SEO is an exciting and ever-changing field. It can also be frustrating, especially when tactics that used to work don’t anymore!
While it’s a fast paced industry with many opportunities for growth, SEO has its downsides too. For example outdated methods may not provide the results you’re looking for–leading to frustration (and confusion)!
That’s why it’s crucial for you to stay well-informed and learn continuously.
It takes more than just building links, creating any old content, and adding a few keywords to improve your organic search rankings. There are many different strategies you can choose from which will help increase the visibility of your business or brand on Google’s first page.
If you want both steady traffic as well as higher ranking on SERPs (search engine results pages), then it is best not only create good quality original content but also build relevant backlinks of websites which have good authority in your particular industry.
You need to keep track of and understand:
- Emerging trends (e.g., voice search).
- Algorithmic changes.
- Technological advancements (e.g., machine learning).
- Your audience (e.g., how they behave and what they want).
We’re told the content can’t just depend on building links or adding keywords but it also needs quality over quantity. There are three main takeaways: Your website should stay current in terms of updates so people see fresh material when they visit; focus less time trying to rank higher than focusing on making customers happy through innovative services that get talked about online by word-of-mouth marketing.
In addition to optimizing for different parts of search results, you can apply SEO methodologies to any platform someone can search on.
These optimization opportunities, each of which is essentially a discipline unto itself, include:
- App store optimization.
- YouTube channel and video optimization.
- Google My Business optimization.
- Social media optimization.
- Third-party sites and vertical search engines (e.g., Amazon and Yelp).
All of these searchable platforms are completely adaptable to the principles of SEO and provide opportunities for you to gain additional brand visibility.
Make It Mobile First!
A great content experience is one that adapts to users’ needs, regardless of the device they’re using. This means ensuring fast loading times for all devices and providing an optimal user interface with diverse functionality across a variety of platforms.
It is important to remember that a user’s mobile device will be their primary source for content. Therefore, it makes sense to provide the best possible experience regardless of how they are viewing your site- on desktops or devices such as laptops and tablets. Mobile sites should load quickly so users do not become frustrated with slow loading times and leave before really interacting with your website in any meaningful way.
Summary
As you approach SEO, especially in terms of content, make sure your strategy takes these three areas into account:
Creating search experiences is the new SEO – It’s crucial to optimize for every opportunity you can. Take ownership of the search results, including outside of traditional organic search. Be present and relevant wherever your brand is being searched online or offline so that those people trusting in what they’re reading will find a long-lasting relationship with your company!
Create content for people, not search engines – We know that the best way to develop a digital experience is by listening to your audience and understanding their needs. In order for this kind of strategy to work, you need content assets as well as great SEO going forward. Implement these tactics today!
Voice search is coming. Don’t wait. Aim for position zero in search results and make content voice-searchable.
