11 SEO Cheat Codes That Made Me Millions— Now, It’s Your Turn
Unclog your SEO and start seeing the results you always wanted
There are three categories of people when it comes to SEO — some look at it with awe, some think it’s too complex to crack, and some have gone ahead and tamed it.
Hey! I am Sankar Datti, the third type, batting for 15 years on this SEO pitch.
No matter which industry you work in or the type of business, whether you want to hire an SEO expert or work on it yourself, I guarantee you that these cheat codes will help you focus on the most important aspects of SEO and help you unclog everything that’s stopping you from maximizing its benefit.
I agree SEO can be seemingly-complex, but with a little know-how and creativity, you can start optimizing your website and the content to get more traffic and visibility.
Let me list down my favorite tips for you as a cheat code to implement and start seeing skyrocketing results.
#1. Focus on conversions
I will share a case study with you.
I was approached by a doctor who had been swindled by an SEO company into paying a hefty fee of $800 per month for almost 2 years without any noticeable change in his leads or conversions.
Almost on the verge of closing down, he looked for a drastic solution.
I advised him on two simple things to start right away:
- Google Business Listing Optimization
- Encouraging satisfied customers to give detailed reviews on the Google Business Listing
Within four months, things started turning around for him. Later, I also recommended he rebuild his website to run traffic through Google Ads.
Three years hence, with his revenues 5X more, he has scaled his business from three clinics to five.
Now, it is one of many cases where small tweaks could result in favorable results.
THE CHEAT CODE:
SEO isn’t just about increasing website traffic but also about converting the visits to a positive user experience, instilling confidence, and ultimately encouraging the prospective client to take the next step.
With the right strategies and techniques in place, boosting a website’s visibility and performance becomes quite easy.
2. Do not underestimate the power of compounding
If you ask the finance guys what compounding is, they would say it is wealth multiplication that happens over a period of time as a result of keeping oneself invested.
Two terms need more attention — ‘over a period of time’ and ‘keeping oneself invested.’
Initially, it may not seem easy to see the long-term benefits of SEO. But over time, the effects of your efforts will add up and compound into massive results.
In 2012, when I started Stylecraze with little traffic, I was confident that I could turn around the picture. And with proper SEO strategies in place, I could scale it to 1 million in just nine months. It was a remarkable feat to achieve, but I did not stop there because I knew its potential for growth.
In another 1 year, we doubled to 2 million, and by mid-2016, we had reached 3.5 million. In 6 more months, we had crossed 4 million. Reaching 10 million from there and then 15 was much easier.
See the significant jumps? That’s compounding.
Trust the science and the wonders it can do to your website. It’s all achievable and right in front of you.
THE CHEAT CODE:
SEO is a slow-pot recipe. You have to hold your horses and play the game patiently. Though the start may seem slow, place your trust in the power of compounding, and you will not be disappointed in the long run.
3. Don’t run behind the bigger competition
This is where most people go wrong — going for the popular/high volume or high-ranking keywords just because they are doing well. But you also need to understand that they are like well-guarded fortresses and tough to enter.
For example, keywords like “Basement Renovations” or “Marketing Tips” may seem attractive, but it’s more effective to go for keywords like “Best Basement Renovations in Toronto” or “How to Market Small Businesses on a Budget.”
It’s always smarter & more energy efficient to go for the low-lying fruits first.
THE CHEAT CODE:
Work your way up with smarter options. Go for precise long-tail keywords that have low competition. Define your target audience and cater to their needs. That way, you will be heard better.
4. Don’t write; Make an impact
Quite often, you come across the suggestion that the more you write, the more traction it generates. Well, it’s true and not as well.
It’s not just the writing that counts; it is impactful writing that makes the difference. And for that, you need to be aware of the needs and interests of your audience.
Writing cannot be a task that has to be done by assembling and borrowing ideas from others. Consider it as a tool that helps you generate more leads.
THE CHEAT CODE:
Align your content to the audience’s requirements. That’s when your writing clicks, and you will see results. Ensure that your content has the following:
Answers the audience’s concern
Actionable takeaways
Clarity of thought
Engagement
Originality
It is better to have 1 impactful write-up than 10 directionless ones.
5. Pick professionals over amateurs
Like you choose a cardiologist over a GP when your life’s at stake. Similarly, choosing the right people is essential for the life of your website.
While amateurs can get the job done, hiring professionals can make a world of difference. Professional SEOs can think critically and come up with unique solutions, giving better outcomes.
A case study:
A founder once approached me with his pain point. Even after having an SEO team of 5 people and a highly paid SEO consultant and investing $100k in 5 years, his website was getting merely 1000 visitors per month.
After some basic inspection, I found that the website was developed in Angular JS, and the developers had committed some errors, due to which Google was unable to crawl the body of content. Upon fixing the issue, the website started performing well in terms of visits and leads.
Look at it as an investment. It is better to spend a little more on professionals and earn much more than save some money by hiring amateurs and earning nothing.
THE CHEAT CODE:
Always choose professionals over amateurs when it comes to SEO — the minor tweaks and strategic insights they bring can help you achieve bigger and better results.
6. Don’t do what everyone else is doing
If you do what others are doing, you will get what others are getting. So, if you plan to be bigger than others, you need to do things 10X better than your competition.
This was what I did for an article on the GM diet. While my initial version was just like any other article that was there on Google. I knew I needed to do it differently if I had to place my story in the top rank.
I studied what all my competitors were doing and listed things I could add to make it more holistic for the reader. I did this:
And the result?
Without any significant change in the story, it still ranks third for the high-ranking keyword ‘GM diet’
THE CHEAT CODE:
In the game of SEO, following the herd will not work. Aim for the big ticket and plan 10X better than your competition. Be ahead of them.
7. Readers don’t read on their own; you have to make them
The sooner you get this, the better.
In this vast creator economy, attention is the new currency, as rightly pointed out by Pete Cashmore, the CEO of Mashable.
Holding the attention of your reader is your responsibility. Easier said than done; it is the crux of the matter. No matter how insightful your content is, it isn’t very helpful if your reader does not consume it.
So, how do you make your reader stay?
Engage them. Entertain them. And then educate them.
Adding elements like images, videos, & data illustrations break the monotony of text and helps hold the reader’s focus.
THE CHEAT CODE:
To win the users’ attention in today’s crowded online landscape, focus on making your content engaging, interactive, and easy to digest. This will help you stand out and capture more of their attention.
8. Never underestimate the topical authority
Many commit the mistake of going for the search volumes as a guide to their content.
Rather than that, go in-depth. Build content that covers all the queries your reader has on a topic. Break your topics into topics and subtopics until you have covered everything on the same. Research all the pain points of your readers and serve them on your website.
Trust me; it will result in loyal readers who will always choose you over competitors. Be the go-to guy for your topic.
And with time, your domain authority improves, resulting in better Google rankings. A complete win-win situation.
Authority. Everything must center around it. And do not forget to talk about it.
- Substantiate your content with your work
- Talk about your experience
- Connect with the relevant audience
Let your work substantiate your expertise and do the talking; in the process, build your credibility.
THE CHEAT CODE:
Dig a deep trench for your reader, so they never come out of it. Giving them what they are looking for results in higher time spent on the website and better rankings.
9. Be ready to fail
In 2016, one of the websites where I had been publishing content crashed overnight. The traffic dropped by 40% because of a Google algorithm update.
It was a time of realization for me. On analyzing, I discovered that many articles had thin content, which was not driving traffic. I worked on that again, changing all that, and it took me 14 months of arduous work to recover from that.
If you failed in google updates, be happy about it because then only you will know that there is a problem with your site, which you can work on and recover. Also, you will get a great experience.
THE CHEAT CODE:
To succeed in SEO, be ready to fail and learn from your mistakes. Focus on creating high-quality, valuable content that engages your readers and stays up-to-date with the latest trends and algorithms. And when you inevitably face setbacks or challenges, don’t give up — use them as opportunities for growth and improvement instead.
10. Accept traffic drop but no penalty
Traffic drop is when your site traffic goes south of 60%.
But you stand to be penalized if the traffic shoots above 80 to 90%. Google reads this kind of spurt as a result of spam links or paid links, misleading Google bots, cloaking, adult content, hacking, etc.
Now, that’s a sticky situation to be in as a website owner.
To avoid getting penalized by Google, it’s important to follow the rules and best practices of SEO. This means avoiding shady tactics like buying or selling links, using duplicate content, or engaging in any other black hat techniques that could get you penalized.
THE CHEAT CODE:
If you experience a traffic drop, don’t assume that it’s a penalty from Google — this could be due to several factors unrelated to your SEO tactics. Instead, focus on improving the quality and engagement of your content, and follow best practices to ensure that you’re always in compliance with Google’s guidelines.
And if you do get penalized, don’t panic. It’s not the end of the world. Take the necessary steps to fix the problem and get back on track.
11. Never shy away from experimenting
SEO is an ever-changing land; sometimes, one may feel like losing ground. But rather than feeling overwhelmed or intimidated by this, try to embrace it as an opportunity for experimentation.
Let me cite an example here.
I had a website that I monetized through Google AdSense. The revenue was a basic stream of $1500 — nothing much, but enough to run the site. For 7 years, it was the same story.
And then, around Jan 2020, I decided to run some experiments and started with affiliate articles. Boom!
The revenue shot up 10X in 12 months at $16000 by Jan 2021.
You never know what’s out there till you dare to explore.
THE CHEAT CODE:
Keep venturing into new pastures and stand a chance to stumble upon a treasure. SEO or otherwise, it is always wayward who has discovered the prized lands.
Conclusion
People think of SEO as a conundrum. If you ask me, it is nothing but prioritizing the reader. When you keep focusing on giving value, a different user experience, or engagement, it ultimately leads to a good SEO.
