The Ultimate SEO Cheat Sheet for SERP Rankings

In 2024, almost every business invests in content marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) to grow their business. While Google encourages us to create valuable and useful content and enrich the user experience to get organic traffic, optimizing content strategically for search engines is equally important.

Backlinko SEO Survey stats say 49% of marketers report that organic search is the best marketing channel for improved ROI. So, how do you rank organically on search engines? Here is a complete SEO cheat sheet that you can leverage to optimize your content for search engines and rank higher in the SERP (Search Engine Results Page).

Optimizing Content for Search Engines

When we say optimizing content for search engines, most people assume that it is all about placing keywords. Though keyword placement is a part of SEO, it is much more than that. There are various factors that one should consider and apply strategically to enhance their SEO and Google rankings.

SEO is not a one-time job. It involves multiple processes, such as on-page, off-page, and technical SEO, and consistent efforts to see results. Here is a complete SEO cheat sheet that you can add to your SEO checklist to ensure SEO-optimized content.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the first and the most crucial step in SEO. In fact, when your keyword research is done right, you win half the battle. Once you come up with your niche-related topic to write about, the next step is to find relevant keywords.

Here is the step-by-step guide for finding relevant keywords for your niche.

Identify Keywords

Use keywords like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Keyword Planner to find specific keywords related to your topic. Here, let’s take Ahrefs free keyword generator for demonstration purposes.

Once you go to Ahrefs keyword generator, enter the keyword and update the country you are targeting.

Try choosing the keywords with less competition. Once you finalize the primary keyword, try finding at least 5 secondary keywords. Secondary keywords are nothing but simple phrases related to your primary keyword. The next step is to find LSI keywords. Find at least 5 LSI keywords.

You can find those keywords on the Ahrefs Keyword generator by clicking on questions and the “People also ask” section on Google SERP.

Analyze Competitor Metrics

Examine the identified keywords with your competitors. Identify keyword gaps and leverage opportunities. You can do so with these simple steps.

Firstly, “Primary Keyword” (in quotes) and check how many pages rank. Let’s assume the primary keyword here is B2B content writing.

When we search it within quotes, the results shown here are 71,900.

The next step is to find primary keywords in the title. To do so, search, intitle: “Primary Keyword”. Here it will be intitle: “B2b content writing”. The result will show all the pages with the title “B2B content writing.

As you can see, the results shown are only 7.

The next step is to find primary keywords in the url. To do so, search, inurl: “Primary Keyword”. Here it will be inurl: “B2b content writing”. The result will show all the pages with the url “B2B content writing.

The search results here are 6550.

Count all the search results and find the total number. Following the above competitive metrics method, it is highly recommended that you form 4 to 5 different keyword groups and pick the one with the lowest competition.

Optimize it for Search Intent

Search intent falls into four categories: informational, navigational, transactional, and commercial investigation.

• Informational 

Users seek information or answers to questions (e.g., “What is product marketing?”).

• Navigational

Users want to find a specific website or page (e.g., “Apple home page”).

• Transactional

Users intend to make a purchase or complete an action (e.g., “buy iPhone 13”).

• Commercial Investigation

Users compare options or look for reviews (e.g., “best laptops 2024”).

On-Page SEO Checklist

Once you write meaningful and useful niche-related content by contextually incorporating the keywords, you can use the below on-page SEO checklist to ensure you haven’t missed out on the important factors. It’s not mandatory to tick all the boxes, but satisfying the majority of them will help rank higher.

Tasks	Status (Yes/No)
Primary keyword is in the title	Yes
Primary keyword is in the beginning of the title	Yes
Primary keyword in meta description	Yes
URL includes primary keyword	Yes
URL DOES NOT include stop words	Yes
Primary keyword appears in first 100 words	Yes
Subheadings is wrapped in H2	Yes
Primary keyword inserted in H2	Yes
Secondary keyword(s) inserted in H2	Yes
Secondary keyword(s) is used contextually	Yes
LSI keyword(s) is used contextually	Yes
Post/Page has minimum of 3 images	Yes
Primary keyword is used as alt tag	Yes
Secondary keyword is used as alt tag	Yes
LSI keyword(s) is used as alt tag	Yes
Primary keyword is used in file name	Yes
Secondary keyword(s) is used in file name	No
LSI keyword(s) is used in file name	No

Off-page SEO checklist

Here are some practical off-page SEO checklists that you can quickly refer to to ensure your content is optimized for off-page SEO.

Engage in Online Communities and Forums

Active participation in forums and online communities can establish your website authority and drive traffic.

• Quora and Reddit: Provide insightful answers and include links to your content when relevant.
• Industry-Specific Forums: Join discussions in forums related to your niche and contribute valuable insights.
• Facebook and LinkedIn Groups: Engage in group discussions and share your expertise.

Build High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and valuable.

• Guest Blogging: Write high-quality guest posts for relevant websites in your niche. You can find guest blogging opportunities by searching “keyword” + “leave a reply”, inurl:”keyword” + “leave a reply”, intitle:”keyword” + “leave a reply”.

• Blog Comments Footprints: Blog commenting is a common off-page SEO technique, and using footprints can streamline the process of finding relevant blogs in your niche. Here are some examples of blog comment footprints that you can use to find blogs that allow comments: “keyword” + “leave a reply”, Inurl: “keyword” + “leave a reply”,intitle: “keyword” + “leave a reply”.
• Broken Link Building: Find broken links using Ahrefs Broken Link Checker on other websites and offer your content as a replacement.

• Skyscraper Technique: Identify top-performing content on the SERP, create something even better, and reach out to those who linked to the original.

Final Thoughts

Mastering SEO requires a strategic blend of on-page and off-page techniques, as well as a keen understanding of the latest algorithm updates and industry trends. This Google SEO cheat sheet 2024 provides a concise yet comprehensive guide to optimizing your website for better search engine visibility and performance. From keyword research and content creation to backlink building, each element plays a vital role in enhancing your site’s rankings.