3 Secret SEO Tactics - Steal Them

New name, new brand.

It's October 24th, which means STR Lift is now "The Lodge Social.” 

I will keep my send name, "Scott from STR Lift," for a couple weeks until the new brand is the new norm. So you don't miss my emails.

Learn more about the name change here.

If you haven't seen my SEO Masterclass with Conrad O'Connell, you're missing out.

A couple weeks ago Conrad and I jumped on a 30 minute chat to talk shop around SEO.

He gave away a proven SEO roadmap for any beginner or advanced rental operator. But, the secrets to ranking on Google could seem buried between:

• The side rambles.

• My excitement.

• A quick note on Google's oddly human-like "brain."

So, I decided to pull Conrad's proven SEO roadmap and share it with you here.

I think it's too valuable to keep to myself.

Let's dive in.

How To Rank On Google

There are three steps to this secret SEO roadmap.

1. Follow the TLKC process.

2. Find a winning page template.

3. Build an SEO moat.

I'm going to giveaway a ChatGPT prompt that makes this process easier. I use it weekly.

Step 1 - Follow The TLKC Process

TLKC stands for:

• Technical

• Link Building

• Keyword Research

• Content Creation

Most SEO pro's follow this process. It's our systematic way of creating content right, the first time.

Let me explain:

Technical

Fix broken non-content elements on your website. These issues negatively impact the experience of a possible guest.

Examples:

• Website looks bad on mobile (phone).

• The loading speed is slow.

• There are links that lead nowhere (broken links).

• Your site is not secure (HTTPS).

• Etc...

Google knows if your website experience is bad, and they will doc you for it.

I recommend using a tool called Semrush to find all these issues. Semrush also tells you how to fix them.

Link Building

There are two types of links. Backlinks and internal links.

Backlinks are links to your site from other websites.

Internal links are from one page of your website to another.

Here are some ways to get backlinks:

1. Hire an influencer to visit and write a blog about your stay.

2. Create a local guide about another business and let them know about it. Then, ask them to post it on their site.

3. Contact travel and chamber of commerce organizations to add you to their directories.

Internal links are much easier to add. I will talk more on this in the "Build an SEO Moat" section.

Keyword Research

Find the terms guests use to search for businesses like yours.

If the keyword is relevant to your business, create content for it. Here are some examples:

• Restaurants in [town, state]

• Places to stay in [town]

• Cabin on the lake in [state]

• Things to do in [area]

Your goal is to find keywords with high search volume and low keyword difficulty.

Save winning keywords using the rule of thirds:

<33 - Easy to rank for

33-66 - Hard to rank for

66-100 - Not worth it - for now

P.S. The rule of thirds only applies to the keyword difficulty column.

I use Semrush and Google Keyword Planner to find keywords. Simply, enter the term you think people are using to find you and these tools will give you more ideas.

Content Creation

Create pages for your new keywords.

There are two types of pages you can create:

• Blogs

• Landing pages

If you're new to SEO, you'll want to start with blogs. I'll explain more in step 3.

Step 2 - Find a Winning Page Template

Here's how:

1. Search the keyword you want to rank for.

2. Find a website similar to yours that ranks for that keyword. Exclude listing sites.

3. Use their page structure as #inspiration.

Analyzing a page structure can feel like reading a french book in Spanish class if you aren't sure what to look for.

I prefer to use this ChatGPT prompt to save the mental energy.

My goal is to reference the page format of a competitor that ranks well on Google. I want to get better at SEO and the best first step is to create content matching a template I know already does well on Google. 

Pasted below is the website content from a page that ranks for the keywords I want to rank for. Can you:

1. Find the page format
2. Have your output be a useable template I can copy and enter my own information 
3. Provide a list of SERP features I should include at the bottom of your template

Here is my website context:

[WebsiteContent]

How to use this prompt:

1. Replace [WebsiteContent] with the content from the ranking website.

2. Hit generate and complete a two hour task in minutes.

This template is what you want to use for future content. Which, we will cover in,

3...

2...

1...

Step 3 - Build an SEO Moat

An SEO moat is created by working backwards from niche to broad topics.

Niche pages are local guides and blogs. For example, "boat landings on Lake Superior."

Broad pages are property types and listing pages. For example, "cabins on Lake Superior."

If you're new to SEO, don't try and rank for terms like "Cabin in [Your Town]." You won't rank for it off the bat. This leads to discouragement and sadness.

I don't want you to feel sad 😥 

Instead, follow this process.

Tier 3: Build blog pages for niche terms.

Tier 2: Build landing pages for each property type.

Tier 1: Make your core pages better.

Here are some examples of each page type:

Blog pages for niche terms

These are local guides. They help tell Google you are a travel authority.

• Boat landings on Lake Superior

• Best restaurants near [town]

• Coffee shops near [town]

• Hiking trails on Lake Superior

Landing pages for each property type

These perform best when you have multiple stays.

• Rustic cabins on a lake in [area]

• Cabins in the mountains near [town]

• Rentals on [Myrtle] Beach

• House rentals with a [Pool]

Make your core pages better

These are the pages you want ranking for those money making broad keywords.

• Home page

• Properties page

Work from tier 3 to 1. As you build out each page, remember to do this:

1. Internally link blogs to property pages.

2. Contact local businesses about your local guide that features them. Do this to get a backlink.

3. Keep creating more content.

As you work through each tier, your core pages will get better.

Why?

Because the more content you create for the curious traveler, the more Google see's you as a travel authority in the area.

The Secret SEO Roadmap

"But doesn't everybody do this?"

I either asked Conrad this or he mentioned it. I can't remember. The answer was no.

SEO is difficult to learn and requires a high volume of effort. Therefore, only a fraction of your competitors might do it.

And even if they do, the likelihood of them following this process is low.

But, even if they:

• Invest in SEO

• Follow the TLKC process

• Reference winning page templates

• Build an SEO moat

You can still win with velocity.

If you haven't watched my full masterclass with Conrad, watch it here. You won't regret it.

This article was just a snippet of what we covered.

That's all for today. I'll see you in the next article.

Watch My Interview with Conrad O’Connell

Before you go

I’m currently building an all-in-one marketing agency focused on:

👉️ Direct bookings

👉️ Ads

👉️ Social media

and creating an endless pipeline of guests.

Want to join the waitlist? CLICK HERE. I plan to launch November 2024.

Links you might like:

1. Here’s how I doubled Instagram followers in 30 days

2. These two things can skyrocket bookings

3. Build a direct bookings website on your lunch break

4. Checkout the NEW branding