My Top SEO Checklist Pick: SEO Experts & Agency Leaders – Part 1

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The Techronicler team asked SEO experts and agency leaders to choose just one element from their site’s SEO checklist and share why they consider it the most important.

Our team received some great opinions in response and we now share some of the most valuable ones with you!

Don’t forget to check out the other articles in the series for even more insights.

My Top SEO Checklist Pick: SEO Experts & Agency Leaders – Part 2

My Top SEO Checklist Pick: Business Leaders – Part 1

My Top SEO Checklist Pick: Business Leaders – Part 2

Read on!

Caleb Riutta

If I had to pick just one essential element from an SEO checklist, it would be on-page content optimization. Simply put, content is the heart of your website. It’s what attracts visitors, keeps them engaged, and convinces search engines that your site is worth ranking. By focusing on optimizing your content, you’re ensuring that it resonates with your audience, aligns with their search intent, and is easy to read.

Good content naturally incorporates relevant keywords, is well-structured with clear headings, and includes thoughtful meta descriptions and internal links. This doesn’t just help search engines understand your site better; it also makes the experience better for your visitors, keeping them on your site longer and reducing bounce rates.

Even with flawless technical SEO, a site lacking strong, optimized content will struggle to rank. Prioritizing content optimization is key to maintaining and improving your site’s visibility over the long term.

Caleb Riutta
Co-founder, DUSK Digital

Lisa Burns

When it comes to search engine optimization, I think keyword research is crucial. Before launching any SEO campaign, it is essential to conduct thorough keyword research. With its help, companies can learn who they are trying to reach, what they search for online, and how to create content that speaks to them.

By thoroughly researching keywords for their website, content, and marketing strategies, businesses can attract the right kind of traffic. Both your search engine rankings and the percentage of visitors who end up buying from you will benefit from this. To achieve their SEO goals and connect with their target audience, businesses need to have a firm grasp of the keywords that bring in visitors and customers.

Lisa Burns
Digital Marketing and SEO Specialist,
Made Online

Paul Kelly

If I were forced to pick only one critical factor from an SEO checklist, that would be “high-quality content.” Content forms the essence of SEO as it connects users with search engines. Displaying high-quality relevant content not only addresses the users’ needs but also shows the search engines that the website in question is authoritative. This can in turn assist in improving the site rankings and hence the organic traffic.

Moreover, content quality reinforces other SEO aspects, like keyword targeting, internal links or link building. If you do not have a strong base comprising high-quality content, those will most likely not be successful. Finally, creating content that users expect to see is the most effective way to guarantee SEO success in the foreseeable future because it increases user engagement and visibility on search engines.

Being a founder with active participation in digital marketing, if I did have to point out one single element I would go for an SEO mastery checklist – that element is the content. Content that is relevant and engaging is key to any successful SEO plan. Junior Search Engines are increasingly concentrating on the value they want to deliver to end users, and the content, in particular, how well it is written is one of the factors that will determine the Ranking of a site. Good content will engage the target population as well as attract links, and dwells, and reduce the bouncing levels. To summarize, strong content can and will form the bulwark from which all other SEO activities will need to be built making it the best thing to focus on.

Paul Kelly
Founder, SEO Agency For Startups

Josh Bolstad

If I had to choose just one element from my SEO checklist, it would undoubtedly be high-quality content.

Content is the backbone of any successful SEO strategy. Search engines like Google prioritize relevant, valuable content that genuinely helps users.

When you consistently create content that resonates with your target audience, you naturally attract backlinks, boost engagement, and improve rankings.

Content is what keeps visitors coming back, sharing, and staying on your site longer, which all signal to search engines that your site is worth ranking higher.

So, investing in top-notch content creation is, in my opinion, the single most impactful move for SEO.

Josh Bolstad
CEO,Niche Ranker

Dylan Andrade

If I had to pick just one important element from our SEO checklist, it would be the SILO and internal linking structure.

A well-organized SILO structure categorizes content into thematic clusters, making it easier for both search engines and users to navigate the site.

By ensuring that related content is interlinked effectively, we can pass link equity throughout the site, improving the rankings of key pages. This also helps search engines understand the topical relevance of each section, which can lead to better indexing and ranking.

Incorporating a strong internal linking strategy within this structure ensures that no page is left orphaned, and all valuable content is easily accessible.

Dylan Andrade
SEO Specialist, Swim SEO

Cyrille ADJALALA

If I had to pick just one crucial element from an SEO checklist, it would be link building. Building high-quality backlinks is vital for improving a website’s authority and search engine rankings. Links from reputable sites act as endorsements, signaling to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. Effective link building not only enhances your site’s credibility but also drives referral traffic. In a competitive SEO landscape, a robust link building strategy can significantly impact your site’s visibility and performance.

Cyrille ADJALALA
SEO Specialist & Founder, Cycylabc

Kyle Arnold

If I had to choose just one element from an SEO checklist, it would be content quality. High-quality content is the cornerstone of effective SEO because it directly impacts user engagement and search engine rankings. Search engines prioritize content that provides value, is relevant, and satisfies user intent. By focusing on creating comprehensive, informative, and engaging content, businesses can attract and retain visitors, encouraging them to spend more time on the site and reducing bounce rates. Additionally, quality content naturally attracts backlinks, further enhancing a site’s authority and visibility. Investing in content quality not only boosts SEO performance but also builds trust and credibility with the audience, making it a critical component of any successful digital strategy.

Kyle Arnold
SEO Specialist, FatWeb

Emily Williams

The most crucial SEO factor is quality backlinks from high-authority websites. Google uses backlinks as a strong ranking factor, so they’re essential for any SEO strategy. I’ve worked with dozens of businesses, and those with the most backlinks tend to get higher levels of traffic, regardless of on-page SEO factors.

Emily Williams
Content Strategist, Web Copy Collective

Shashi Heerekar

One of the most crucial elements on an SEO checklist is content quality, which is the foundation of a successful SEO strategy. High-quality content increases engagement and encourages visitors to explore more. It’s also what search engines use to determine your website’s relevance to specific search queries. For instance, websites with over 50 blog posts generate 40% more leads than those with fewer than 10. Google’s guidelines emphasize creating original, well-researched content produced by knowledgeable individuals, with expert-created content consistently ranking higher in search results.

Additionally, optimized content leads to a 43% increase in organic search traffic. Recent algorithm updates have focused on enhancing search result quality by prioritizing content that offers a better user experience, which correlates with higher engagement and lower bounce rates. Moreover, Google has become more selective in featuring high-quality, informative content in Featured Snippets, further boosting organic traffic.

Shashi Heerekar
Director, OXYGEN

Sasha Berson

Regularly update old content to keep it relevant and maintain its ranking. If you wrote an article in 2023, you might want to update it for the current year, as obsolete articles will quickly fade into the bottom of the search results.

Sasha Berson
Chief Executive, Grow Law Firm

Ivan Vislavskiy

Focus on User Intent. This is the foundation of effective SEO. You’ve got to understand what your audience is really searching for – not just the keywords, but the why behind them. Are they looking to buy? To learn? To compare options? When you know their intent, you can create content that directly addresses their needs, which is exactly what search engines are prioritizing these days. It’s not about stuffing keywords anymore; it’s about relevance and value. When your content aligns with user intent, you’re not just driving traffic – you’re driving the right traffic that’s more likely to convert. This approach builds trust, increases engagement, and, ultimately, boosts your rankings.

Ivan Vislavskiy
CEO and Co-founder, Comrade Digital Marketing Agency

The Techronicler team thanks these SEO experts and agency leaders for taking the time to share their valuable insights on their top SEO checklist pick.

Connected Posts:

My Top SEO Checklist Pick: SEO Experts & Agency Leaders – Part 2

My Top SEO Checklist Pick: Business Leaders – Part 1

My Top SEO Checklist Pick: Business Leaders – Part 2

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