How To Rank For A Keyword With Zero Backlinks In Less Than 7 Months !

A lot of people think that getting links is the only way to rank for a keyword, and while backlinks are important they are not the only thing. 

Many on-page SEO techniques can help you rank even if you don’t have any backlinks at all. In this post, I will share with you some of my best strategies for ranking in Google without needing to get any links from other places on the internet.

How To Rank FAST Without Backlinks 2022
Key Takeaways
1. Achieving High Ranking: The blog outlines strategies to achieve a high search ranking without relying on traditional backlinks.
2. Content Optimization: Emphasizes the importance of creating valuable and optimized content that matches user intent and addresses their needs.
3. User Engagement: Highlights how user engagement metrics like bounce rate, time on site, and click-through rates impact search engine visibility.
4. Technical SEO: Discusses the role of technical SEO in ensuring search engines can crawl and index your content efficiently for better visibility.
5. Keyword Research: Provides insights into effective keyword research and targeting techniques to align content with relevant search queries.
6. On-Page Elements: Explains how optimizing on-page elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags contributes to better rankings.
7. Building Authority: Discusses strategies to build authority and credibility through exceptional content, thought leadership, and user trust.
8. Monitoring Progress: Highlights the importance of monitoring and analyzing performance metrics to adjust strategies and improve over time.
9. Organic Growth: Demonstrates that organic growth and visibility are achievable through strategic planning, quality content, and user-focused strategies.
10. Holistic Approach: Encourages a holistic approach that combines content, technical optimization, user experience, and relevance to achieve success.

1. Find The Right Keyword

There are a few things to consider when choosing your keywords:

Relevance

The first step in finding the right keyword is choosing one that’s relevant to your business. For example, if you own an insurance agency, you wouldn’t want to rank for “insurance.” 

Instead, you should focus on more specific terms like “car insurance” or “life insurance,” because these phrases indicate that someone is actively looking for information about those topics in their search engine results pages (SERPs).

Achieving organic traffic growth is a challenging yet rewarding journey. Just like I shared in my post on How I Went From 0 to 1k Organic Visitors to My Blog in 15 Days, consistent efforts and strategic optimization can lead to remarkable results.

Competition Levels

You also need to make sure that the competition around your chosen keyword isn’t too high before deciding whether or not it’s worth pursuing further and if so, how much effort will be required of you to outrank all the other sites targeting this word or phrase? 

To find out what level of competition exists in any given niche, enter some variations into Google Keyword Planner.

And see how many impressions they generate each month (the higher this number is relative to others within your field/niche/industry category then obviously means there’s more demand overall). 

Then check out how many advertisers bid on those same terms using AdWords Keyword Tool; again we’re looking at impressions here rather than bids because these two numbers can sometimes differ wildly due to fluctuations over time.

If neither metric seems promising then consider trying another term instead but don’t worry: We’ll cover ways around this later on!

2. Create An Actionable Strategy

When you’re working on a project or launching a new product, the first step is to define your problem. This can be done by answering questions like:

  • Why are we doing this?
  • What will the outcome look like?
  • Who is the target audience for this campaign?

Once you have defined your problem, it’s time to start brainstorming solutions. Take some time to think about how you might go about solving this issue. What resources do I need at my disposal to solve this problem? 

How much money am I willing to spend on solving it? Do I need help from anyone else or can I do it alone (or with my team)? Once again, don’t worry about other people’s goals being ambitious but realistic at the same time!

Crafting a comprehensive SEO strategy is essential for smaller sites aiming to stand out. Explore the insights shared in The 18-Month SEO Strategy: The Manual for Smaller Sites to build a solid foundation for sustained growth.

3. Long Tail Keywords Are Your Friends

Long-tail keywords are the best way to rank for a keyword. There is nothing better than getting a long tail keyword that gets 20 searches per month and you can rank for it with 10 backlinks in less than 1 month!

Long-tail keywords are always more difficult to rank for because they have less search volume but if you can find a long-tail keyword with low competition and a high conversion rate, you will be killing it with this kind of traffic.

So what exactly is a long tail keyword? A long-tail keyword has 3-5 words or even more in it like “how to lose weight” or “weight loss tricks” or even “how many calories does apple cider vinegar burn during exercise” (this one had almost no competition). 

The point is that these kinds of keywords usually carry much higher conversion rates because of their specificity and people who use them are often looking for something very specific.

4. Don’t Get Discouraged, Keep Going

Don’t get discouraged! It’s a long journey, but the results will be worth it. Just keep going and don’t give up.

I’m not going to lie to you, this is not an easy task and you’re going to have some failures along the way (or at least I did). 

But with persistence and patience, you will eventually achieve results that are well worth it. You just need time, dedication, and motivation – to keep learning new things every day!

5. Use The Right Tools To Optimize Your Content For Search Engines

Now that you have a list of keywords, it’s time to optimize your content for search engines. This is easier said than done because there are many factors to consider.

In this section, I’ll show you how to use the right tools to optimize your content for search engines. These tools will help you find keywords that have low competition, high search volumes, and low CPCs.

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6. Use Relevant And Related Images To Stand Out

Images are a great way to grab the attention of a reader. A relevant and related image can help your content stand out and give it an extra boost in search engine rankings.

This is because Google will often use images as part of how it decides where to rank your page, especially if you’re targeting a highly competitive keyword. If you have no other backlinks, then adding relevant and related images might be all you need to start ranking for that keyword!

7. Use Bold And Italics To Help Scanability

When it comes to SEO, bold and italics are your best friends. These simple formatting tools help create a visual hierarchy and increase readability.

  • When used strategically, they can draw attention to keywords you want users to type into Google Search.
  • They also make content more scannable; people will be able to skim through your article without getting lost in the flow of information or missing important points.

8. Compose For Readability – Write In Shorter Sentences And Paragraphs – H1 And H2 Tags Are Your Friends

Your goal is to write readable content. You want the reader to be able to easily understand what you are saying without having to re-read it. The longer your sentence, the harder it will be for someone to grasp your idea.

If you have long sentences and paragraphs, think about breaking them up into smaller pieces of information using bullet points, lists, or subheadings. 

This allows readers who are scanning your content rather than reading every word on the page a chance to see the point of each paragraph or section without having to read the whole thing first.

For example: Instead of writing: “The best way to get ranked in Google search results is by building backlinks.” 

Write something like this instead: “For our site/product/service pages etc…to rank well in Google search results we must build backlinks for those pages which means we need relevant authority sites linking directly back to our site.” 

If there were an H2 tag above each paragraph then people would be able to do this quicker and easier because they would know when one section ends and another begins.

So they can scan through all your different tips faster than if everything were just one long paragraph with no separation between them (as shown below).

9. Review Speed For Better Experience

Page speed is one of the most important factors that Google considers when ranking a website. It is also one of the first things that users notice and are willing to leave your site if it’s slow.

It is essential to have a fast-loading website.

How can you check your site’s speed? You can use tools like Pingdom, Google PageSpeed Insights, or GTMetrix. If you are using WordPress then many plugins can help you improve page speed such as W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache (which I recommend).

What should we do to increase page speed? First of all, make sure that you have enough content on your page without overwhelming anyone with too much information at once if possible create sub-pages.

So that visitors don’t need to access all kinds of information at once but instead only what they want which will be shown under “related articles section -RSS feed etc…

Mastering the SEO funnel is key to optimizing blog posts and driving targeted traffic. Discover actionable insights in The SEO Funnel: How to Easily Optimize Blog Posts & Drive Traffic for a strategic approach to content optimization.

10. Make It Look Appealing With Design And Formatting

Images

Images are an essential part of a good blog post. Pictures help break up the text, and they also add visual interest. If you’re writing an article about a certain topic, find images that are relevant to your content. 

For example, if you’re writing about how to rank for a keyword with zero backlinks in less than seven months, including stock photos of people working at desks or standing in front of their computers so readers can relate to the story that way. 

You can also take pictures yourself if you have access to a camera or phone camera!

Headlines & Subheaders

Headings and subheaders make your blog posts easier for readers to skim through when they’re looking for something specific like what I’m doing right now with this section title! 

Use them sparingly throughout the body text instead of just putting them all above your paragraphs (unless it’s particularly important). 

This will keep each paragraph focused on one idea instead of spreading out into multiple topics within one sentence like this one has done so far (sorry).

11. Write A Catchy Headline That Makes People Want To Click On It

Your headline is what people see while they are searching on the search engine. If a user clicks on your article and it’s not relevant to their query, there will be a huge penalty for that no matter how well written the content is.

The best headlines use the keyword phrase in them, but also make sense and are compelling enough to get people to click on them.

Another way you can write a better headline is to include a question in it that makes people want to know more about what you have just asked them!

You should also include numbers in your headlines because they make things sound more interesting and exciting than when they are just plain text with no numbers or symbols in them at all – so don’t forget those too!

12. Write Unique Content That Is Useful And Engaging

While you’re building your website, you want to write unique content that is useful and engaging. Write content that answers questions, and be sure to include keywords when possible.

The point of this whole process is to build an audience for your site. If people find your content useful or entertaining, they’ll be more likely to share it with others. 

In turn, this will bring in more traffic (and hopefully backlinks) which will help you get ranked higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

It’s also important not just because it will help grow your audience but also because Google loves websites with high-quality backlinks by reputable sites as well as social media shares/likes etc.

13. Make Sure The Content Is High-Quality And Check For Plagiarism Issues

The last thing you want is to be penalized by Google for having plagiarized content on your website. The best way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to use a plagiarism checker like Grammarly or Copyscape (I use the first one). 

Another way is to read through your article and look out for sentences that seem familiar or are too similar to other sources of information on the internet. If you find any, rewrite them or remove them altogether.

Also, make sure that spelling and grammar are perfect in all of your articles by using a spell checker such as Hemingway App or Ginger Grammarly app which will help you check whether there are any errors in your text before publishing it live on the internet.

Conquering a competitive keyword requires a well-thought-out strategy. Dive into practical tips and techniques in How to Rank for That Competitive Keyword You Wanted to enhance your keyword ranking efforts.

14. Share What You Wrote Online In Social Media

Social media is one of the best ways to drive traffic back to your site, especially if you don’t have any backlinks yet. When you share on social media, make sure you do it in a way that will get picked up by search engines. 

For example, if I wanted to share my article on Facebook and Twitter without sending people directly to my site (because I want them to click through an external link), I would add “read more” after the title or URL in my post:

  • On Twitter: https://www.examplewebsite.com/how-to-rank-for-a-keyword/readmore
  • On Facebook: https://www.examplewebsite.com/how-to-rank-for-a-keyword/?fbclid=IwAR0bU7F6UZGxjKi6_z2QSYC1f4THX9nACc8Rk5BprHOe_Zv84KgWcL5Y

15. Implement On-Page SEO Techniques

You can optimize your On-Page SEO for a certain keyword by using the right keywords in your metadata, URL, title, meta description, and H1 tags.

Here are some quick tips on how to do this:

Use the keyword about 20 times in the content of the page. You can use it as many times as possible! It will help search engines understand what your page is about and rank it accordingly.

Make sure you include that same word at least once in each of these areas: Title Tag (H1), Title Tag (H2), Meta Description (for SERPs) & Meta Description (for BING SERPs).

Conclusion

While it is important to rank, there are more important things in life than trying to rank high on search engines. The only way you can achieve top rankings is by focusing on creating content that is valuable enough for people to share and link back to from all over the web. 

This will naturally result in higher rankings as well as traffic coming into your website which means increased sales or leads for whatever business or product you sell or promote online.

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources that you might find helpful for understanding how to rank without backlinks:

Ranking Without Backlinks: Strategies for Organic GrowthDescription: Learn effective strategies for achieving higher rankings without solely relying on backlinks. Discover methods to enhance your website’s visibility through content optimization and user engagement.

SEO Without Backlinks: A Comprehensive GuideDescription: Explore this comprehensive guide on SEO without backlinks, which provides insights into on-page optimization, quality content creation, and other techniques for improving your website’s search engine visibility.

Ranking High Without Backlinks: Is it Possible?Description: Delve into the topic of ranking high without backlinks and understand the factors that contribute to organic visibility. This resource discusses the role of content quality, user experience, and technical optimization.

FAQs

How can I rank higher in search results without relying on backlinks?

Achieving higher search rankings without backlinks involves focusing on on-page optimization, quality content creation, and user engagement. By providing valuable and relevant content to your audience, you can enhance your website’s visibility in search results.

What strategies can I use to improve my SEO without building backlinks?

You can improve your SEO by optimizing your website’s content, ensuring it aligns with user intent, and addressing technical issues. Additionally, enhancing user experience, optimizing page load speed, and utilizing proper header tags can contribute to better rankings.

Is it possible to rank well in competitive niches without backlinks?

Yes, it is possible to rank well in competitive niches without relying solely on backlinks. By creating exceptional and unique content, catering to your target audience’s needs, and optimizing your website’s structure, you can increase your chances of ranking prominently in search results.

How important is user engagement for ranking without backlinks?

User engagement plays a crucial role in ranking without backlinks. Search engines value websites that provide meaningful interactions and satisfy user intent. High-quality content, low bounce rates, and longer dwell times can positively impact your website’s rankings.

Can technical SEO alone help me rank without backlinks?

While technical SEO is important, it’s just one aspect of ranking without backlinks. Technical optimization ensures that search engines can crawl and index your content effectively. To rank well, you also need to focus on content quality, user experience, and relevance to user queries.