Follow these 10 steps to benefit from the SEO Avalanche technique. Rank old or new sites for the long term, even if you have little or no marketing budget.
Origins of the SEO Avalanche Technique
Chris Carter outlined his Avalanche ideas for ranking a site when you don’t have much of a marketing budget, or access to what he calls “Power Boosts”.
His ideas stem from a belief that Google does indeed have a trust factor for each site. He says they will not rank one of your posts, if you are targeting a high- volume term, before trust has been established.
If you have built sites previously, you have probably wondered why posts on one site get ranked faster and higher than others. Even similar quality posts, competing for similar strength Keywords on another of your sites.
In fact, you might have concluded that no matter how good the content, you simply cannot get decent rankings on one particular site.
In the absence of a Domain that has received a manual penalty in the past, this idea might explain what you have been coming up against.
Avalanche SEO Theory or Fact?
The whole approach starts with that Google Trust value for your site. The number of organic visitors Google sends you in a month is a reflection of that value.
Because I have not seen anything from Google confirming this stance, I am going to treat the Avalanche process as a Theory, but one that makes a good deal of sense.
In summary, Chris is suggesting that you build your site patiently, starting with a foundation of well ranking articles. Target low volume keywords until your Organic Google traffic suggests you start targeting higher volume topics.
This is based on Google Traffic Tiers
Start by looking at your Google Analytics, over the past three months. Specifically focus on the Organic traffic levels, finding the Highest number of Organic Visitors on any day, and the lowest number.
A high of 100 organic visitors and a low of 20, suggests you are in the 20 – 100 region. If the daily average is 65 organic visitors you are firmly in the 50 -100 Tier.
Tiers matter with Avalanche SEO Method
The SEO Avalanche Technique simply says that to achieve rankings without the help of external boosting factors (see below), you need to be targeting keywords with average monthly searches equivalent to the daily organic traffic Tier you are on.
Whatever your average daily organic visitor number, you should target Keywords in the same band for monthly searches.
What are external Boosting factors.
There are numerous measurements and signals which Google may be taking into account when ranking your site or your posts.
If Google picks up on a strength you have it may boost your post. It could be from Pagespeed, Domain age, Social mentions, Google Trust Score, Domain Authority, your On -Page SEO, Google Quality Score or the power of incoming Backlinks. All could lift your post to a rank above your natural Tier.
The problem is that any Power Boost factors that your ranking has benefited from can disappear at any time. When that happens your Ranking power returns to the level indicated by your Natural Google traffic Tier.
I have seen this happen many times when high ranking posts lose one or two powerful back links. Also when the strength of an incoming link is reduced because additional outgoing links are added to the referring page.
Tools you need for SEO Avalanche Method
To use this approach all you really need is a good Keyword research tool, and a SERP tracker to easily see where you new posts Rank
You can do both, (and a lot more) with KWfinder.
Depending on your plan, for $30-$40 per month you can do your keyword research and track either 200 or up to 700 keyword rankings for your posts with SERPWATCHER.
Just drop your seed keyword into this box, claim your FREE trial and find all the long tail keywords to match your traffic Tier
Testing for your Natural Google Traffic Tier
The process to test for your natural level is pretty simple. Identify the Tier you think you are on.
Do your keyword research and find a suitable term with monthly search volume equivalent to your average daily organic Visitors
Write and publish a quality article targeting that keyword.
Check to see if your article ranks in the top 10 responses for your Keyword without support of any incoming links etc.
If you rank in the top 10 that is your Tier.
If you can’t rank in the top 10 naturally, that is not your Tier so repeat the process for the next Tier down until you find your natural, non-boosted Tier.
Naturally new sites fit into the 0-10 tier initially.
Using SEO Avalanche Technique to plan your Site
Every site will have key pages, money pages, pillar articles etc which it relies on to produce rankings and income as it matures. Naturally these pages will target keywords with much higher search volume than your site’s current Tier, and building them at the start makes sense.
Just know that these pages are unlikely to rank for key terms for a long time unless you successfully attract some solid power boosts to the article.
Once in place your key pages provide a place for “less competitive” posts identified through the Avalanche SEO method to link up to.
This can seem like a slow way to build, BUT you are laying down a foundation. There is really not much point in targeting keywords with 10 thousand searches per month if Google only trusts your site enough to send you 10 organic visitors per day.
So, work within your Tier, if you can rank articles at that level, without incoming links or other boosts, the ranking is solid and cannot be taken away.
With internal linking, every low competition page you create should help lift your main pages as the smaller ones rise.
Combine Avalanche SEO with KGR Technique
Review our Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR) post, and download our FREE Keyword Golden Ratio Calculator. Now you can start to find keywords within your Tier, that can rank quickly, and start the process of rising through the Tiers naturally.
1. Start by locating your Natural Google traffic Tier
2. If your natural Tier is 20-50 organic visitors per day, start doing your Keyword Research and find terms in that tier and below, ie 20-50, 10-20 and 0-10. Do your normal keyword research, but focus on keywords within your traffic tier.
KWFinder makes this especially easy.
Why not grab your 10 day free trial of KWFinder and check it out for yourself.
Apply the Keyword Golden Ratio formula to each and identify words with a KGR score of 0.25 or less. You will need a spread of these KGR keywords across the Tiers and a total of around 50 of them in all.
3. Create your article for each KGR compliant term, and build the relevant NON -KGR keywords into your Text. These non KGR keywords are still in your Tier but are more competitive. They can be used as Anchor Text to link up to your more important articles, and across to other KGR/Avalanche posts as you build.
4. Post Regularly, preferably daily, to lay down a foundation level for your “current” Tier and the two below. Constantly linking up to your core pages
Do not overlook Internal Linking
It is easy to under estimate internal linking, when building a new site. But it is a very important factor of your on-page SEO.
It helps to drive traffic, rankings and improve your user experience by guiding visitors to relevant information.
5. As you post each article, put the Keyword into a SERP Tracker and watch to see where your article lands.
The challenge of the 0.25 KGR standard.
Finding keywords that meet this threshold initially, can be time consuming.
If you are starting out in a fairly competitive niche, locating search terms with 0-10 monthly searches and a 0.25 GKR rating is not always easy. Don’t we afraid to post articles for terms with few “allintitle” responses and showing zero search volume.
Just be sure the Keyword phrase is a relevant long-tail keyword. Chances are search volume will follow, and the article is likely to rank for associated Keyword terms.
As your Google traffic Tier rises, finding these terms will become faster.
You can always outsource the task via Fiverr and for a few dollars get a list of relevant Keywords within your Tier much faster.
If your posts for 0-10 searches, with a 0.25 KGR score do not rank in the Top 10, take a serious look at your content quality.
6. With 30-40 KGR posts loaded, you should see a rise in Organic Traffic even if your site is new. When your visitor numbers rise above your current Tier it’s time to start building in Keywords for the next bracket, but don’t stop building posts for your current Tiers.
So, start your research again for the Second month, (batch of Posts). if you are seeing traffic that suggests a move to the next Tier, you can focus on terms for 0-10, 10-20, 20-50 and adding 50-100 brackets.
If not, keep focusing on the Original brackets. Publish another 30-40 articles within your Tier’s, Still target KGR Keywords and build in relevant non-KGR terms for linking Stay working on your Tier until your average unique visitors say it’s time to move up.
Evaluate Avalanche SEO results monthly
7. At the end of each month use your Rank Checker to evaluate results. Find the KGR posts which are not yet ranking in the top 10, and link to them from KGR posts which are. Always use related Anchor text.
Because these are all low competition (KGR) keywords it should only take 3-4 internal links from “Top 10” posts to lift the others up.
You can also use Social media and Blog commenting to assist these KGR articles, but don’t waste external backlinks. Those are best directed to your Money Pages and core content.
8. Once you have posted a solid base of 60-90 KGR articles, you might find that meeting the 0.25 standard more difficult, but by now you should also have pages receiving a steady flow of Organic Google traffic.
Continue to target keywords within your Tier and target words with the lowest KGR score but move above the 0.25 level if necessary. Use links from the pages that already have traffic to help boost these more competitive pages in Serp.
Links from KGR pages that Rank well but have no traffic are of no value in this process.
Invest 6-12 months to build your base
9. Depending on your Niche it could take 6-12 months of using the Avalanche along with the KGR ratios. Of reviewing results and cross linking to your lower pages, of watching traffic rise and moving up the Tiers.
According to Chris Carter, by now you should be seeing at least 10,000 visitors each month. Chis basis his estimates on the following estimates:
- 0-10 visitor Tier – 30 Articles = 300 visitors monthly
- 10-20 Visitor Tier – 30 Articles = 600 visitors monthly
- 20-50 visitor Tier – 30 Articles =1,500 visitors monthly
- 50-100 Visitor Tier – 30 Articles =3,000 visitors monthly
- 100-200 visitor Tier – 30 Articles =6,000 visitors monthly
- 200-500 Visitor Tier – 30 Articles =15,000 visitors monthly
So publishing 30 articles per month for 6 months gives you 180 articles targeting KGR and other low competition terms should see traffic rising by the increments above.
Critical Elements of SEO Avalanche Technique
10. The critical factors here are to publish the articles each month, Check SERP positions, and cross link as needed. Honestly reassess the Tier you are on at the end of each cycle, before targeting the next batch of articles.
On that basis, over 6 months you should have had between 26,000 -38,000 visitors to your site.
Even if it takes 12 months to reach that level, with visitors growing solidly each month you will have established the foundation for a successful site.
You will have created a base, with traffic generated by hundreds of keyword phrases, without reliance on external factors that can be devalued or removed by future Google updates.
Combining the SEO Avalanche technique with the KGR keyword tool you should have a growing site with built in insurance against future algorithm changes.
Our thanks to Chris Carter for his insights. His original article can be found on the Builder Society Forum
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