What Is SEO Strategy — And How Do You Build One That Works?

SEO can feel like a guessing game. There are algorithms, traffic drops, and articles throwing around terms like “SEO optimization strategies” as if everyone knows exactly what that means.

Let’s clear the fog.

I’ll also point out where screenshots can make your content clearer, in case you’re repurposing this post for your own audience.

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Start With Goals Before Keywords

Before opening any SEO tool, ask: “What do I want users to do on my site?” Not in abstract — literally. Should they:

• Book a call?
• Read a full article?
• Click an affiliate link?
• Sign up for something?

Let’s take an example.

That shapes your keyword research. You might go after “is olive oil soap good for eczema?” or “cold process soap vs. hot process.”

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Think in Pages, Not Just Posts

A strong SEO content strategy isn’t only about new content — it’s about making each page do one job well.

Here’s how to think about it:

Each of those needs a different keyword approach.

• Product pages: precise, commercial keywords
• Blog posts: question-based, educational
• Category pages: medium-intent, browsable keywords

Tip: You can check the difficulty of a keyword with the Semrush Keyword Magic Tool:

It provides a clear search intent tag next to every keyword: it categorizes keywords into informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional. These labels are assigned based on SEMrush’s analysis of user behavior and SERP features. It’s especially useful when you filter large keyword lists or plan a structured content strategy by intent type.

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Fix What You Already Have

Most sites don’t need more content — they need better pages.

Here’s a quick audit you can run:

1. Open Google Search Console
2. Go to “Pages” under Performance
3. Sort by “Impressions”
4. Look for pages with high impressions but low CTR

Those are often fixable: maybe your meta title is weak, or your URL is messy, or maybe you’re ranking low on page 1 and just need a few backlinks.

Example: Let’s say your post “Best Soaps for Kids” gets 40,000 impressions and a 0.9% CTR. Add a number or clear benefit in the title:

• Old: Best Soaps for Kids
• Improved: 7 Gentle Soaps for Kids with Sensitive Skin

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Your Site Structure Is Probably Messier Than You Think

If people get lost in your menus or can’t find older posts, search engines struggle too.

One easy fix is internal linking.

Here’s how to do it:

• Add “Related Posts” manually under each blog post
• Link from older articles to new ones when relevant. You can check links with the Broken Links Checker from Screaming Frog:

• Use keywords in anchor text, not “click here.”

Example:
You write a new post about “Soap Ingredients to Avoid.” Go back to your older “Homemade Soap Recipes” post and link the phrase “check harmful ingredients first” to the new article.

Also, clean up your URLs. If you’re still using /category/blog/page-27, rewrite it.

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If You Run an Online Store, Treat SEO Like Product Packaging

An eCommerce SEO strategy isn’t about blog posts. It’s about making your product and category pages more useful and more visible.

Checklist for product pages:

Category pages: Don’t leave them blank. Add a 200-word intro explaining what makes the products special, what skin types they suit, etc.

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Going International? One Domain, Many Versions

An international SEO strategy requires three main pieces:

• Language-specific content
• Hreflang tags
• Localized keywords and tone
  

Let’s say you have a site selling eco-packaging and want to expand to Germany. It’s not enough to translate.

You’ll need:

• A /de/ section with German-language pages
• Keywords like “nachhaltige verpackung” (not just translated “eco packaging”)
• Prices in EUR if you sell something, shipping info relevant to DE

And yes, different countries Google differently. Germans often search very specific questions. Spaniards search brand names more. These patterns matter.

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Track Results or You’re Just Guessing

You won’t know what’s working—or what’s quietly killing your SEO — unless you measure it.

Tracking tools like Google Search Console show you how your pages are performing in search: clicks, impressions, and average position. Pair that with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand what users actually do once they land on your site — how long they stay, where they go next, or if they bounce instantly.

And don’t forget Ahrefs or Semrush to keep an eye on backlink growth, keyword movement, and competitors overtaking your rankings.

Say one of your blog posts has a 90% bounce rate—that’s a red flag. But don’t panic, investigate.
Ask yourself:

• Is the page mobile-friendly, or are users pinching and zooming to read?
• Does the title promise something that the article never delivers?
• Is the answer buried halfway down, hidden by fluff and intro text?
  

Even small UX issues matter. A cramped font, low contrast, or poor line spacing can turn readers away before they even start. Test larger fonts, shorter paragraphs, and clean white space. These don’t just help humans—they help rankings too, since Google tracks engagement.

Bottom line: You can’t fix what you don’t measure. Set up dashboards, monitor over time, and adjust with purpose, not guesses.

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Final Thought: Don’t Try to Game It — Try to Help

Search engines change all the time. But the one thing that doesn’t change is this:

If someone lands on your page, and it helps them — you’re doing SEO right.

So next time someone asks how to create an SEO strategy, you can say this:

That’s it.

Whether you’re refining your eCommerce SEO strategy, testing local SEO strategy tactics, or starting fresh with SEO strategies for start-ups — it’s the same mindset. Show up. Be useful. Stay consistent.

And yes, check your titles once in a while.