Dr. Ali Jaffar Zia

When I first started doing SEO audits, I’d spend an entire day just going through a single website — checking everything manually and making pages of notes. Today, I can confidently audit a website for SEO in under 2 hours — and I’ll walk you through exactly how I do it. Whether I’m onboarding a new client or checking up on a large brand’s domain, I follow a clear, repeatable process using the right tools, so nothing falls through the cracks. “According to HubSpot’s 2023 State of SEO report, 61% of marketers say improving SEO and growing organic presence is their top inbound priority.” (HubSpot) Speed matters, but so does depth. Here’s how I strike that balance. Step 1: Technical Health Check (15–20 mins) Before anything else, I start with the technical foundation. Without this, no amount of content or links will help your rankings. I plug the domain into Screaming Frog SEO Spider and look for: Broken links (404 errors) Missing or duplicate title tags and meta descriptions Multiple H1s on the same page Pages blocked by robots.txt Canonical errors Then I use Google Search Console to: Check indexing status Monitor crawl errors Look for manual actions or security issues “Pro Tip: A healthy technical foundation ensures Googlebot can crawl, index, and rank your pages without friction.” Step 2: Core Web Vitals & Mobile UX (10–15 mins) Next, I check performance and usability. I run the domain through PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse to get: Core Web Vitals scores (Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, Cumulative Layout Shift) Mobile-friendliness Load speed breakdown by element “Websites that load in 1 second have a conversion rate 3x higher than those that load in 5 seconds.” (Portent) If performance is poor, I flag image compression, script optimization, and server response issues for the dev team. Step 3: On-Page SEO Review (20 mins) Now it’s time to look at how well the site is optimized for search intent. I use Ahrefs Site Audit and Yoast SEO (if it’s a WordPress site) to evaluate: Keyword targeting and placement Meta tags and structured data Internal linking strategy Header hierarchy (H1 > H2 > H3) Image alt tags “Pro Tip: Every page should target one main keyword and support 2–3 related secondary keywords.” Step 4: Content Quality & Relevance (15–20 mins) I move to content analysis. This step is part SEO and part editorial judgment. I manually check 5–10 key landing pages and blog posts to answer: Is the content up-to-date and accurate? Is it well-formatted with subheadings and visuals? Does it answer user intent better than competitors? I use Surfer SEO to compare content against top-ranking pages and identify content gaps or over-optimization issues. “47% of buyers view 3–5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep.” (Demand Gen Report) Step 5: Backlink Profile & Off-Page Signals (15 mins) Even a technically perfect site won’t rank without authority. I use Ahrefs, Moz, and SEMrush to: Review the number and quality of referring domains Identify toxic backlinks that might need disavowing Spot broken or lost backlinks Check anchor text distribution “Websites ranking on Page 1 of Google have an average of 3.8x more backlinks than those on Page 2.” (Backlinko) Step 6: Competitive Benchmarking (10 mins) Finally, I benchmark the site against its top 3 competitors. I compare: Domain Authority Organic traffic trends Keyword overlap Backlink volume I use Similarweb for traffic comparison and Ubersuggest for quick keyword ideas. “Pro Tip: Knowing what your competitors rank for is half the battle — reverse-engineer their strategy.” Tools I Use to Audit Websites Fast Here’s a roundup of tools that help me audit faster and more effectively: Screaming Frog: For site crawl and technical audit Google Search Console: Indexing and crawl diagnostics PageSpeed Insights: Core Web Vitals and mobile UX Ahrefs: Backlink and content analysis Surfer SEO: Content scoring Yoast SEO: WordPress on-page optimization Ubersuggest: Keyword and competitive research Notion: To document and organize the audit findings Semrush: To check site health Seobility: For detail audit, crawling and to find out on-page seo score. Final Thoughts When you learn to audit a website for SEO under pressure, time becomes your ally — not your enemy. This 2-hour audit workflow has helped me land new clients, improve rankings quickly, and build long-term strategies with clarity and confidence. “Pro Tip: Don’t audit for the sake of auditing — audit with a plan to act. Every issue should have a fix and a timeline.” If you want my full SEO audit checklist, or you’re ready for a professional review of your own site, check out my full SEO audit process where I break everything down in even more detail. Read More: How I Handle Duplicate Content on Large Sites Guest Posting: Still Worth It for Long-Term SEO? Using Google Search Console to Monitor SEO Growth

When I first started building my personal brand and digital marketing presence, I kept hearing the same phrase over and over again: “Guest posting is dead.” But the truth is, it’s far from it. In fact, if done strategically, guest posting SEO strategy is still one of the most powerful tools for long-term search engine growth and brand authority. I’ve seen it work wonders in my own campaigns and those I’ve managed for clients. So, let’s get real about guest posting. Is it still worth your time and effort in 2025 and beyond? Spoiler alert — absolutely yes, but only if you do it right. Why Guest Posting Still Matters Back in the day, guest posting was abused by marketers looking to manipulate search engine rankings with spammy backlinks. But Google has grown smarter. Now, quality, relevance, and authenticity are the game changers. Done right, a guest posting SEO strategy can drive targeted traffic, build your authority, and strengthen your link profile. “According to a study by Semrush, 53% of digital marketers say guest posting is among their top five link-building strategies.” That stat alone should tell you something — guest posting isn’t dead, it’s evolved. My Experience With Guest Posting I remember one of my earliest guest posts for a small but reputable design blog. It wasn’t a giant traffic magnet, but it sent me three clients who turned into long-term retainers. That one piece of content, focused on graphic design for conversion, delivered more ROI than some entire ad campaigns. This is the power of relevance and authority. When you contribute valuable insights to a niche-relevant platform, you’re not just earning a link — you’re earning trust. What Makes a Guest Posting Strategy Successful? If you’re diving into guest posting hoping for instant ranking jumps, you’ll be disappointed. A guest posting SEO strategy works best when it’s consistent, intentional, and paired with great content. 1. Choose Reputable, Niche-Relevant Sites Don’t waste your time on content farms or irrelevant blogs. Google values links from authoritative, relevant sources. Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to vet domain authority. Check whether the blog has an engaged audience (comments, shares, email list, etc.). “Pro Tip: Only pitch to sites where your target audience already hangs out. Relevance beats reach.” 2. Deliver Genuine Value Forget keyword stuffing. Your article should educate, inspire, or solve a specific problem. Offer original data, case studies, or personal insights. Follow the host blog’s tone, format, and style guidelines. “According to Backlinko, the average word count of top-performing guest posts is 1,142 words. Aim for depth, not fluff.” 3. Optimize for the Right Anchor Text When linking back to your site, keep anchor text natural and non-spammy. Over-optimization is a red flag. Use branded or long-tail keywords (like “Ali Jaffar Zia’s digital marketing blog”). Avoid exact match anchors in every post. 4. Be Consistent, Not Spammy A good guest posting SEO strategy builds gradually. Google loves consistency over chaotic spikes. “Pro Tip: Set a goal of 1-2 quality guest posts per month — it’s more sustainable and effective.” How I Incorporate Guest Posting Into My SEO Workflow For my personal brand site and client projects, guest posting is a recurring task in our content calendar. Here’s a glimpse of how I fit it into the broader strategy: Keyword Research – I use SEMrush to find long-tail keywords like “guest posting SEO strategy” that offer high ROI. Pitching – I personalize every outreach email. No templates. Writing – The content is written by me or my content team and goes through an editorial process before submission. Tracking – Every post is logged in a tracker where we monitor links, anchor text, referral traffic, and impact on SERPs. “According to HubSpot, companies that blog get 97% more backlinks than those who don’t. Guest blogging amplifies this effect.” What Google Says (And Why It Matters) Google has made it clear: link schemes are a no-go. But authentic guest blogging is not a scheme. If your post: Adds real value to the reader Is relevant to the host blog Includes natural, contextual links …you’re in the clear. Even Google’s own blog encourages collaboration and thought leadership. Pitfalls to Avoid Let me be honest — I’ve made mistakes in guest posting too. Here’s what I learned not to do: Don’t publish on spammy, irrelevant sites just for a backlink. Don’t use exact-match keywords for every anchor text. Don’t forget to promote your guest post after it’s published. “Pro Tip: Promote your guest posts on LinkedIn, Twitter, and your newsletter. Don’t just post and ghost.” The ROI of a Guest Posting SEO Strategy Some clients ask, “Is it really worth the effort?” My answer: a resounding yes. While it’s not a silver bullet, guest posting creates a compound effect over time: Boosts domain authority Drives relevant referral traffic Positions you as an expert Builds long-term relationships in your niche “Brands that focus on link-building through guest posting see 40% higher search rankings within six months (Ahrefs Study).” Final Thoughts: Is Guest Posting Still Worth It? For me, the answer is clear. A well-executed guest posting SEO strategy is still one of the best ways to grow your visibility, authority, and search rankings. It’s not about chasing links — it’s about creating connections and providing value. So yes, guest posting is still worth it — if you treat it as part of a long-term game. Ready to Level Up Your SEO? If you’re serious about growing your digital presence through strategic guest posting, check out my complete content marketing approach that’s helped brands scale up sustainably. Let’s take your strategy to the next level — together. Also Read: Why SEO Takes Time: Understanding Google’s Ranking Factors Content Clusters and Topic Authority: The New SEO Strategy Technical SEO Best Practices for Maximum Website Performance

Google Search Console (GSC) is one of the most powerful tools available to track the performance and growth of your SEO campaigns. While many SEO professionals rely on premium analytics platforms, GSC delivers unmatched insights directly from Google itself—making it not just essential, but fundamental to long-term SEO success. According to Statista, Google holds over 91% of the global search engine market share. This makes understanding how your site performs on Google Search a top priority. In this guide, we will explore how to use Google Search Console to monitor SEO growth effectively, which key reports to focus on, and how to translate its data into actionable steps. Setting Up Google Search Console Before diving into the analytics, make sure your website is connected to Google Search Console. If not: Go to Google Search Console Click on “Start Now” Add your domain as a property Verify ownership via DNS records, HTML tag, or Google Analytics tracking ID Once verified, GSC starts collecting data for your domain. It may take 24–48 hours for data to appear. Track Keyword Performance with the Performance Tab The “Performance” tab is the core area to track how your keywords and pages are performing in search. Here you’ll find: Total Clicks: How many users clicked your link from search results Total Impressions: The number of times your page was seen Average CTR: The ratio of clicks to impressions Average Position: Where your website ranks for queries These insights help you assess which queries are gaining traction and which pages are generating the most interest. Use the comparison feature to analyze performance over different timeframes and identify growth trends in your SEO campaign. Find Low-Hanging Keywords for Quick Wins Within the same Performance tab, look for keywords that have high impressions but a low click-through rate (CTR). These are often terms where your page is ranking but not converting traffic. Reasons could include: Unattractive meta titles or descriptions Weak call-to-action Mismatch between content and search intent By rewriting your meta descriptions or optimizing your content for these queries, you can often increase traffic without needing to rank higher. Analyze Page-Level Performance Under the “Pages” section, you can filter performance data at the page level. This allows you to: Evaluate which blog posts or landing pages are driving organic traffic Identify content that ranks for multiple queries See what pages need updates or further optimization This page-specific data helps with content audits and guides your ongoing content strategy. You’ll clearly see which URLs need improvements and which ones deserve more promotion or backlink support. Track Backlink Impact with Visibility Trends Backlink building is a key part of any SEO strategy. While tools like Ahrefs help track your backlinks, GSC helps monitor how those links affect organic growth. From day one of an SEO campaign, link-building efforts begin. But by month four, you’ll often see credible websites begin linking to your content naturally. This leads to a noticeable rise in impressions and average rankings in GSC. While we do start backlinks from the first month, it’s around the fourth month that we start seeing authoritative websites referencing your content — creating a snowball effect in visibility and ranking growth. Identify and Fix Indexing Issues in Coverage Report The “Coverage” section under the “Index” tab shows which pages are indexed and which ones are not. Errors in this section could include: Crawl issues Soft 404s Server errors Excluded pages Ensuring that all important pages are indexed is foundational to SEO success. Regularly reviewing and resolving issues in this report ensures your new content is discoverable and contributes to your SEO goals. Monitor Core Web Vitals to Improve Page Experience The “Experience” tab includes Core Web Vitals — a critical ranking signal since Google’s Page Experience update. These metrics include: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Measures load speed FID (First Input Delay): Measures interactivity CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Measures visual stability If your URLs fail these thresholds, GSC will provide the affected pages. You can cross-reference them with PageSpeed Insights to get optimization suggestions. Improving these metrics enhances both user experience and rankings over time. Evaluate Mobile Usability for SEO Health With Google’s mobile-first indexing, the Mobile Usability report is essential. It highlights: Elements that are too close together Text that’s too small Content that exceeds screen width Responsive design and mobile-friendly pages are now baseline expectations for SEO. Monitoring and fixing mobile usability issues directly impacts bounce rate, engagement, and keyword rankings. Submit New Content with the URL Inspection Tool Whenever you publish new content or update existing content, use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing. This action not only accelerates the crawling process but also ensures that your changes are reflected in search results more quickly. It’s especially important for time-sensitive or campaign-driven content. Compare Data Over Time for Measurable Growth Use the date comparison feature to assess your SEO growth. For example: Compare “Last 3 months” to the “Previous 3 months” Evaluate growth in impressions, clicks, and average positions Check whether new keywords or pages are gaining visibility This feature is especially helpful when reporting progress to stakeholders or determining the ROI of content and backlink efforts. Conclusion Google Search Console provides the clearest lens into your website’s organic search performance. By consistently reviewing keyword data, page performance, indexing issues, mobile usability, and Core Web Vitals, you gain a comprehensive view of how your SEO efforts are paying off. One of the most overlooked advantages of GSC is its ability to correlate backlink efforts with actual search visibility. You might be earning links from niche directories, guest posts, or digital PR—but the real test of those efforts is whether they result in increased impressions and keyword coverage, something only GSC can confirm directly from Google. To learn how to integrate GSC insights with broader SEO strategies like content clusters, backlinks, and technical audits, explore more actionable tips on our Ali Jaffar Zia SEO blog. By making Google Search Console a central part of your SEO monitoring strategy,

Search engine optimization (SEO) is not a sprint — it’s a long game. When clients or businesses invest in SEO, one of the most common questions they ask is, “How long will it take to see results?” The reality is, the first 6 months of SEO are foundational. This period is about setting the stage, building trust with search engines, and executing a strategy that pays off over time. In this blog, I’ll walk you through exactly what happens during the first 6 months of SEO based on what I’ve done for my own clients and observed in campaigns. According to a study by Ahrefs, only 5.7% of pages rank in the top 10 search results within a year of publication — and most of them took 2–6 months. This is proof that real results take real time. Month 1: SEO Audit, Strategy & Planning The journey begins with an in-depth audit and roadmap creation. No shortcuts — just solid groundwork. Here’s what I typically handle during Month 1: Comprehensive SEO Audit: Identify technical issues, crawl errors, indexing problems, and page experience issues using tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, and Ahrefs Site Audit. Keyword Research: Discover high-intent keywords with the right balance of volume and competition. Competitive Analysis: Understand what your top-ranking competitors are doing and how to outperform them. Content Audit: Identify which pages to retain, update, or eliminate. SEO Strategy Blueprint: Create a structured 6–12 month SEO action plan. Pro Tip:“Before thinking about rankings, build a website that search engines can crawl, understand, and trust. Month 2: Technical Fixes & Core Optimization In the second month, the focus shifts to technical SEO implementation and on-page optimization. Key tasks include: Resolving crawl issues, 404 errors, redirect chains Enhancing website speed via Google PageSpeed Insights Improving mobile usability and responsiveness Adding schema markup using Schema.org Cleaning and updating XML sitemaps and robots.txt Optimizing metadata (titles, descriptions, header tags) By the end of Month 2, the website becomes significantly more search-engine and user-friendly. Month 3: Content Creation & Topic Clustering This is where the content engine starts. Content strategies I implement include: Creating blog posts around long-tail, informational keywords Updating product/service pages with optimized copy Building topical clusters and internal linking structures to support pillar content Publishing content that aligns with Google’s E-E-A-T principles — Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust Month 4: Authority Building at Scale While backlinks are pursued from Day 1, Month 4 is where momentum begins. By now, your optimized content starts getting discovered, indexed, and referenced. Activities during this phase include: Doubling down on outreach to authoritative websites for backlinks Targeting industry-relevant sites for guest posting and digital PR Promoting valuable content via LinkedIn, Quora, Reddit, and other referral platforms Monitoring earned backlinks and disavowing spammy ones via Google Disavow Tool Pro Tip:“We plant the seeds for backlinks early, but Month 4 is when we push the pedal to scale high-quality link acquisition and improve Domain Authority.” Month 5: Optimization Through Data Now that there’s measurable activity, Month 5 becomes all about analyzing and improving performance. Here’s what I focus on: Track keyword rankings, CTRs, impressions using Google Search Console Review traffic patterns in Google Analytics 4 Update underperforming content Identify new content opportunities from Search Console queries Expand content clusters with supporting blogs and deep internal links At this point, SEO is like managing a living, breathing system. Every move is data-driven. Month 6: Early Wins & SEO Momentum By Month 6, real results begin to surface. You can expect: First-page rankings for long-tail and branded terms Increased visibility in featured snippets or “People also ask” 20% to 100%+ growth in organic traffic (based on niche and competition) Domain authority and trust metrics start to improve ROI from blog traffic, service inquiries, or conversions This is when the initial investment starts compounding. Your SEO becomes self-sustaining — as content, traffic, and backlinks begin to feed one another. Beyond 6 Months: Scaling with Confidence After 6 months, your site is no longer starting from scratch. It has: A clean, crawlable, fast structure Keyword-optimized, helpful content A steady stream of backlinks Established authority in your niche This is the time to scale your SEO strategy, enter more competitive SERPs, and expand your content reach. Final Thoughts Understanding what happens during the first 6 months of SEO sets the right expectations. SEO is not instant. It’s not an ad campaign. It’s a strategic investment in long-term visibility. And if you stick with it, the rewards are compounding. If you’re serious about building a strong online presence, now is the time to invest in real, consistent SEO work. Ready to start your SEO journey the right way? Explore my full SEO approach here. Read More: Page Speed Optimization: How It Affects Long-Term SEO Google GA4: A Complete Guide for Digital Marketers in 2025 10 Core Web Vitals and Their Impact on SEO  

Google has been consistently evolving how it ranks websites, and with the introduction of Core Web Vitals, it’s clear that user experience is now central to SEO. These metrics directly impact how your site performs in search results—and ignoring them can cost you valuable traffic. According to a Google Search Central report, pages that meet the Core Web Vitals criteria have a 24% lower bounce rate and a higher chance of ranking on page one. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the 10 Core Web Vitals (both official and extended performance metrics) that affect your SEO rankings and what you can do to fix issues that arise. What Are Core Web Vitals? Core Web Vitals are a set of performance signals that reflect how users experience the speed, responsiveness, and visual stability of a webpage. Initially, Google focused on three main metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Over time, more metrics were adopted to support a more complete picture of user experience. Understanding these metrics is crucial for any successful core web vitals SEO strategy. 1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) What it measures: Loading performance. Specifically, the time it takes for the largest content element (like an image or heading) to become visible. Good score: ≤ 2.5 seconds Impact: A slow LCP makes users abandon pages quickly, signaling poor performance to Google. Fix it with: Proper image optimization, using lazy loading, and eliminating render-blocking resources. Pro Tip: Use PageSpeed Insights to locate slow-loading elements and prioritize loading above-the-fold content. 2. First Input Delay (FID) What it measures: Interactivity. The time between a user’s first interaction (like a click) and the browser’s response. Good score: ≤ 100 ms Note: FID is being replaced by Interaction to Next Paint (INP), which we’ll cover next. Fix it with: Reducing JavaScript execution time and minimizing third-party scripts. 3. Interaction to Next Paint (INP) What it measures: A more comprehensive view of responsiveness than FID. INP considers all interactions throughout a user’s session. Good score: ≤ 200 ms Fix it with: Deferring non-critical JavaScript and eliminating long tasks. Use Chrome User Experience Report to analyze INP. 4. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) What it measures: Visual stability. It tracks unexpected layout shifts that occur while a page loads. Good score: ≤ 0.1 Fix it with: Defining dimensions for images and videos, avoiding dynamic content injections. 5. Time to First Byte (TTFB) What it measures: Server responsiveness. The time between a user’s browser requesting a page and the server’s response. Ideal score: ≤ 200 ms Fix it with: Upgrading to faster hosting, reducing server response times, and using CDN services like Cloudflare. 6. First Contentful Paint (FCP) What it measures: How long it takes for the first piece of DOM content to render (text/image). Good score: ≤ 1.8 seconds Fix it with: Compressing assets, preloading fonts, and using WebP format for images. 7. Total Blocking Time (TBT) What it measures: The total time a page is blocked from responding to user input between FCP and Time to Interactive (TTI). Ideal score: ≤ 200 ms Fix it with: Splitting long JavaScript tasks and reducing the impact of third-party code. 8. Time to Interactive (TTI) What it measures: The time it takes for a page to become fully interactive. Good score: ≤ 5 seconds Fix it with: Prioritizing critical scripts and lazy-loading non-critical ones. 9. Speed Index (SI) What it measures: How quickly the content of a page is visibly populated. Good score: ≤ 3.4 seconds Fix it with: Minimizing main-thread work and compressing text-based resources with Gzip or Brotli. 10. Navigation Timing (Extended Metric) What it measures: Overall user navigation experience including DNS lookup, redirect time, and more. While not officially part of the “Core 3,” this extended metric provides context about full user journeys. Fix it with: Reducing DNS lookups, limiting redirects, and enabling keep-alive headers. How Core Web Vitals Affect SEO The core web vitals SEO relationship is direct and measurable. Google has publicly stated that Core Web Vitals are ranking signals. When your site performs well on these metrics, not only do users stay longer, but search engines reward your page with better visibility. In fact, Backlinko noted that sites on the first page of Google tend to load 87% faster than those on page two. This makes Core Web Vitals one of the most overlooked SEO tactics for high impact. Pro Tip: Core Web Vitals are not just for developers. SEO professionals should work closely with the technical team to regularly audit and monitor these scores. Tools to Monitor and Fix Core Web Vitals Google Search Console: Offers a detailed Core Web Vitals report based on real user data. Lighthouse: Chrome tool for auditing page speed and UX. WebPageTest: Provides waterfall charts and advanced diagnostics. GTmetrix: Combines Google and Lighthouse data for insights and suggestions. These tools help detect what’s slowing your pages down and offer actionable fixes. Final Thoughts Optimizing for Core Web Vitals isn’t optional—it’s a core requirement for modern SEO success. Search engines and users both demand fast, responsive, and stable websites. By integrating Core Web Vitals into your ongoing technical SEO audits, you’ll improve your rankings, lower bounce rates, and create a more delightful experience for every visitor. Want to go deeper into technical SEO? Read our related guide: Schema Markup Errors and How I Fix Them. Also Read: Social Captions That Increase Engagement by 3X How the Instagram Algorithm Works in 2025 & How to Beat It The Right Way to Ask LinkedIn Experts for Article Contributions