What are your strategies for SEO?

What Are Your Strategies for SEO?
When people hear “SEO,” they picture algorithms, dashboards, and keyword tools. I used to picture the same thing. But after building an online presence across a brokerage, a foundation, a comedy channel, and this blog, I’ve come to see SEO differently: it’s the discipline of being genuinely findable by the people who need what you have.
Here are the strategies I rely on, and the thinking behind each.
1. Start with the person, not the search engine
Every search is a human being with a question, a worry, or a need. Someone typing “how to verify land documents in Benin City” is often anxious. They’ve heard stories of fraud and don’t want to be the next one.
So before I write anything, I ask: What is this person really trying to solve, and can I help them solve it better than anyone else on the first page? Search engines reward content that satisfies people. When I start there, the rankings tend to follow.
2. Do keyword research, then do it humbly
Keywords still matter. I use tools like Google Search Console, Google Trends, and even the autocomplete suggestions in the search bar to learn how real people phrase their questions.
My rule is to favor specific, long-tail phrases over broad, crowded ones. “Real estate” is a battlefield. “How to confirm a land title before paying a deposit” is a conversation I can actually win. Smaller searches carry clearer intent, and clear intent converts into trust.
Then I place the main keyword where it belongs naturally: the title, the first paragraph, a heading or two, and the URL. I never force it. If a sentence sounds awkward to read aloud, I rewrite it.
3. Write content worth sharing
The best SEO strategy is still excellent content. That means:
Depth over filler. Answer the question fully, then anticipate the next one.
Real experience. Google increasingly values first-hand expertise. What I’ve lived and learned can’t be copied by a generic article.
Clarity. Short paragraphs, plain language, clear headings. If a tired reader on a phone can follow it, I’ve done my job.
Freshness. I revisit older posts, update facts, and improve what’s stale instead of only publishing new things.
4. Get the technical basics right
Great writing can be undone by a poor foundation. I keep an eye on:
Page speed. Compress images and avoid bloat. Many of my readers are on mobile data, and slow pages lose them.
Mobile-friendliness. Most searches in Nigeria happen on phones, so the mobile experience comes first.
Clean structure. One H1, logical H2s and H3s, descriptive URLs, and proper meta titles and descriptions.
Image alt text. It helps accessibility and gives search engines context.
HTTPS and working links. Security and reliability are part of trust.
5. Build authority the honest way
Backlinks, which are other reputable sites linking to yours, remain a strong signal. But I don’t chase shortcuts. Bought links and spammy directories might give a quick bump, then cost you dearly.
Instead, I focus on:
Guest posts and collaborations with people in my field
Being a helpful voice in communities and discussions
Creating resources others naturally want to reference
Partnering with institutions and organizations whose work overlaps with mine
Authority is earned the same way reputation is earned offline: slowly, through consistency and integrity.
6. Don’t forget local SEO
If you serve a specific place, this is gold. Claim and fully complete your Google Business Profile. Keep your name, address, and phone number consistent everywhere. Encourage satisfied clients to leave honest reviews, and respond to every one. For anyone running a local business, this is often the highest-return effort you can make.
7. Use every platform as a signpost
My YouTube channel, social media, and blog all point to one another. A video can introduce someone to an idea, and a blog post can deepen it. Search engines read these connections, and so do people. Optimizing video titles, descriptions, and thumbnails matters as much as optimizing a blog post, because YouTube is itself the second-largest search engine in the world.
8. Measure, learn, adjust
SEO is not a one-time task. I check which posts bring traffic, which keywords people actually arrive through, where visitors leave, and what questions I haven’t answered yet. Then I improve. Growth in this space is built on patient iteration.
A Final Reflection
If I had to compress everything into one idea, it would be this: serve people well, and make it easy for them to find you.
I don’t see SEO as a trick to outsmart a system. I see it as stewardship, taking whatever knowledge, experience, or service I’ve been given and making sure it reaches the people it was meant for. When your work is honest, helpful, and consistent, the technical strategies simply amplify what’s already there.
So that’s my approach. Now I’d love to hear yours.
What strategies have worked for you, and what’s one thing you’re still trying to figure out? Share in the comments.