Notes on Neil Patel & Practical SEO Insights

Table of Contents

• An SEO Trick Every Content Marketer Should Know
• The Only Way to Win at Content Marketing
• The Easiest SEO Strategy to Rank Your Website Higher
• AI Will Make Marketing Harder, Not Easier
• 9 Places to Optimize for SEO Outside of Google Search
• Programmatic SEO
• Optimization for Search Everywhere
• How Marketing Has Evolved
• How long Does it Take to Rank?
• Further Resources
• FAQs

Welcome to the Neil Patel insights page on NotesaboutStartups. Here, we collect the best takeaways from Neil Patel's awesome YouTube videos. If you don’t know, Neil is a well-known SEO expert who shares some fantastic tips and strategies for content marketers and business professionals. Our goal is to highlight the most important points from his videos so you can easily put his advice into action in your SEO and marketing efforts.

An SEO Trick Every Content Marketer Should Know

Neil Patel emphasizes that 20% of your content can drive 68.2% of your SEO traffic. Instead of constantly producing new content, focus on expanding your most popular blog posts. Use Google Search Console to identify the keywords these posts rank for and ensure you cover those topics thoroughly. This will help you rank higher for terms that are currently on the bottom of page one or on page two, as long as the content remains high-quality and valuable.

The Only Way to Win at Content Marketing

To succeed in content marketing, Neil suggests the following framework:

1. Use X as a Testing Ground: Social networks, like X, don't penalize you for lower-quality content, making it ideal for testing.
2. Focus on Omni-Channel SEO: Diversify your presence across multiple platforms.
3. Kickstart Social Posts with Paid Ads: Paid ads can boost initial engagement, especially on platforms like YouTube.
4. Low-Fidelity Content: Cheaper and easier to create, low-fi content often performs better.
5. Create Long-Form Content: While short-form content might not drive sales, long-form content like webinars can generate significant revenue.

The Easiest SEO Strategy to Rank Your Website Higher

Links are crucial for SEO. Neil Patel suggests that the easiest way to get links is by creating free tools. These tools will naturally attract links over time. If developing a tool is out of reach, consider white-labeling an existing tool from sites like CodeCanyon. Over time, these links will boost your site's authority and improve its overall rankings.

AI Will Make Marketing Harder, Not Easier

Neil Patel warns that while AI can help with tasks and save time, it also lowers the cost of entry for startups, increasing competition. Companies are spending more on marketing and sales to stand out in a crowded market. Although AI can make tasks easier, it will push businesses to invest more in acquiring customers due to the heightened competition.

9 Places to Optimize for SEO Outside of Google Search

Neil highlights nine alternative platforms where you can optimize for SEO:

1. TikTok
2. Instagram
3. Facebook
4. YouTube
5. AI Chat Bots
6. Google AI Overviews
7. Pinterest
8. Amazon
9. App Stores

These platforms offer additional opportunities for visibility beyond traditional Google searches.

Programmatic SEO

Programmatic SEO uses automation and technology to create and optimize many web pages for numerous keywords. Neil Patel explains that while this strategy can yield short-term gains, it is not sustainable in the long run. He advises focusing on long-term, consistent SEO efforts for lasting success.

Optimization for Search Everywhere

Neil introduces the concept of "Search Everywhere Optimization," emphasizing that search is not limited to Google. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Airbnb, and even ChatGPT offer valuable opportunities to showcase your company, products, and services. Optimize your presence on all these platforms to maximize your reach.

How Marketing Has Evolved

In today's fast-paced world, marketing isn't as straightforward as it once was. Neil Patel points out that you can't just throw up a website, run a few ads, and expect people to buy right away. With increased competition, inflation, and an unpredictable economy, consumers are much more cautious about their purchases. In fact, data shows that the average time a consumer takes to decide on a purchase is getting longer. For everyday products under $100, it used to be about 3.4 days before someone decided to buy. Now, it's more like 5.1 days. For services over $10,000, the decision times have stretched from around 3 months to over 5 months. This means follow-ups and building relationships with potential customers have become even more important for marketers and entrepreneurs. Staying engaged with your audience is key to guiding them towards making a purchase decision in their own time. Below you can find his original Tweet:

How long Does it Take to Rank?

Ever wondered how long it takes for SEO to start working on a brand-new website? Neil Patel explains in his video how SEO has evolved over the years, and what you need to do to adapt. Here’s a breakdown of the key points from his video:

Common Questions:

• Frequently asked: "How long before I start seeing results from my SEO effort?"
• SEO efforts can be anxiety-inducing due to the desire for immediate results 😬.

Back in the Day:

• SEO used to be easier, with a specific formula to reach the top of page one.
• It was possible to rank high in a few months, even for competitive keywords.

Today:

• It’s a tough game with a billion blogs out there. Google is picky about who gets to the top.

Keyword Strategy:

• Used to be: Focus on a few keywords and you’re golden.
• Now: You need a bunch—like 50 to 100 keywords.
• Each page should aim for several keywords (three to four).

Content Strategy:

• Old Method: Stuff your articles with keywords to rank higher.
• New Method: Google cares about quality and user experience, not just keywords.
• Write naturally and answer users’ questions well.

SEO Results Timeline:

• According to Forbes, it takes an average of four to six months for a new site to see traction.
• The actual timeline varies depending on industry and effort.
• On average, six months is needed to start seeing results, though not necessarily top rankings.

Factors Affecting SEO Success:

• Site Security & Accessibility:
• Use HTTPS, correct robots.txt settings, and submit a sitemap.
• Site Speed:
• Faster sites rank better and convert more visitors.
• Use Google PageSpeed to check your site speed.
• Mobile-Friendly:
• More than half of searches are on mobile, so make sure your site looks good on phones.
• Content Quality:
• Unique, new content performs better than old, repetitive stuff.
• Backlinks:
• Get quality links from reputable sites. Create awesome content that attracts links naturally.
• Social Signals:
• High-ranking pages often have lots of social shares, even though it’s not a direct ranking factor.
• Local Listings:
• Claim and optimize your Google My Business profile and collect reviews.

Quick Tips:

• Target long-tail keywords for faster results.
• Focus on giving users what they need.
• Optimize for both Google and user experience.
• Always prioritize the user experience and high-quality info.

Further Resources

• If you're looking for practical marketing tips and useful marketing YouTube channels, be sure to check out Neil Patel's channel.
• And if you've set everything up but your pages still aren't getting indexed, we've got some tips on what might be going wrong.

FAQs

How can I apply Neil Patel's insights? What tools should I use?

For a hands-on guide, check out our blog post on using Ubersuggest, an easy-to-use SEO tool, along with Google Search Console.