Today, information sources are increasingly diverse and constantly changing. The important thing that marketers should pay attention to is to stay up to date with the best and latest SEO tips.
Christine Liang, Senior SEO Director at The New York Times, brought solutions to the News and Editorial SEO Summit (NESS) in 2021. Through her presentation "Everything you need to know about editorial SEO". Liang shared some SEO tips that The New York Times and other major publications have used to optimize content. To maximize visibility in search. Here are SEO tips you can put to practice for your website.
SEO Tips 1. Keyword Research: Focus on Search Intent
Liang recommends starting keyword research with Google’s autocomplete feature. Evaluate the types of search results displayed for keywords.
For example, ask yourself:
- How are searchers talking about this topic?
- How are competitors addressing this topic?
- What kind of content is coming for this topic?
Doing your research will help you narrow down your keywords and search intent. Besides, evaluate the level of interest in keywords by Google Trends. Understand search demand for a topic by looking at different time frames.
Don’t forget to explore breakout terms and find out if it’s still in demand.
SEO Tips 2. Create a catchy title
The SEO title (title tag) is one of the most important ranking factors. Keywords in the headline tell users and Google what your content is about.
Liang recommends doing the following:
- Titles should be under 65 characters and even shorter for mobile devices.
- Put the main keywords near the front.
- Attractive SEO titles don’t have to be exaggerated.
Updating headlines is a good way to ensure readers receive the latest news. She advises, "Make it a quality update: update the title while changing the image and adding more pieces of content."
SEO Tips 3. Include Keywords in the URL
Liang also encourages news publishers to include key keywords in the URL. "The use of keywords in a URL has some ranking weight, but it mainly helps to tell the user what the page is about," she said.
She also recommends a proper category URL structure. The URL path is selected as a link in the Google search results. This is a reflection of your site hierarchy. Sort posts into the most relevant categories to help build the right hierarchy.
SEO Tips 4. Combine images and videos
Liang also recommends incorporating visual content – especially in this visually inclined age.
She said, "Give people a choice! Not everyone who comes to your story seeks to understand it through the text. Images and videos provide users with another means of consuming content."
Additionally, including high-quality photos improves click-through rates (CTRs) and engagement. A compelling image can be the reason users choose to click on your article over a competitor’s story. Do not forget to provide additional content of the image. Plus, bolster ratings and engagement by incorporating videos.
"During live streams, Google prioritizes video in search results," she said, adding, "Include relevant clips."
SEO Tips 5. Add Relevant Internal Links
An internal link is a link that points from one page to another on your website. Help create site structure, pass page values, and help users navigate. Link relevant pages to optimize page relevancy.
Liang also adds that internal linking will improve content discovery and crawlability. Link to priority stories from relevant content. Use keyword-based anchor text to tell Google what the linked page is about. It is also possible to link to the Home page, main pages and topic pages.
SEO Tips 6. Prioritize publishing speed
Liang said it’s important to prioritize speed. "Being the first to publish a story has its upsides. Your stories accumulate clicks, backlinks, shares, buzz ahead of your competitors – leading to a ranking advantage. "
A good tip is to publish the most essential details first. Then, republish with lots of new content (about 50-100 words).
SEO Tips 7. Keep the Timestamps up to date
In addition to the six editorial SEO best practices mentioned above, Liang also shares some advanced tips for news SEO.
"The timestamp on a story plays an important role," says Liang. The updated timestamp attracts everyone. It signals to the user that this is a newer post." You can enable timestamp updates by submitting several ways:
- Rewrite the title (or subheading).
- Including quotation marks.
- Change image.
- Embed video.
- Put on the homepage.
- Advertise and share on social networks.
SEO Tips 8. Create Playbooks for the Next News Event
Finally, Liang recommends creating a playbook to have a framework for your next new event. Ask yourself:
- When does the event take place?
- What content is needed before, during and after an event?
- What is the best format?
- What works and what doesn’t?
- What have competitors done successfully?
Concluding, Liang added "SEO is not just about keywords; it’s about quality, novelty, user experience, structure, technology, research and processes.” It is more important than ever to stay up to date with the latest search methods. Especially as news search becomes more and more complex and ever-evolving.
You have just finished watching the SEO tips shared by Christine Liang, Senior SEO Manager at The New York Times. Hope you can understand more about SEO and apply it successfully to your website. If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to contact the SEO Service team to receive the earliest support!
Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/top-news-seo-tips-nytimes/424911/
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