As the new year begins, many businesses are looking for ways to improve their online visibility and gain a competitive edge. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through search engine optimisation (SEO). And what better time to start an SEO project than in January?

In this article, we will explore why January is the best time to start an SEO project and how it can benefit your business.

A New Year Brings New Opportunities

Take Advantage of a “Fresh Start” Mentality

January is a time for new beginnings and setting goals for the year ahead. This “fresh start” mentality should be applied to your business as well. By starting an SEO project in January, you are taking advantage of this mindset and setting your business up for success in the coming year.

Take Advantage of the Slow Late Winter Season

For some businesses, January is a slow season. This means that you may have more time and resources available to dedicate to an SEO project. By starting in January, you can make the most of this slower period and set your business up for success when things pick up again.

Take Advantage of Increased Seasonal Website Traffic

With improved online visibility comes increased website traffic. Once Christmas and New Year are out of the way, many consumers and businesses resume their normal purchasing behaviour. For some markets, the post-New Year period, is their busiest of the year. By appearing higher in search results, more people will be attracted to your website, giving you the opportunity to engage them and convert them into customers.

Get Ahead of the Game and Beat the Competition

Many businesses wait until later in the year to start their SEO projects, which means that by starting in January, you can get a head start on your competition. This can give you a significant advantage in terms of online visibility and search engine rankings.

Starting an SEO project in January means that you can get ahead of the game and be prepared for the busier months ahead. By the time your competitors start their SEO projects, you will already have a head start and be well on your way to improving your online visibility before your competitors can respond.

How to Get Started with a New Year SEO Project

Set Goals and Create a Plan

Before diving into an SEO project, it is important to set clear goals and create a plan for achieving them. This will help you stay focused and measure the success of your project.

• • Ranking and Visibility of key pages and search terms

• • Improving the quality of existing content

• • Creating new content

• • Eliminating poor content

• • Tidying up – Such as removing broken links and updating your site map

Refresh Your Keyword Research

Keyword research is a crucial part of any SEO project. Most websites start with a set of target keywords and rarely change them. Carrying out keyword research in January, means you have a whole calendar year of keywords to analyse and compare with previous years. Look to identify the keywords and phrases that have grown in volume or developed a greater propensity to convert.

Re-Optimise Your Key Website Pages

Optimising your website involves making changes to improve its search engine ranking. This can include things like improving site speed, creating high-quality content, and optimising meta tags and descriptions. But whatever you do, make sure that your website’s key pages are prioritised. Pages may get stale over time. Take a fresh look at each key page and see if you can improve its performance.

Monitor and Measure Your Progress

As you implement your revised SEO strategies, it is important to monitor and measure your progress. This will help you identify what is working and what needs to be adjusted to achieve your goals. Initially the focus may be rankings. So first, use a ranking tool such Moz.com to monitor changes in website visibility. Secondly keep a close watch on your website analytics. Particularly the behaviour of organic searches that convert.

Real-World Examples of Successful January SEO

Venue Holidays – A Kent Business Using International SEO

Venue Holidays is a Kent-based tour operator serving customers in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The key booking period is from Christmas to Easter. Each year we would conduct an SEO audit of the site to make sure all the key pages were functioning and aligned to the major promotional messages and offers.

MTM Environmental – Local SEO Across Southern England

MTM operates throughout the south and southeast of England. Many of the keywords and phrases that convert have a local component – either a town or a county. Therefore local SEO is a priority. January is a great time to revisit the key local website pages but also to review their presence on Google Business Pages.

Who Should Be Involved in an SEO Project?

The Marketing Function

First, only your marketing department will have a full picture of their marketing plans for the year. Secondly, as any SEO expert will tell you, your brand is usually the single biggest source of website traffic. Via search or through other media.

SEO Specialists

SEO specialists are experts in optimising websites for search engines. They can help with keyword research, website optimization, and monitoring and analysing progress.

Content Creators

High-quality content is crucial for SEO success. Content creators can help with creating blog posts, website copy, and other content that should be optimised for search engines.

Web Developers

Web developers can help with optimizing website design and functionality for better user experience and improved search engine rankings.

Key Takeaways

Starting an SEO project in January can bring numerous benefits to your business, including improved online visibility, increased website traffic, and a competitive edge. By setting clear goals, conducting fresh keyword research, and optimising the key pages of your website, you can set your business up for success in the new year. So why wait? Start your SEO project today and see the results for yourself.