Week 3: SEO & Content Architecture

Now that your sandbox is live, it’s time to ensure people can find it. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your site to increase its visibility in Google and other search engines.

1. Pre-Work: The Three Pillars of SEO

SEO is a vast field, but it can be broken down into three core pillars:

  1. Technical SEO: How well search engine spiders can crawl and index your site. (e.g., Site speed, mobile-friendliness, XML sitemaps).
  2. On-Page SEO: The content on your website and how well it answers a user’s query. (e.g., Keywords, headings, content quality).
  3. Off-Page SEO: Signals from outside your website that tell search engines your site is authoritative. (e.g., Backlinks, brand mentions).

Understanding Search Intent

Keywords are meaningless if you don’t understand why the user is searching for them.

  • Informational: “How to tie a tie” (Looking for answers)
  • Navigational: “Facebook login” (Looking for a specific site)
  • Commercial: “Best CRM software 2024” (Researching before buying)
  • Transactional: “Buy Nike Air Force 1 size 10” (Ready to purchase)

For your digital sandbox (designed for lead generation), you should target Commercial and Transactional intent keywords.

2. Lab Session: Keyword Research & On-Page SEO

Today, we apply SEO fundamentals directly to the sandbox you built last week.

Keyword Research

We will use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to find terms related to your business concept.

  • Search Volume: How many people search for this term?
  • Keyword Difficulty (KD): How hard is it to rank for this term?
  • The Sweet Spot: Look for high-volume, low-difficulty keywords with clear commercial intent.
pie title Search Demand Curve
    "Fat Head (High Vol, High Comp)" : 15
    "Chunky Middle" : 15
    "Long Tail (Low Vol, High Intent)" : 70

Focus on the Long Tail. They are easier to rank for and convert at a higher rate.

On-Page SEO Application

Once you have your keywords, you must place them strategically on your page. Refer to the SEO Checklist for a comprehensive guide.

  • Title Tag: The most important on-page element. (Format: Primary Keyword | Secondary Keyword | Brand Name)
  • Meta Description: The snippet under the title in search results. It doesn’t impact ranking directly, but heavily impacts Click-Through Rate (CTR).
  • Headings (H1, H2, H3): Your H1 is the title of the page. You should only have one H1. Use H2s and H3s to break up content logically.
  • URL Structure: Keep it short and descriptive (e.g., yourdomain.com/best-running-shoes).

3. Deliverable

SEO-optimized page with a documented keyword map.

  • Submit a document containing your chosen Primary and Secondary keywords, along with their search intent.
  • Ensure your sandbox website is updated with an optimized Title Tag, Meta Description, and H1 tag reflecting these keywords.

Submit the document and updated URL before the start of Week 4.