One of my most frequent questions is, "Eugene, how do we rank our site for specific keywords?" Whether you're a small business or a large enterprise, the process is the same, and it always starts with understanding the keywords you're targeting. It might sound simple, but there's a method to getting it right—and it's a process I've refined over thousands of hours spent ranking websites and running campaigns.
Step 1: Finding the Right Keywords
The first step is identifying if the keywords you want to rank for have any search volume. There's no point in chasing terms that nobody is searching for. I rely on tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to do this. These platforms give me an idea of how many people are searching for specific keywords and how competitive those keywords are. If a keyword has no volume, it's useless for ranking—so I focus only on keywords that will bring in relevant traffic.
It's also essential to consider search intent. If people are searching for something like "free piano lessons" but your business offers paid services, ranking for "free" won't bring in customers ready to convert. You want to align your keywords with what your target audience is searching for—and ensure they align with your business goals.
Step 2: Audit Your Website
Once I've identified the right keywords, I check whether my client's website already ranks for those terms. One quick and easy way to do this is to use the site:yourwebsite.com [keyword] search trick on Google. This shows me which pages are currently ranking for a given keyword. I've done this countless times, and often, it reveals that a homepage or a random blog post is the only page ranking for an important term, but that page needs to be better optimised.
I usually see businesses make a common mistake here—they assume their homepage can rank for everything. While it might rank for some terms, it's not usually the best strategy. Instead, the solution is to create dedicated pages for each important keyword or service.
Step 3: Analyse Competitors
Next, I dive into competitor research. I always look at what the top-ranking competitors are doing for the keywords I'm targeting. I plug the keywords into Google and review the top 10-20 results. I'm looking for patterns—what kind of content do these pages have? Do they focus on long-form content? Do they have specific service pages, or are they blog posts?
Competitor analysis gives me a roadmap. If the top-ranking pages are all service pages with optimised content, that's the way to go. If they have in-depth blog posts filled with helpful resources, that might be another clue about the type of content I need to build. It's all about mimicking what works while adding my twist. In one case, I discovered that the top-ranking sites for a keyword all had detailed case studies, so I incorporated that into my client's strategy.
Step 4: Build a Dedicated Page
Once I have a clear picture of the competition's strategy, I build a dedicated SEO page for the targeted keyword. The page must be optimised not just for search engines but also for users. That means a clean URL containing the keyword, an SEO-friendly title tag, and meta descriptions encouraging click-throughs.
On the page itself, I use the keyword naturally throughout the content. I include it in the H1, H2, and sometimes in H3 tags. But here's the thing—Google's algorithms are getting smarter. It's insufficient to stuff a keyword into the page as often as possible. You must create meaningful, high-quality content that answers the searcher's intent.
I also analyse the top-ranking pages to see what they're doing right. For example, these pages average 800-1000 words and use a mix of keywords and related terms throughout. So, when I build my client's page, I ensure it hits these benchmarks, offering a similar depth of content but tailored to the business's unique voice and offerings.
Step 5: Supporting Pages with Internal Linking and Blogs
Creating a killer SEO page isn't enough on its own. It needs support from the rest of the site. One way I do this is by creating a cluster of related blog posts that internally link back to the main service page. These blog posts should focus on answering related questions or providing additional information that potential customers might be searching for.
For instance, if I'm creating a page to rank for "piano lessons," I might write blog posts about "how to choose the best piano instructor" or "tips for practising the piano as a beginner." Each blog post would link back to the main "piano lessons" page, signalling to Google that this is central content on the site and should be prioritised in the rankings.
Internal linking helps spread SEO authority around the site and gives each page a better chance of ranking. It also enhances the user experience by directing visitors to related content that keeps them engaged and on the site longer.
Step 6: Monitor, Adjust, and Avoid Common Mistakes
After the SEO page goes live, monitoring its performance is crucial. I use tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs to track how the page ranks, whether it's being indexed properly, and how much traffic it drives. If the page isn't performing as expected, I make adjustments—sometimes adding more content, sometimes building additional backlinks.
Over time, I've also learned to avoid common SEO mistakes that can sabotage a good strategy. For example, duplicate content can confuse search engines and hurt rankings, so I ensure every page has unique, valuable content. Page speed and mobile-friendliness are also critical—if your site takes too long to load or doesn't work well on mobile devices, it will rank lower, even if your content is great.
Another common pitfall is ignoring search intent. It's easy to get caught up in chasing high-volume keywords without considering whether they match what users want. I always ensure that the keywords I target align with potential customers' intent so I'm driving the right kind of traffic—people ready to engage or buy.
Step 7: Long-Term Success Through Patience and Strategy
SEO is a long game. Once the page is built, it doesn't just shoot to the top of Google overnight. But results will follow if I've done the right groundwork—building optimised pages, supporting them with internal links, and ensuring the site is technically sound.
The key to long-term success is consistency. SEO isn't a one-time task; it requires regular monitoring and adjustments. I always tell my clients that ranking is about building momentum. Start with smaller, less competitive keywords, dominate those, and then move on to larger ones as your site gains authority.