How Mozlow's SEO Hierarchy of Needs Works and Why It Is Important for Your SEO Strategy

Technical Advice - Published on Updated on

White image of a pyramid to illustrate Mazlow's Pyramid of Needs

Following on from our recent SEO blog How to Create an SEO Strategy to Help You Rank Higher in 2024 let’s look into Mozlow's SEO Hierarchy of Needs and explore how using it will help improve your SEO efforts. 

Created by Moz founder Rand Fishkin, the pyramid (inspired by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) uses the model as a simple framework to explain how SEO works. 

But before we get into Mozlow’s SEO Hierarchy of Needs, let's first explore what are Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs key points. 

Simply Psychology says

“Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.” 

The theory of human needs is based on the ascending order of psychological needs. On the bottom of the pyramid are the basic physiological needs humans need to survive – food, air, water, shelter, etc…. 

Maslow’s theory works off the premise that you cannot achieve the self-actualisation needs at the very top of the pyramid, such as education, skills, caring for others, etc…, without ensuring those fundamental needs at the bottom are met first. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states that a person can only move up the pyramid to the higher-level needs when the needs on the lower tiers of the pyramid are adequately met. 

Mozlow’s SEO Hierarchy of Needs takes a similar approach to SEO. 

So let’s look at each of these needs to better understand how to develop an SEO strategy that will be successful. We’ll start with the SEO needs at the very bottom of the funnel and progress upwards to the needs at the very top.

White graphic illustrating Mozlow's Hierarchy of SEO Needs

Crawl accessibility

Your site’s crawlability is hugely important for SEO. Bots need to be able to crawl your website to understand what each page is about and index it. An indexed website, or page, means your site will be more visible to search engines and this helps improve your ranking on Google. 

  • Technical SEO: Ensure you have no crawl errors by using tools like Google Search Console and Screaming Frog. Make sure your XML sitemap is updated and your robots.txt file is properly configured to guide search engine bots.

  • Mobile-first indexing: With mobile-first indexing now standard, ensure your site is optimised for mobile devices. A site that loads slowly or doesn’t offer a good mobile experience will be penalised in search rankings.

Compelling content 

Content that is informative, useful to the user and of value to searchers will have greater SEO value and improve your SEO ranking. It will also attract users to link to your content and the more quality backlinks your content acquires the more Google will deem your content as valuable and important to users. 

  • E-E-A-T: Google’s focus on Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) means your content needs to showcase authoritative knowledge, backed by trustworthy sources.

  • AI and content generation: Leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT or Frase.io can help you generate content, but it’s essential to humanise and optimise it for search engines by adding value, insights and expertise.

  • Content freshness: Regularly updating existing content with new data and trends can improve rankings. If you're targeting competitive keywords, ensure your content remains current to maintain relevance.

Keyword optimised (With a Focus on Semantic Search) 

While keyword optimisation remains a fundamental SEO strategy, 2024 has seen a shift towards semantic search and understanding user intent.

  • Keyword tools: Use updated tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush and SurferSEO to find relevant keywords and explore long-tail keyword variations. These tools now integrate AI-driven insights for more precise targeting.

  • Conversational queries: Optimising for natural language and voice search is crucial as more users rely on AI-driven virtual assistants. Include FAQs or structured content that answers conversational queries.

Great user experience and Core Web Vitals 

Google's Core Web Vitals remain a critical ranking factor. A strong user experience not only retains visitors but also boosts search rankings.

  • Core Web Vitals: Optimise for page load speed, visual stability and interactivity. Tools like Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights can help monitor these metrics.

  • Fast-loading, mobile-friendly design: Prioritise fast-loading pages and a clean, responsive design. Make sure navigation is intuitive and clear to enhance user retention.

Shareworthy content 

Creating content that is both valuable and easily shareable is key to gaining backlinks, increasing traffic and improving search engine rankings.

  • Video content: Video continues to be one of the most shareable content formats. Short-form videos (like those shared on TikTok or Instagram) and long-form educational content can drive traffic and improve user engagement.

  • Interactive content: Quizzes, polls and interactive infographics can make your content more engaging and shareable, encouraging visitors to spread your brand across social media platforms.

Title, URL & Description 

Google wants to understand what your page is about. Therefore the title tag, URL and meta description should be specific to what your content topic is about. Getting these right will increase your search visibility and help your webpage appear in search results. Use clear, keyword-optimised titles, concise URLs and compelling meta descriptions. Tools like Yoast SEO and Rank Math can help ensure you’re on point with these elements.

Snippet/schema markup 

Structured data is more important than ever. Rich snippets allow your content to stand out in search results, which is crucial as zero-click searches continue to grow.

  • Schema markup: Implement schema.org structured data to help search engines understand the context of your content. This can boost your chances of appearing in rich results, such as featured snippets and knowledge panels.

  • Zero-click search optimisation: Optimise for featured snippets to gain visibility in Google's answer boxes and People Also Ask sections, which have become more prominent.

New SEO Trends for 2024

SEO is constantly evolving and staying updated with the latest trends is crucial to maintaining visibility. Some additional trends to keep in mind for 2024 include:

  • AI and Machine Learning: Search engines like Google are integrating more AI-driven ranking algorithms. Focus on optimising content for natural language and AI-driven search experiences.

  • Local SEO: Local searches are growing in importance. Update your Google Business Profile and ensure you use local schema markup to capture traffic from local search queries.

  • Google Discover: Optimising for Google Discover can help boost traffic from mobile devices. Create visually engaging, timely content to increase your chances of appearing here.

SEO is a long-term strategy 

Strategies like Mozlow’s SEO Hierarchy of Needs offer a clear roadmap for success. By starting with strong technical foundations like crawlability and moving up the pyramid through content creation, user experience and shareable assets, you can build a resilient SEO strategy that performs well in 2024 and beyond.

But remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. With continuous algorithm changes and competitor advancements, patience is key. Stay consistent with your SEO best practices, monitor new trends like AI, Core Web Vitals and voice search and keep climbing the pyramid—step by step.