How do you balance UX and SEO best practices with user needs and expectations?

You should also consider AlsoAsked.com. It generates a visual graph of related questions that people also ask about that topic. By exploring related questions on AlsoAsked.com, you can gain a deeper understanding of the topic at hand and discover new insights and perspectives.

It also helps to look at your top SEO & direct competitor websites to see what kind of content and designs they're using for your shared target personas. Be humble and acknowledge that there may be gaps on your own website!

Let's caveat the claim that fast-loading website will result in higher rankings and more visibility. Based on studies and Google sources I've read, improving page speed for the sake of improved rankings may not be the best use of dev / SEO resources. It's a relative measure that serves as a bit of a tie-breaker when all things equal between you and competitors. This is not to say that website speed isn't important, because it absolutely is. But if your website is relatively fast and provides fair user experience, there may be more important things to address from an SEO and rankings perspective - even moreso if you're a small business.

For informational content, I think it's now tablestakes to have a table of contents. Various US and SEO benefits from implementing a ToC with the top, in my opinion, being... easier browsing experience, jump linking to answer your questions, and rich snippet visibility.

While SEO is important, it should never come at the expense of user experience. Avoid using black hat SEO techniques like keyword stuffing or hidden text, as these can not only harm your SEO but also harm the user experience. Instead, focus on creating a website or content that is designed with the user in mind, while also incorporating SEO best practices in a natural, authentic way.

SEO should never come at the expense of UX. In fact, prioritizing UX is integral to effective on-site SEO. Search engines value websites that provide a better UX. If you're compromising UX just to satisfy search engine algorithms, you're not truly practicing SEO; you're manipulating search engines.

Data can be a powerful tool for understanding user needs and behavior. Use tools like Google Analytics to track user behavior on your website, and use that data to inform your design and content decisions. For example, if you notice that users are frequently leaving your website after visiting a certain page, you may need to make changes to that page to better meet their needs.

Be a customer-first marketer. When I work with clients, I make it a point to put myself in the shoes of their target buyer. I take the demos, I read the one-sheeters, I go thru the sales cycle, I read online reviews, etc. This helps me identify deficiencies that need to be addressed.