How to Rediscover SEO and Recover Organic Website Traffic

It’s tempting to run after the shiniest new thing. The latest trends and the newest algorithms add promise and flavor to our jobs, right? But don’t con yourself – the job remains the same – you need people to find your websites. Why make it harder than it is? Don’t exhaust yourself.

The bedrock of great SEO hasn’t changed much: get yourself in front of people who don’t know your name. So, save the bulk of your energy for closing sales after people find you.

It’s easy to follow slick salespeople and trends, but the truth is that we don’t need to reinvent search engine optimization but to rediscover the timeless principles that have always worked.

Rediscover SEO: Keep It Simple

The most effective strategies are often the simplest ones. SEO is no different. Search engines, at their core are answering machines. You ask a question, they answer. Remember Ask Jeeves? Even ChatGPT is just really answering questions. Answering machines aim to connect people with the most relevant, useful content that solves their problems.

While technical optimization of your website matters, nothing beats high-quality, well-structured content that these answering machines can queue up and display as the answer.

So the real gem of SEO is how to create the best answer. What makes a complete and trustworthy answer to a user’s query? Content from firsthand experience. Content that genuinely answers users’ questions. Stop trying to outsmart search algorithms. In fact, stop thinking about Google’s latest updates altogether.

Focus on creating content that serves your audience’s needs.

Complex SEO strategies fall apart when algorithms update, but clear, informative content maintains its value. Think of your content as a conversation with your readers rather than a puzzle to solve for search engines.

“There is no fixed framework for developing an SEO strategy – too many variables exist … (but) You would be surprised how many ideas present themselves if you just carefully review everything that ranks high on the SERPs for your dream keywords.”
searchengineland.com

Semantic HTML for the Win

At its very core the word semantic means, well, meaning. And you may be familiar with the term “semantic” in the SEO context – i.e. Google loves semantic SEO. Bringing meaning and context to search is the general idea of “semantic SEO.” Here’s how it works:

Without semantic search, “vegan diet and health” would just deliver all results containing any of those terms. You’d get results that include “health” but not “diet” or “vegan.” You’d see results promoting beef for heart health. How irrelevant, and possibly offensive, might that be? Semantic search, on the other hand, includes all of those terms, “vegan diet and health,” and delivers better results for the user.

Semantic HTML goes along the same vein with context and meaning. While Google is a black box (no one really knows how it works), semantic HTML is uncomplicated. Semantic HTML basically refers to the best practices of heading structure and context to links and buttons. Semantic HTML (or some people would just say “good HTML”) increases the accessibility of your website; and actually, helps make your site more sustainable.

Semantic HTML elements like , , , and provide context that search engines use to determine the relevance and importance of your content. Just like we scan articles to find those highlights and subheadings, so do crawlers.

Using proper heading hierarchy ( through ), meaningful alt text for images, and appropriate meta descriptions help SEO, too. They aren’t just good practice — they’re essential for accessibility. It turns out that any good accessibility moves are also good for SEO. Why? The internet is all about words. So giving meaning to those words is key.

Semantic HTML elements create a clear content hierarchy that both search engines and users can easily navigate and understand.

HTML isn’t just about making your website look good—it’s about helping search engines understand your content’s structure and meaning. In short, HTML is good for SEO.

“Ensure your website is not only mobile-responsive but also accessible to users with special needs. Use semantic HTML, provide alt text for images, and ensure proper colour contrast. Test your site using tools like Lighthouse to identify accessibility issues. That helps your visitors and your SEO!”
Rocket.net – Top 5 Ways to Improve the CTR on Your Website

Your Page Headline is 80% of the Article

If you think about the headline in the context of semantic search, you’ll be nodding your head thinking “oh! That’s why Google dings clickbait.” A headline should do more than catch attention. It’s not just the hook that matters, but what it’s attached to. That said, your page title (SEO Title) is one of the most important factors in whether someone clicks on your content in the SERPs.

The headline of a blog article is not the same as that of a social media post. It’s different from an advertisement, too. The headline matches the intent of the content. It’s a shortened, thesis if you will.

A well-crafted headline should do three things:

clearly communicate the content and value proposition

naturally incorporate keywords and intent

spark curiosity to encourage a click

It’s worth spending as much time on your headline as you do on the rest of your content. Write your headline first but go back after you have written your article. Can you improve on your original headline? Probably!

How does your headline stand up? You can score your headlines for free with Sharethough. The headline for this article is 85%.

“Great titles are clear and compelling. They reveal what the content is about but also entice the searcher to click for more.”
semrush.com

The First Paragraph is Your Elevator Speech

A headline may be what gets people clicking on your website, but your opening paragraph is what will decide if they stay there. Think about those first ten seconds of an interview. It’s all decided then. Treat your opening paragraph with the same preparation and respect.

Your opening paragraph is also prime real estate for SERPs, your meta description, your pay-per-click ad – and much more.

If you can’t sell me your product in ten seconds, you won’t sell me your product.

Seconds 1-3 Explain my problem (aha you “get me”)

Seconds 4-7 Tell me how it can be solved (aha, you DO “get me”)

Seconds 8-10 Show me how you did this for someone else (where do I sign?)

Your opening paragraph cuts through the noise. If people aren’t convinced, they won’t read the rest of your content. You need to deliver on your headline’s promise and convince readers they’ve found what they’re looking for.

If readers can’t understand your main point from the first paragraph, you’re likely losing both engagement and search visibility.

“By relying solely on Google for website traffic, you’re vulnerable to algorithm changes, ranking fluctuations, and increased competition for dwindling space in the SERPs. You’re competing against AI now, too.”
Rocket.net – Why You Can’t Rely Just on Google for Website Traffic Anymore

Keywords Keep Your Article Focused

Keywords remain fundamental to SEO, but their role has evolved. Google looks at topic clusters around search terms. AI doesn’t interest itself with keywords at all. This is a game changer because more and more people are using AI for informational searches.

Informational searches (why is the sky blue?) account for 80% of all searches. How many more years will we use Google as an answering machine? Not many.

Rather than stuffing content with repeated phrases, use keywords as a compass to keep your content focused and relevant. Keywords should guide your writing, not define it.

Here is an exercise: “Organic fish, couscous cooking time, vegan tofu, best Italian white wines.” Write a paragraph around these keywords.

What did you come up with?

Keywords are about intent. You probably didn’t write a story about the keywords on the list; you probably wrote a paragraph around the intent behind them.

Intent is everything. Keywords are fine for a shopping list, but not very helpful for helping your readers cook a meal.

Keeping your content focused makes it faster and more accessible. Faster wins and accessibility means you’re reaching more people — and machines. That’s the post.

“While keywords are essential for SEO, prioritize high-quality, informative content above all else. Don’t make your content read unnatural or too long by cramming in keywords. This won’t help you rank and will decrease content quality.”
ahrefs.com

Let’s Wrap This Up and Get Back to Basics

The most successful SEO strategies aren’t the most complicated ones. Get back to the basics: simple, well-structured content, strong headlines, focused topics, and clear organization.

Content that best serves your audience’s needs, performs well in search results.

SEO isn’t about search engines; it’s about making your valuable content easily discoverable by the people who need it. Core SEO practices naturally align with good content creation practices.

The next time you’re tempted to chase the latest SEO trend, don’t. Take a step back and consider whether you’re making things more complicated than they need to be. The best approach is to rediscover what has always worked: creating valuable, well-structured content that serves your audience’s needs.

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