For the tool to work optimally, it is preferable to advertise actively on Google. If you don't advertise on Google, you will only get a data range for search volume (rather than an exact number). Even so, a data range is better than nothing.

To start your research, click the box "Discover new keywords". Once the box opens, you can type up to 10 phrases into the field (or alternatively paste a website URL in the second tab and get phrases relevant to it).

After typing the phrases, make sure the language and country are correct (Hebrew + Israel in our case. If you are promoting abroad", choose the relevant language and country accordingly). Then click at the bottom on "Get results":

Next, the phrases you selected will be shown at the top – and additional relevant phrases will be shown at the bottom. These additional phrases can broaden the scope and help you find more topics and ideas for promotion on the site.

Next to each phrase there is a column called "Avg. monthly searches" – which is the most relevant column for organic promotion. For the purpose of this explanation, you can ignore the other columns such as competition, bids and so on.

In our case, Google's tool shows 271 phrases based on the 4 phrases we selected. This way you can keep checking more and more phrases, download the data to a file and do comprehensive keyword research on almost any topic.

Another option is to use Ubersuggest. First we select the relevant language and country (Hebrew / Israel in our case) – and then type a phrase (shoes) and click Search.

We then reach a new screen where the tool shows us data about the phrase at the top, as well as data about additional relevant phrases further down. As with Google's tool, here too the most important figure is search volume – and everything else is somewhat less relevant.

For example, the SEO Difficulty figure is used to indicate how hard it is to rank for the phrase. The closer the score is to 100, the higher the difficulty. Sounds nice, but in reality this figure is not related to actual search engine ranking; it is something generated by the tool alone. You can certainly use this figure, but don't trust it blindly or make decisions based on it alone.

Another option for finding keywords to promote is using Google's autocomplete:

as well as using the related searches at the bottom of Google's results:

At this stage (and in fact throughout the process) it is possible and recommended to also do competitor research. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel and racking your brain over "what it takes to rank on Google" – simply take a peek at your competitors. This doesn't mean copying everything your competitors did one-to-one; rather, take a sober look at what they have that we don't, and consider whether to implement it as well.

An example of short, effective competitor research – Search Google for several phrases related to them, check who is in the top ten and what they did to get there: what type of content is on the ranking page (text, images, videos, products), what the page has that yours doesn't, what links they obtained (see Stage 3), and so on. Organize all the information in a table you prepared in advance, so you can extract all the information at a glance.

By the way, if you'd like to save yourself the trouble – an Israeli company called ZEFO provides an excellent SEO platform that, among other things, also performs automatic competitor research.

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Stage 2

Adapt the site to search engine requirements

After we have found all the relevant words (for the shoe niche, for example) – we begin making adjustments to the site ("optimization", in professional terms; part of the term SEO, as we already know).

For example, the phrase "shoes" is very general, so we will place it on the home page. In contrast, the phrase "Nike shoes" is a more focused phrase – and we will place it in the appropriate category, which displays only that brand's shoes. The same applies to the other phrases we found – women's shoes, men's shoes, children's shoes and so on.

How do you place the phrase on the page that matches it? In the main title (Title) and the meta description (Meta Description), the elements Google displays in the results; and then also in the other parts of the page – main headings and subheadings (H1, H2, etc.), text content, Alt Text tags on images and so on.

What about phrases for which there are no pages on the site yet? Create new pages, according to the optimization rules mentioned earlier. It is recommended to enrich the site with new content relevant to the target audience daily / weekly / monthly (at least once a month is recommended). Every new page can be another entry point to the site.

Ideas for new content can be taken both from the keyword research we did and from your knowledge of your field as the site owners. For example, you can collect all the questions that come from existing or potential customers, and turn each question and answer into an article on the topic.

Along the way, it is also important to ensure a few more things:

Site loading as fast as possible (3 seconds or less)

Site speed is an official ranking factor in Google's algorithm, and it must not be overlooked. To check your site's speed you can use several tools, such as Google's tool

All these tools check only the specific page you entered, not the entire site. To understand the loading speed of the entire site – it is recommended to use Google Analytics if it is installed on your site).

Since improving speed is a separate topic in its own right, and also a very technical one – it is recommended to read how to do it in other sources. For example – Shay Toder's website:

Full adaptation to all screen types

Today most browsing and Internet use is done via smartphone or tablet, not just on desktop computers or laptops. Beyond that, a significant part of our digital activity is also moving to TV screens (for example, playing YouTube videos and so on).

Since we use so many types of screens, the site must fit all of them. This point is especially important on smartphones, which account for most browsing traffic today. Google ranks sites first and foremost by their mobile version, since it is the most important.

Most sites today are responsive – meaning they adapt to the screen size. Even so, it is highly recommended to verify for yourself that the site is suited to browsing on multiple devices. Visit the site on a computer, a smartphone and so on, to make sure everything looks good and that you can perform all the usual actions that can be done on desktop (scrolling, using navigation menus, searching and so on).

A secure and stable site

Information security has become a significant topic in recent years, especially on business and e-commerce sites that are obligated to protect user data. Google also dedicates resources to this, and flags in the Chrome browser any site that is not secure (Not Secure, as you can see in the screenshot).



Accessibility for people with disabilities

The more we adapt the site to more users, including people with disabilities such as the hearing and visually impaired, the more satisfaction metrics will improve (which also indirectly affect ranking on Google). It is important to remember that certain sites are required by Israeli law to be accessible.

Tip: Are you required to make your site accessible?

Use the accessibility questionnaire we built for you on our site, and you can check for yourself.

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Stage 3

Improve the site's popularity ranking

Alongside the set of actions we perform on the site, a separate set of actions must also be performed on other sites. Why? Because if I have a business, but the only evidence of its existence is my website – nobody will know I exist.

For Google and users to know this is a real business, other sites also need to point to its existence. This is usually done by building links and mentions of the business / brand name. Here are a few examples.

Opening a business listing in the major directories

Google also uses the major directories as a reliable source for identifying businesses, so you must create a business listing in each of them: Dapei Zahav, 144, Easy and so on. You must also create a Google Business Profile for your business, in order to gain exposure and inquiries from customers via Google Maps as well.

Important note: the business name, phone and address (NAP = Name, Address, Phone) must be identical across all these assets – in directories, on your website and in Google Business Profile. This is how Google will recognize you.

Sign in with a Google account here, fill in the business name, phone, exact address and any other necessary details. You will then be asked to verify the profile, usually via a postcard sent to you by mail within 20 days to the address you provided. The postcard contains a code that must be entered in the profile to verify it.

For the profile to get maximum exposure and also appear in the three map spots in Google results, it is recommended to upload as many photos as possible (if possible) and to collect as many reviews and ratings as you can from customers and visitors. Beyond that, it is recommended to update the profile with new posts from time to time.

Setting up and maintaining business profiles on social networks

Use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and whatever is relevant to your business. Don't open a profile on all of them and then neglect them. If you intend to set up a profile, make sure it also gets ongoing maintenance in the form of posts, photos, responding to users and so on. Your social media profiles will also be used to distribute your content, such as articles you have written on your site or on other sites.

Articles and links on external websites

Write and publish articles in your field, also on other websites in similar and related fields. For example, a site selling shoes can publish an article on a general fashion site; a digital marketing site can publish on a blog about advertising, and so on. From each such article, include a link to your website, usually preferably using the business name and/or a phrase describing your field of activity.

How do you do this in practice? Here are a few examples:

Buying paid articles – You can get articles published on major sites such as Calcalist, Israel Hayom, Behadrei Haredim and so on. You can also buy articles and links from digital professionals who own a large number of websites for this purpose.

Link exchanges – Instead of paying for articles and links, you can ask for a link in exchange for a link: "I'll give you a link on topic X and you'll give me a link on topic Y". Look for Facebook groups under the name "Link exchanges" and you can take it from there.

Competitor link research

It is recommended to check which links our competitors in Google's top 10 and top 20 have obtained. This can be done with paid tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush and others, or with a limited free tool called Ubersuggest (mentioned earlier).

For example, go to this free version, type in a competitor's website address (without http and without www), and you will get a list of 100 sites linking to it. Now check whether you can also get a link from the same sources.

Creating and promoting YouTube videos

Generally speaking, it is easier to rank on YouTube than on Google. So if you are able to create videos in your areas of expertise, do it. Think of it as an addition to the written content you are already producing to promote your site.

On YouTube too, the key is to provide valuable content: How do you measure shoe size? How do you fix a broken toilet? How do you promote a website on Google? All of these are relevant topics for YouTube videos, which can then also be promoted. It is recommended that each video be at least 10 minutes long.

After uploading each video to your YouTube channel – add the main keyword to the title, the video description (together with a full link to your website) and the video tags. When the video is ready, embed it on your website on the relevant page, if there is one, or on other sites (forums, for example). This way the video will gain more views.

The more relevant videos you add for your field and target audience, the more views you will gain and the more potential customers will reach you (which is why it is also recommended to add a link to your website in the video description).

It is also highly recommended to organize similar videos into playlists. For example, if you have a fashion business – all the videos about shirts will be organized into a shirts playlist; all the videos about shoes will be organized into a shoes playlist, and so on. This will help promote the videos and the entire channel within YouTube.

Want more? Search Google for "link building" and you'll get a sea of information.

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Step 4

Set goals and measure

No organic promotion is worth anything if you can't show that it delivers results or some benefit. It is therefore important to track and measure constantly, so you know where you stand and can improve what's possible. Analytics codes, Google Ads and the Facebook Pixel are the basic implementations, and on top of them you should add conversion tracking – according to your needs.

What is a conversion? Any action you want users to take: an online purchase, leaving their details (a lead), signing up for a newsletter, watching a video, scrolling a page and more. All of these should be part of your tracking and measurement, so you can keep improving your site's performance.

In general, there are 2 main conversions that are important to track:

Online purchases (on sites that allow online shopping) – This is advanced tracking that requires implementing Google Analytics and Tag Manager codes, as well as JavaScript code known as "data layers" (Data Layers). This type of tracking usually requires the involvement of an analytics expert, developers and so on. You can read more about how to do this in the detailed guide by

Simo Ahava

Form submissions – Customer inquiries (leads) are definitely important conversions, and they require tracking of form field submissions. In fact, the same way you can track any form, such as newsletter sign-ups and so on.

A word about forms: forms usually fall into two main types – those with a thank-you page at the end and those without one. Tracking the first type is quick and easy, by setting the thank-you page as a conversion in Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook and so on. Tracking the second type usually requires additional work in Tag Manager, but that is also simple once you learn how to do it.

The benefit of organic promotion is measured using the following three parameters:

1. Organic traffic to the site

2. Conversions from organic results

3. Rankings in search results.

The SEO specialist will do everything possible to ensure these three cornerstones are addressed and deliver value to the client.

Ultimately, SEO is just another type of marketing, with focused goals based on the client's needs. It is better to look at the big picture, and not only at data such as Google rankings alone, – to understand the real benefit gained from the promotion process.

There is no doubt that search result rankings are important, but it is more important and worthwhile to know that leads and/or sales came from the organic channel and resulted in revenue and profit for the client. Such data is worth much more than any Google ranking, which can change every week and does not reflect the overall benefit of the SEO process.

To sum up, it is important to remember 3 key points for ongoing, sustained website promotion work:

• Full access to all parts of the website – From the meta tags on each page, through the content and media files (images, videos), to the code itself for making changes and implementing tracking codes. For example, a page that does not allow changing the title and meta description cannot be promoted effectively (and sometimes not at all). The same applies to a website that does not allow adding new pages.

• Mastery of the relevant tools – From Google's free tools (Analytics, Tag Manager, Search Console, Keyword Planner) to complementary tools for competitor, content and link research (Ahrefs, Semrush, rank tracking tools and more).

• A constant willingness to learn and change – While the foundations of SEO have remained the same over the past 20 years, there have also been many changes along the way. Those who manage to adapt accordingly and apply the changes correctly will enjoy the results.

For our website to also appear at the top of the search engine's index results, we need to make the necessary changes to the site to adapt it to the search engine's requirements. Assuming the SEO work is done correctly, this can be seen through a few signs: the first and main one is an increase in visits to the site from organic search results (as opposed to paid results). The second sign is an improvement in the site's rankings in organic results for various keywords. In this context, note the difference between the Hebrew term and the English one. While in Hebrew it is called "SEO" – a term that carries an implied promise of some kind of improvement – the English term SEO means "search engine optimization". Here you will not find an implied promise of the desired results, and indeed this is the more accurate description of the world of organic promotion.