What is an SEO pyramid and what impact does it have on positioning?

What is an SEO pyramid and why is it important?

It was created in order to systematize and facilitate optimization activities. Thanks to it, it is possible to:

• ordering the complex process of website positioning and indicating which actions are crucial at each stage of working on the website;
• effective planning of optimization strategies and gradual implementation of more advanced actions;
• better understanding of the complexity of SEO and easier presentation of subsequent stages of work or priorities to clients or employees;
• increasing the effectiveness of positioning and, consequently, achieving high positions in search results.

The SEO pyramid is therefore the foundation of optimization activities, and knowledge of it is useful for every specialist – both beginners and experienced SEO professionals.

What elements does the SEO pyramid consist of?

In the SEO pyramid, the successive stages of optimization work are ordered from the basic ones to the most advanced ones. Omitting any of its elements or performing actions in the wrong order may result in a lack of satisfying positioning effects.

Technical SEO

Proper technical optimization of a website is the foundation of effective SEO. It is no wonder, then, that in the SEO pyramid, this stage is at the very beginning, and it is the specialist’s task to, among other things:

• elimination of errors found on the website (e.g., 404);
• setting up appropriate redirects (e.g., 301);
• optimization of meta tags (description and title);
• improving website speed;
• creating a robots.txt file and optimizing the sitemap;
• optimizing graphic files;
• ensuring website security (e.g., SSL certificate).

Technical SEO is therefore the starting point for further work and must be carried out in the first place.

Page structure

The structure of a website, that is, the hierarchy of individual subpages, enables users to navigate easily through the site and quickly find the content that interests them. It is also extremely important from the perspective of Google robots, which can use it to quickly familiarize themselves with individual sections and index the page.

In the SEO pyramid, structure optimization is in second place and requires the SEO specialist to primarily:

• creating a hierarchy – from the most important homepage to categories and subpages;
• creating a division of subpages, such as product and service descriptions, contact information, blog, or privacy policy;
• optimizing URL addresses, which should be unique and clearly inform users and Google bots about the content of each subpage.

Without optimizing the structure of the page, dealing with further tasks related to positioning should not take place.

Content marketing

After optimizing the structure of the website, you can move on to the next stage of work, which in the SEO pyramid is content. They are an absolute key to success in search engines, so the positioner should entrust their creation to an experienced copywriter. Substantive, unique, and valuable content attracts internet users (and potential clients), builds a positive image of the company, and is well perceived by Google (one of the most important ranking factors).

High-quality content on a website is content that:

• they answer users’ questions and provide them with specific, valuable knowledge;
• they are unique, perfect in terms of language and readable (divided into paragraphs, headings, bullet points, etc.);
• they are diverse – content includes not only blog articles or product descriptions, but also photos, graphics, and video materials;
• they are tailored to specific target groups;
• they have been optimized for SEO;
• they attract with an attractive title.

Linking

The last, “highest” element of the SEO pyramid is links, which, like content, are one of the most important ranking factors. Creating a rich and diverse network of links allows for a quick advancement of a website to the TOP3 of Google, which is why focusing on them is an absolute foundation of SEO activities.

The SEO specialist should take care of both internal linking (within the website) and external linking, which involves placing links leading to the optimized website on other platforms. The latter should represent very high quality and come from trusted websites with high authority. On the other hand, one should avoid a large number of low-value links, which can be considered as spam. In short, quality matters here, not quantity.

How does the SEO pyramid affect positioning?

We mentioned earlier that the SEO pyramid allows you to organize your work and focus on priorities. It facilitates task implementation, enhances their effectiveness, and eliminates the risk of errors, which plays a crucial role in the process of website positioning.

By using the SEO pyramid, you increase the chances of your website being appreciated by Google and appearing at the top of search results.