The year is half way over, but there’s still time to heat things up in 2018. Whether you’re bent on driving more traffic to your site or simply need more sales in the pipeline, search engine marketing has never been hotter.

We’ve pooled six of summer’s best SEO practices to help you sizzle this season. Look out, these SEO optimization tips are coming in hot!

1. Make sure yourmenu of services is up to date

In essence, this is your secret sauce to help out-market your competitors, get clear about your brand’s keywords, and define your categories in Google. Adding a FAQ, testimonial, and case study section to your service page will really sell it, too!

2. Utilize Google Trends and Insights to plan compelling content

‘Editorial data-based stories’ is a new feature of Google Trends that’s helping content creators make their blog topics, keywords, and social media strategies more specific – and effective! With access to data trends culled from trillions of online searches, digital marketers can gear content based on what users all over the world are querying both in real-time and overtime – for free.

3. Take advantage of new tools like In-Marketing Audiences

Want to improve your search campaign performance on Google and Bing? In-marketing Audiences allows you to target users with search histories that align with your product or service. It’s free, has the potential to lower your CPA, and helpful for gearing your search campaigns and online ads toward audiences at the end of the buying cycle.

4. Have your web dev team code for priority hits

Wish you could control what loads first on your site? Chrome Beta is about to help your most important features take center stage. In our quarterly review of the most promising digital marketing trends of 2018, we learned that developers will soon have the power key in code that distinguishes certain digital assets on your site as high-priority. This means that critical header or prized picture can start captivating your target audiences sooner than other content.

5. Set up local service ads (LSAs)

Whether you build houses or clean them, you’re likely operating in a defined SBA (service business area). Makes sense to put your online advertising dollars there, right? Google local service ads is a pay-per-lead ad platform that can help small businesses keep their review ratings high and increase their brand awareness in their local market.

6. Drill down and really look at your data

Google analytics used to be the end-all-be-all for making discoveries through data. However, Google Tag Manager, GA’s more sophisticated older sister, can track any activity you program it to. It collects information from a variety of verticals, giving marketers the freedom to isolate activity on any number of key metrics. Essentially, the more you understand what users are doing on your site, the better chance you have of making them customers.

Hot on the trail of more SEO best practices for the rest of 2018? Give us a shout! We promise we won’t just blow hot air at you.