Organically Grow Your Website Strategy and Drive Growth in 2025

Learn how to grow your website sustainably with simple, actionable strategies. Understand the basics of site structure, backlinks, long-tail keywords, content updates, and page speed, all explained in easy-to-follow terms. Discover practical tips, tools, and resources to help small businesses improve their online presence, build trust with customers, and prepare for the future of search.

Growing your website’s strategy and visibility doesn’t happen overnight. Think of it as a fitness regime: steady, consistent effort brings the best results. Here are key elements to focus on:

1. Build a Strong Foundation

A solid website structure is crucial for success.

What is it?
Your website’s structure refers to how your pages are organised and connected. A well-structured site not only makes it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for but also helps search engines like Google understand and index your content more effectively. A logical layout and internal linking strategy improve user experience and search engine ranking.

Action Points:

• Use a simple menu with clear categories:
  Start by organising your products and services into easy-to-understand categories. For example, if you sell clothing, you could have sections like “Men’s,” “Women’s,” “Kids,” and “Sale.” This helps customers navigate your site quickly and makes it easy for search engines to crawl your pages.

• Ensure every page is no more than three clicks away from the homepage:
  Simple navigation ensures that visitors don’t have to click through multiple pages to find what they need. Google also rewards websites with clear, efficient structures in its rankings.

• Fix broken links using tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console:
  Broken links lead to poor user experience and can negatively impact your search rankings. Use tools to regularly scan your site for any broken links and correct them. Fix broken links using tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console.

2. Develop a Robust Backlink Profile

What are backlinks? Backlinks are links from other websites to your own. They’re often seen as “votes of confidence.” When high-quality sites link to yours, it signals to search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy.

Action Points:

• Create shareable content, such as how-to guides, educational pieces or infographics:
  Valuable, informative content naturally attracts links. Consider creating a comprehensive guide on a topic relevant to your products, or designing an eye-catching infographic that others will want to share.

• Collaborate with local businesses, influencers or bloggers to earn links:
  Partnering with others in your industry can help you earn valuable backlinks. Whether it’s guest blogging or co-hosting an event, collaborations can lead to new links and wider exposure.

• Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz Link Explorer to check your backlink profile:
  These tools allow you to monitor which websites are linking to yours, and identify opportunities to improve your backlink strategy. Links to Ahrefs and Moz Link Explorer.

3. Target Long-Tail Keywords

What are long-tail keywords? Long-tail keywords are specific, detailed phrases that people often search for. They are typically longer than short, generic keywords and face less competition. For instance, instead of targeting “shoes,” you might target “comfortable running shoes for flat feet.”

Action Points:

• Use Google Keyword Planner or Answer the Public to find niche keywords:
  These free tools help you identify the questions and phrases your potential customers are typing into search engines. Targeting these niche terms allows you to attract a more relevant audience. Links to Google Keyword Planner and Answer the Public to find niche keywords.

• Incorporate these phrases naturally into your content, like blog posts, campaign pages or product descriptions:
  Once you’ve identified long-tail keywords, make sure to naturally incorporate them into your product descriptions, blog posts, and landing pages to help search engines better understand your content.

4. Keep Content Fresh and Relevant

Why is this important? Search engines favour websites that regularly update their content. Fresh, updated content signals to Google that your site is active, and it helps keep your audience engaged by providing them with new and useful information.

Action Points:

• Update old blog posts with new data or examples:
  Refreshing old blog posts with up-to-date information not only improves their SEO but also ensures that your audience is getting the latest insights.

• Create a content calendar to plan regular updates:
  A content calendar will help you stay on track with updating your website regularly. Schedule time to review and refresh older content or create new posts that align with seasonal trends.

• Use tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor to refine your writing:
  These tools can help you streamline your content, fix grammatical errors, and improve readability, ensuring that your content is always clear and professional. Links to tools Grammarly and Hemingway Editor to refine your writing.

5. Prioritise Page Speed

What is page speed? Page speed is how quickly your website loads. Faster sites provide a better user experience and rank higher on Google.

Action Points:

• Compress images using tools like TinyPNG:
  Large image files can slow down your website. Compressing images before uploading them helps maintain quality while reducing load time. Link to TinyPNG.

• Test your site speed with Google PageSpeed Insights and follow the recommendations:
  Google PageSpeed Insights provides actionable suggestions for improving your site’s speed, such as reducing server response times or eliminating render-blocking resources.

• Find a developer to help you with technical tasks recommended to help with speed:
  If you’re not tech-savvy, a developer can implement advanced speed improvements like optimising your site’s backend code or setting up caching.

6. Build Authority

What is authority? Authority refers to your website’s reputation and credibility. High-authority sites are trusted by search engines and rank well for competitive keywords.

Action Points:

• Publish in-depth, well-researched content:
  Content that thoroughly covers a topic not only provides value to your visitors but also demonstrates to search engines that your website is an expert in that area.

• Earn backlinks from reputable sources (see point 2):
  Building a strong backlink profile is a key part of increasing your authority. The more reputable sites link to your content, the more authoritative your site will appear to Google.

• Maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep your site active:
  Consistency is key. Whether it’s one blog post a week or one post a month, make sure to keep publishing regularly so that your audience and search engines know that your site is active.

• Use freelancers to help you build content:
  If you’re short on time, consider hiring freelancers to help you produce high-quality content regularly. This can be particularly helpful for long-form articles or specialised content.

7. Leverage Trust Signals

What are trust signals? Trust signals are elements on your website that reassure visitors that you are credible and reliable. These include reviews, testimonials, and guarantees.

Action Points:

• Display customer reviews on product pages:
  Positive reviews increase your site’s credibility and encourage visitors to make a purchase. Consider integrating a review system like Trustpilot or Feefo for easy feedback collection.

• Highlight certifications or industry awards:
  Display any certifications, seals, or awards that validate your credibility. For example, if your website is certified for secure payments, make sure to prominently feature that.

• Respond promptly to negative reviews to show you care about customer feedback:
  Handling complaints professionally and promptly shows potential customers that you value feedback and are committed to resolving issues.

• Use platforms like Trustpilot or Feefo for collecting reviews:
  These review platforms are trusted by consumers and can significantly increase your brand’s authority when embedded on your product pages. Links to Trustpilot and Feefo for collecting reviews.

8. Prepare for the Future of Search

What’s changing? Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how people search. Voice search and conversational queries are becoming more common, so optimising for these is essential.

Action Points:

• Use natural, conversational language in your content:
  As voice search becomes more popular, using a conversational tone in your content is essential. Phrases like “best running shoes for flat feet” may sound more natural than “running shoes flat feet best.”

• Optimise for voice search by answering common questions:
  Voice searches are often questions, so structuring your content around FAQs can help you capture more voice search traffic.

• Stay updated with industry trends by following sites like Search Engine Journal:
  Keeping up-to-date with SEO trends ensures that you’re aware of changes that could impact your search rankings. Subscribe to industry blogs and newsletters for the latest insights.

9. High-Competition Keywords

What are high-competition keywords? These are keywords that receive a lot of search traffic but are also highly competitive, making it difficult to rank for them. However, if you can capture these keywords, they can bring a significant amount of traffic to your site.

Action Points:

• Regularly monitor performance using tools like SEMrush:
  Monitoring the performance of your targeted keywords allows you to see which terms are working and which need further optimisation.

• Focus on building authority to compete for these terms:
  Ranking for high-competition keywords takes time. By consistently publishing authoritative content and earning quality backlinks, you can eventually compete for these valuable terms.

• Use content marketing to support your strategy, such as in-depth guides or case studies:
  Long-form, valuable content can help you compete with larger competitors. Create comprehensive guides or case studies that target high-competition keywords and provide users with in-depth, actionable information.

Checklist: Building Customer Trust Online

Use this quick checklist to ensure your website builds trust:

• ✅ Add user reviews to product pages.

• ✅ Embed credential badges on high-intent pages.

• ✅ Display testimonials prominently.

• ✅ Ensure fast, friendly responses to all reviews.

• ✅ Integrate external review platforms into your buying process.

By following these strategies, your website can achieve consistent, organic growth. Remember, it’s all about putting in steady effort and focusing on what truly adds value to your audience.