Web3 SEO: The secret to growing 10x+ this year

Hey folks, Victoria Olsina here, your go-to SEO whisperer for all things Web3 and blockchain, weaving through the intricate web of Blockchain SEO to share some insights sprinkled with my real-world experiences (unlike everyone else ranking right now for "web3 SEO" 🤣).

I believe that in the dynamic world of Web3 and blockchain marketing, making your mark requires more than just a stellar protocol; it needs a robust SEO strategy to illuminate your project's unique value.

Let's embark on this journey together, drawing from my playbook with the biggest names in Web3 like Bankless, Outlier Ventures, Polkadot, ConsenSys, Near Protocol, Aztec, Web3 Foundation, Ethereum Foundation, and others. 🛠️

Everything I'm going to say now is also available on video - here's my SEO x Web3 webinar:

Understanding organic traffic and its importance💡

• 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine

• 15% of the daily Google searches have never been searched before

• 66% of all organic clicks go to the first five search results on the SERP 

• 0.63% of searchers clicked on something from page two

• SEO is the second-best converting source of traffic. The first one is email marketing (but your customers have to be on your list FIRST)

• SEO is the main source of traffic and leads for all my clients

• Most Web3 brands are not doing SEO - this is a huge opportunity to get you on top of the search results fast.

Imagine your blockchain protocol as a lighthouse in the vast digital ocean. SEO is the beam that guides ships (aka your audience) to your shore. With my tenure in the SEO domain, I've piloted projects from obscurity to spotlight, emphasizing that SEO isn't just about visibility; it's about connecting your groundbreaking solutions with those who seek them. From my work with giants like Barclays to innovative Web3 pioneers, the essence of SEO remains the same—driving meaningful engagement through strategic visibility. 🎯

What is Web3 SEO? Understanding the Basics:

1. On-Page Optimisation: This involves optimising website content, HTML tags, meta descriptions, and URLs to make them more search engine friendly. By incorporating relevant keywords naturally and ensuring high-quality content, on-page optimisation enhances the chances of ranking higher in SERPs.

2. Off-Page Optimisation: focuses on building high-quality backlinks from reputable sources. This includes guest blogging, influencer outreach, content syndication, digital PR and participating in Web3 communities and forums. These backlinks improve website authority and boost visibility.

3. Technical SEO Technical: involves optimising website structure, indexing, and crawling to enhance search engine visibility. This includes ensuring proper website architecture, using sitemaps, improving site speed, and optimising mobile responsiveness.

Web3 marketing myth-busting: “My team knows SEO” 🤔

I have heard many Web3 founders say:

• My dev team knows SEO…

• My designer knows SEO…

• My content writer knows SEO…

• My growth team knows SEO…

But the truth is that none of those roles are accountable for ranking your website on Google and delivering more organic visits.

None of them have been trained to understand how search engines work: discover, index & display content. Nor do they keep abreast of constant changes to the SERP, algorithm, etc.

Here's the essence:

• Page Design & SEO: Engaging designs retain visitors but don't inherently boost SEO.

• Correcting Bugs: Vital for site health yet not a direct factor in enhancing rankings.

• Keywords: They need a strategic approach; absent this, they're merely words.

• Content Production: Without SEO integration, even the finest content risks obscurity.

 SEO It’s all of that. And more.

SEO is the overarching process of optimising a site for the USERS that will come from organic search.🕵️  

Optimising content for Web3 SEO: Turning your Web3 content strategy into results

Most of my Web3 clients have a content team, which has never done keyword research before. They write based on what they think is good.

With SEO you can write based on data insights.

Content without strategy is just stuff - mic drop.

SEO brings the data insights your content strategy needs.

Every page should be built with SEO in mind, that’s why we use SEO Content Briefs: a detailed document with SEO instructions to take your content from zero to hero. For example:

You need to live and breathe Web3 to do SEO for Web3

Navigating the SEO landscape with a blockchain twist involves a blend of creativity, technical savvy, and a deep understanding of the Web3 industry.

Most of my clients reach out to me after their SEO agency has shown very little knowledge of their industry. Luckily for me, the first thing I check in the morning is Coinmarketcap! WAGMI

Intricate industry knowledge is key for projects where the keyword volume reported by tools might show as non-existent. Tools need time to report traffic volume and keyword difficulty, in an industry at the bleeding age of innovation - this is tricky. I remember working at ConsenSys when I had to optimise an article about something called "DeFi" and there was no keyword volume for that in 2018. Six months later, it was the most popular piece of content on the blog.

Engaging with a seasoned Web3 SEO expert transformed the trajectories of projects I've collaborated with, from strategic advisories to hands-on implementations. These partnerships have been instrumental in deciphering the complexities of blockchain narratives, ensuring that our stories resonate across the digital spectrum, transcending geographical and cultural barriers.

Don't believe me? Check my case studies at the bottom of the article!

Best Practices for Leveraging Web3 Platforms for SEO Success: Avoiding these 5 common SEO mistakes

Building the ideal website transcends mere expertise in the blockchain realm. It involves a deep understanding of the technical factors crucial for a brand's organic search success, especially in crypto marketing and SEO strategies specific to cryptocurrencies.

Having dedicated six years to the blockchain industry, I've pinpointed prevalent SEO oversights in several webinars. Key mistakes include:

1. Not having a CMS: Many Web3 developers shy away from utilizing CMS solutions like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal for their blockchain projects, despite their widespread use across over 40% of web domains. This hesitation stems from a reluctance to engage with Web 2.0 technologies. Opting for a custom HTML site necessitates front-end developer intervention for minor updates, a process simplified by CMS, thereby significantly benefiting SEO efforts.

2. Creation of Single-Page Websites: Single-page sites can significantly hinder Google SERP rankings. Rather than compiling all information—product details, contact information, and company background—on a single page, it's beneficial to develop multiple pages tailored to specific keyword sets, enhancing SEO potential.

3. Neglecting Keywords in Page Titles: Keywords are the backbone of the internet. For companies not as universally recognized as Coca-Cola, it's crucial to communicate the brand's essence and offerings to Google through 'keyword research.' Utilizing keywords in page titles and headings enables users to discover your site on Google, even without brand name awareness.

For instance, during my tenure at ConsenSys, a company rooted in Ethereum technology, we identified 'blockchain technology solutions' and 'ethereum solutions' as descriptive keywords, leading to a homepage title like 'Blockchain Technology Solutions | Ethereum Solutions | ConsenSys'.

1. Too many Subdomains: Lacking a CMS, any extension of website functionality, such as adding new pages or a blog, often results in the creation of subdomains. This dilutes the SEO equity of the main domain since Google views each subdomain as an independent entity, not sharing the original domain's SEO value. CMS platforms offer plugins and extensions that allow for functionality expansion without the need for subdomains, consolidating SEO efforts and simplifying analytics tracking.

2. Medium for Blogging: Medium, while a popular content-sharing platform, claims ownership over all content published on it. Until 2019, the platform didn't support canonical tags, meaning all SEO benefits from published articles would accrue to Medium. To ensure all SEO advantages and link equity benefit the primary site, it's advised to incorporate blog functionality directly on the website and leverage social media for content promotion.

How to Implement Effective Web3 SEO Strategies for Organic Traffic?

I'm happy you asked! Check are my Web3 SEO case studies:

🏆Drove £1m in sales for Consensys with the Enterprise Eth campaign: https://victoriaolsina.com/industries/seo-blockchain/

🏆Increased Book a Demo leads 12x for a Crypto Compliance client: https://victoriaolsina.com/industries/seo-for-saas/

🏆Increased organic traffic by 528% for a Defi client: https://victoriaolsina.com/industries/defi-seo/

Ready to start your Web3 SEO journey? Book a free consultation with me.

https://calendly.com/victoria_olsina/

This is the end of this article but I'm going to write some FAQs to make it rank better 🤣

FAQs:

How does Web3 differ from Web2 in terms of SEO?

Web3 projects need to be discoverable by Web2 users and visible on search engine results such as Google. Maybe one day a Web3 search engine is created, and that day we will have to adapt the content strategies to another algorithm.

For now, optimise for Web2 if you want to gain users for Web3.

How does the Web3 audience impact SEO practices?

Understanding the web3 audience is crucial for optimising your website for search, as their search intent differs from traditional search engine users.

What are the best practices for SEO in 2024?

In 2024, effective SEO strategies involve adapting to the web3 landscape and leveraging platforms like social media for improved search engine results.

My top tip for 2024 is to use hybrid models for AI. AI. Here's my interview with David Baine from Majestic SEO, which served as inspiration for my section of the book "SEO in 2024." Yes! I was featured in an SEO book.

What is the ultimate guide to Web3 SEO?

Probably the 2 videos I posted before are a solid beginner's guide.

#web3marketing #web3seo