it even better. Make Google searchers even happier.

If you found this overview helpful, I have detailed guides on all the aspects I’ve touched on here. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment with any questions, and make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more SEO insights.

Remember, SEO isn’t just about algorithms and technicalities. It’s about understanding user intent and delivering value. Keep that in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to SEO success.

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