By John Eberhard
Let’s face it—SEO is a bit like an encyclopedia: large, confusing, and way too much alphabet. We covered A to M already last week: Analytics, Backlinks, Content—blah blah blah. But what about the unsung heroes from N to Z?
Strap in. It’s time to explore the second half of the SEO alphabet, where the real fun begins.
N is for Navigation
If users need a map, compass, and a sherpa to get around your site, your SEO is in trouble. Clean, intuitive navigation helps users (and Googlebots) find stuff fast. Bonus: it makes you look like you actually know what you’re doing.
O is for Optimization
Yes, we know—it’s the “O” in SEO. But it’s also an SEO consultant’s full-time job. Images, meta tags, headers, URLs, load time… you name it, you optimize it. If it stands still for more than two seconds, run PageSpeed Insights on it.
P is for Page Speed
Time is money. Or in SEO terms: time is bounce rate. A slow site is like a waiter who disappears after taking your drink order—people leave. Compress those images, minify that code, and maybe let go of that 15MB background video or resize that 4700 pixel wide photo.
Q is for Quality Content
Forget keyword stuffing. Quality content is about being helpful, insightful, and not sounding like a robot having a stroke. Google likes E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. So bring your A-game—and a grammar checker.
R is for Redirects
Redirects are your site’s version of forwarding mail. A 301 redirect says, “Hey Google, the couch is in the new apartment now.” Just don’t get caught in a redirect loop. That’s SEO quicksand.
S is for SERPS
SERPS, or search engine results pages, is where we all want to be, preferably on the first of those pages. But even if you are now on page 5 where you weren’t before, that shows progress. Onward to number one!
T is for Title Tags
This is your clickbait headline—minus the bait (hopefully). Keep it under 60 characters, include a keyword, and try not to sound like a desperate tabloid. “You Won’t Believe What This Page Is About” is maybe not the best idea.
U is for User Experience (UX)
Bad UX is like putting a maze on your homepage. Make things readable, clickable, and mobile-friendly. Because if users struggle, Google notices—and judges harshly.
V is for Voice Search
People don’t talk to Alexa like they do to Google. Optimize for conversational queries like “How do I bake a potato in 5 minutes without burning down my kitchen?” It’s a new frontier. Speak the language.
W is for Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals are like your site’s health checkup. LCP (largest contentful paint), FID (first input delay), CLS (cumulative layout shift) —it’s like alphabet soup with a purpose. Google’s watching, so clean up those layout shifts and slow load times unless you want to live on page 24.
X is for XML Sitemap
Think of this as your site’s VIP guest list for Google. “Here’s what’s important. Please crawl accordingly.” If you don’t have one, you’re basically saying, “Hey Google, wander around forever and see what happens.”
Y is for YouTube SEO
Yes, videos count. Titles, tags, transcripts—optimize them all. And maybe stop naming your videos “Final_v3_revised_EDITED_final_FINAL.mov.” No one’s searching for that.
Z is for Zero-Click Searches
Sometimes Google answers everything before anyone clicks. Sad for traffic, great for users. Win these by writing clear, concise answers that scream, “I am snippet-worthy!”
Final Thoughts
Sure, A to M might get all the spotlight, but N to Z is where the real SEO adventure begins. Now go forth, optimize wisely—and for the love of rankings, stop using Comic Sans.
And if you need help with SEO, contact Real Web Marketing at 661-441-2429, or fill out a form here.
