SEO Strategy 101: How to Create a Long-Term Ranking Plan

Hey folks — welcome back to Mani’s SEO Podcast, where we break down real strategies that help real websites grow.

I’m your host, Mani Pathak, and today’s episode is for anyone who’s tired of quick hacks and one-time SEO tricks.

Because today, we’re talking about the big picture — how to build an SEO strategy that actually lasts.

Let’s call it SEO Strategy 101: How to Create a Long-Term Ranking Plan.

Whether you're running a blog, a local business site, or an e-commerce store — this episode is going to give you the exact framework I’ve used for years to rank and retain traffic.

Let’s start with something important.

SEO tactics are temporary.
They help you win for a while. But without a strategy? You’re just patching holes on a sinking ship.

What you need is a structured, long-term plan that:

• Grows your topical authority

• Builds trust with Google

• Brings in consistent, qualified traffic

• And adapts to algorithm updates

Let’s build that, step by step.

SEO isn’t just about traffic. It’s about impact.

Ask yourself:

• What do I want SEO to achieve?

• Is it more product sales? More service inquiries? Leads? Bookings?

The keywords you target, the content you create — it all depends on this.

Every great SEO strategy starts with a clear business goal.

This is where most people mess up — they start writing random blog posts with trendy keywords.

But a long-term SEO plan maps out keywords across the entire buyer journey:

• Top of funnel (awareness): “how to clean tiles naturally”

• Middle of funnel (consideration): “best tile cleaning companies in Mumbai”

• Bottom of funnel (conversion): “book tile cleaning service online”

You need a mix of:

• Informational keywords

• Commercial intent keywords

• Local or transactional terms

Organize them by page type — service, blog, FAQ, location page, etc.

Google ranks pages, yes — but it also reads your site structure.

Here’s what you need:

• A clean sitemap

• Internal linking between related topics

• Cornerstone or pillar pages (your most important topics)

• Supportive blog posts to build topical depth

  
  

This part is key.

Your content needs to be:

• Helpful — answer real user questions

• Well-structured — use headings, bullets, and clear sections

• Optimized — use your keywords naturally, add internal links, use schema

• Updated — Google rewards freshness, so revisit key posts every 6–12 months

Also — don’t forget visuals. Infographics, how-to videos, step-by-steps — they increase time on page and reduce bounce.

You’ve probably heard me say this in other episodes:

"Google doesn’t just trust what you say about your site. It cares what others say."

So part of your long-term SEO strategy should include:

• Earning backlinks from relevant sites

• Guest blogging

• Getting mentioned in directories or industry lists

• Leveraging PR or social signals

This builds domain authority, which helps every page rank better.

Don’t just track traffic. Track the things that lead to growth:

• Conversions (form fills, calls, bookings)

• Keyword rankings (are you gaining visibility?)

• Time on page

• Bounce rate

• Pages per session

Tools I recommend:

• Google Search Console

• GA4

• Ahrefs or Semrush

• Clarity or Hotjar for user behavior

SEO isn’t a one-time project — it’s a system.

Every 3–6 months, revisit your strategy:

• Are your target pages growing?

• Are users finding what they need?

• Has Google rolled out a new update?

Adapt. Refocus. Grow.

That’s how long-term rankings are built — and protected.

Let me leave you with this:

“SEO isn’t about playing the algorithm — it’s about understanding the user.”

A long-term strategy isn’t about chasing Google.
It’s about building content and structure that aligns with what your real audience want