Any business operating in the internet space has to engage in some level of search engine optimization SEO to succeed. Because search engines are so closely tied to how consumers discover and engage with businesses, virtually all of them are trying to rank higher and tap into the near-unlimited customer base the internet offers.
This, of course, has given way to crypto SEO, which is a type of SEO tied specifically to the cryptocurrency and Web3 space. Crypto startups are in an especially delicate position as they are newer to the industry and thus have to compete with existing giants while also carving their own path. If you are one of such businesses, this guide should offer some helpful tips.
Understanding SEO in the Crypto Industry
One thing to keep in mind is that the typical SEO tips that apply to the traditional business landscape might not work for a crypto startup. Crypto SEO is unique because it is trying to signal different things to customers beyond just popularity and relevance. Because the industry is newer, there have been issues in the past regarding the legitimacy of various projects. Thus, customers searching for crypto-related search terms want to find not just the best but also the most trustworthy crypto project possible.
So, when trying to win at crypto SEO, you want to highlight not just financial benefits or compliance, but trustworthiness and community. Luckily, these can be done in the following ways.
Conducting Keyword Research
One of the pillars of good SEO is finding the right keywords, and crypto SEO is no different. There are myriad tools like SEMrush and SurferSEO that can research current markets, show your keyword rankings, and offer suggestions. But for crypto SEO, it’s always worth noting that trends change very quickly. Think of the NFT, ICO, metaverse, and every other trend we’ve seen in Web3. Consumer demand rises and falls very quickly, and so you should keep this in mind.
Building a Strong Technical SEO Foundation
Besides having strong keywords, your technical foundation has to be one that signals positively to search engine crawlers. This means having good website speed and adequate loading times, being well optimized for mobile users, having a website that is easily crawled by the search engines, encryption, and much more. These are not specifically crypto-related but are small technical details that tell the algorithm that your website is well designed and worthy to be shown to users.
Creating High-Quality Crypto Content
Never underestimate the power of simply creating good content. Search engines are optimized to show not just popular sites but those that offer the most value. One of the best ways to signal value is to publish high-quality content on your website that search engines look for. Answer common questions a crypto user would need. Put out informative blog posts that others will want to cite. Give a thorough explanation of your project, which will increase reader retention.
Having this high-quality content can generate traffic for you for years to come, and so, it should not be neglected. In the age of AI summaries, this content should also be formatted so it’s easily quotable by AI, thereby recommending you to users.
On-Page SEO Best Practices
On-page SEO remains a core part of increasing your ranking and is one of the easiest ways to put yourself ahead. Make sure you have title tags and meta descriptions well placed. Make sure all your content has defined headers, as well as links to other websites. Doing all of these means that readers will have a better time engaging with your website, and search engine crawlers can also analyze your content without issue. When you’re competing with hundreds of other businesses for the best crypto SEO strategy, you should leave no stone unturned.
Link Building for Crypto Startups
It’s quite difficult, if not impossible, to succeed at crypto SEO without link building. This essentially refers to having your website linked to by other websites, essentially receiving an endorsement. Link building is a core part of general SEO, and there are several ways to go about doing this.
By publishing your business’s press releases, interviews with founders, guest blog posts, and other such content on high-ranking blogs, you essentially borrow a bit of their credibility and might be ranked by search engines. A good way to do this would be to sign up for press release distribution platforms, partner with top blockchain websites on blogs, and much more. While it might be tempting, avoid services that promise instant link building from dodgy websites, as this can harm your SEO.
Measuring SEO Performance
As with any other undertaking, you have to know how your SEO performance is to determine whether your actions thus far have been effective or not. Several of the tools we’ve mentioned, such as SEMrush and SurferSEO, can show you your website’s ranking. Your backend dashboard can also show you how you’ve been ranking for specific keywords and how this has changed over time.
Always remember that crypto SEO, like all SEO, is a marathon, not a sprint, and so you should not expect to see massive changes in a matter of days but rather months or even years.
Common SEO Mistakes Crypto Startups Should Avoid
In a bid to increase SEO performance, there are certain mistakes crypto startups tend to make that you should avoid. Some of these are as follows:
- Keyword stuffing
- Publishing low-quality AI-generated content
- Ignoring technical SEO
- Focusing only on rankings instead of conversions
Conclusion
From all we’ve touched on in this guide, crypto SEO is an important way to signal credibility, drive sales, and create more market awareness. This long-term endeavor can be done with several steps, such as putting out content, guest posts, website optimization, and much more.
More than anything, crypto SEO should be a long-term undertaking for your business and not a quick fix for instant success. Whether this is done in-house or by partnering with marketing agencies such as us here at Proleo.io, using the best industry practices and refining your efforts according to results, your business should thrive.
