If you’ve signed with one of the best Internet marketing companies it’s natural that you should feel assured that the agency will know all the latest SEO tactics and apply them to your campaign. Even the best agencies can overlook or not prioritize some of the most effective optimization techniques. Here’s a handy list that you can go over with your SEO company. Let them tell you what they are doing in each of these categories, and if they haven’t deployed these tactics, be prepared for additional organic traffic to roll in once they start adding these activities to your campaign:

1) Internal linking: Most agencies tout the value of acquiring quality inbound links to your website. Many don’t follow through with another key strategy: Internal linking. The idea is not to necessarily focus on links on keyword-rich anchor text like this:

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but instead to add a long-tail type link like this to a page on your site that would be a natural next step:

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Users will appreciate a few (two or three max) internal links on a page so they can move deeper into your site and discover the information they are looking for. Google likes internal links as well; it will judge the association between pages. Pages that rank well linked to relevant lesser ranking pages can lift the lesser pages higher in the SERPs.

2) Optimizing image alt tags: This is one of the most overlooked optimization techniques. It’s quite simple to add an image alt tag attribute to any blog post or web page image and write a short descriptive phrase to insert in the tag. Use keywords but don’t overdo it – no keyword stuffing.

3) Optimizing videos for search: So many agencies forget to write keyword-rich titles and descriptions for their clients’ videos. This is an easy fix and depending on how many videos you have, it can take from a day to a few weeks to catch up on this task. Ask your agency to work on it and reap the rewards of additional search engine positioning for your keywords.

4) Re-purposing content with a vengeance: This is definitely an art form. Some agencies are better at it than others are. Have your agency share the editorial calendar they’ve created with you. If they don’t already do so, have them add a column to it that tracks how each piece of content has been re-purposed. Have the agency share your blogs on your social media accounts, place them in your email newsletters, cut out quotes and use them in infographics, and more. Each blog post or article should live many lives so you receive the most value from your investment. Also, not everyone will see your article when it is first published. Give them additional opportunities to engage with your content by re-purposing it.

5) Adding enticing images to articles & blog posts: Even the most intriguing post can fall flat if it is not paired with an image that summarizes the subject and causes the reader to think. If you are dissatisfied with the images that your agency uses in your blog posts; speak up. Subscribe to a service like Fotolia or find suitable images on free sites such as Pixabay.com.

6) Writing how-to posts: One of the most popular types of posts online are those that teach people how to do something. Sit down with your agency and brainstorm several how-to topics then have the agency produce these for you. Give them all the background material they need; you may even wish to make a video to go along with the post; or perhaps a slideshow. Make your how-to unique and add a call to action at the end that directs people to the action you want them to take.

7) Fixing page speed & other usability issues: Users and Google both agree – sites that load slowly offer a poor experience. They will not rank well for their keywords and users will jump off and look elsewhere for information. Ask your agency to review your site’s loading speed and then follow through when the agency offers its recommendations for fixing these issues. How your site renders on a mobile device is vital – ensure that it offers an easy to use interface that doesn’t make users pinch and zoom to navigate, or that crowds navigation choices too close together.

Organically offers you the benefit of working with an award-winning Internet marketing agency in Gatlinburg. We offer value-added services on all of our campaigns and make the most of SEO tactics that other agencies miss. Talk to us today and let’s get started building your company’s online visibility!