SEO is a fickle creature, isn’t it?

Sometimes it can feel impossible to boost your website’s online visibility. After all, it takes a combination of hard work, smart design, excellent content, and a lot of time.

The truth is that there are many ways to make a difference, ranging from small to large. You can reach out to get back links, you can rethink your keywords, and you can start a blog.

But today, we’re going to assume you’re covering the basics. Let’s say you have a blog and you have a sense of the keywords you need to target. However, you’re still looking for a boost.

What can you do to benefit your website, double and triple-down on your keywords, and give your site visitors a more robust, relevant set of content that will not only please search engines like Google and Bing, but will help your customers recognize you as the industry leader you have every right to be?

Well, we’ve got two words for you: Resource Section.

Resource Sections Are Underrated

That’s right. Believe it or not, one of the best ways you can give your site a permanent SEO boost is by adding a resource section to your website.  And when combined with even the basic SEO recommendations you’ve heard ad nauseam, a well developed resource section can transform your site for the long term and help you skyrocket in search rankings.

We’re going to walk you through why a resource section may be right for you, what comprises a solid resource section, and how to tune your website’s resource section to your business.

Is a Resource Section Right for My Site?

We’ll answer that one very quickly: Yes, it is.

If your business is concerned with organic search whatsoever, you can benefit from a resource section. Here are a few reasons why:

1. You Can Laser in on Keywords

If you know the basics of how organic search works, then you probably know one of your top goals is ranking highly for specific keywords that are relevant to your business.

Example: Let’s say you’re a florist in Indianapolis. Ideally, you’d want to be one of the top search results for the term, “Indianapolis florist.” If you can grab one of the top spots, you have a better chance of being the site a user clicks on when they’re seeking out a florist.

While in our example, “Indianapolis florist” was the keyword, keywords can be anything—from “organic produce” to “direct response marketing” and everything in between.

A resource section gives you leeway to load up your site with keywords in a natural way. A page dedicated to a specific search term, like “personal finance tips,” can give you freedom to focus in on a keyword and up your chances of ranking.

2. It’s a Permanent Addition to Your Site

Most search engines want to see that your content is regularly updated. That’s why having a consistent blog is really helpful from a SEO perspective. However, search engines also examine the infrastructure, and a robust resource section helps.

3. It Gives You Backlink-Ready Pages

Getting high-ranking websites to link back to your website can be challenging. Not only is it tough since the process is both a personal and manual one, but it can also be a fruitless endeavor if you don’t have just the right piece of content.

Pages within a resource section can be perfect for backlinks. As long as the content is engaging and informative, you can organize your work into all sorts of sections—from news bits to a glossary to interactive maps and infographics—all of which could be the perfect fit for a broken backlink.

Even better, these excellent pages will be waiting for you whenever you’re looking for an extra link or two in one of your blogs. The more you can tie your site together, the better, and it all starts with a robust resource section.

The Anatomy of a Resource Section

What should you actually include in your website’s resource section to give yourself the best advantage possible? The answer will vary depending on your company, but here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. Which keywords do you need to rank for?

Depending on the terms you want to rank for, you should determine what types of content best facilitate those terms. Would a glossary section help? Or if there are a lot of FAQs in your industry, would it benefit you to frame articles around answering those questions?

2. What interests your target market?

If your clientele is physically active but you only sell hiking gear, it can help to think about your clients’ interests that may be adjacent to your products. For example, a section listing the best bird watching locations in your state may boost traffic from people who aren’t hikers, per se, but who hike regularly and might need new boots.

3. What are you and your company passionate about?

When it comes to ROI, SEO should be a huge consideration—but your brand always comes first. Always consider content that speaks to your brand voice or mission. If you sell fair trade goods from Africa, it might be worth adding resources to those looking to learn about the continent, a specific country, or even a village. Your resource section can be many things, but it should always be you.

Do I Have to Call This a Resource Section?

Nope! There are a ton of things you can call your resource section that will help it stand out from the pack and be unique to your mission.

Is your industry dense with information that the average Joe or Jane doesn’t know? Maybe “Learning Center” will encourage them to read on. Do you offer pilot training and other flight services? Perhaps “Flight School” or “Aviation 101” fit the bill.

Don’t hesitate to get creative. Just make sure you get a second pair of eyes on the name before you throw it on your site.

Help Your Customers and Help Your SEO

Adding a resource section to your website is one of the best things you can do for your SEO in the long run, and it’s a lot easier than you think. With solid writing, a clear sense of your target keywords and audience, and a little creativity, your new resource section will be sure to draw new visitors to your site and help your current clientele all at once. Trust us, that’s something you can’t put a price tag on too easily.