SEO is an ever changing world there’s no doubt. There was a time a few years ago when the SEO specialist worked diligently to figure out the “secret formula” for getting sites to rank high in the SERPs. For a long time SEO best practices were built around finding the right keyword density, building links from high ranking sites, image optimization, etc. But that was when SEO was considered a science and all the boxes in the forms just needed to be filled out. Today, SEO has made a shift from this type of pseudo-science to being more of an art form. It’s no longer a formulaic endeavor with well defined steps to follow. You cannot “do SEO” one time and then walk away and realize success. It takes a multitude of ongoing tactics, skills and strategies to get a site to rank.
According to an estimate, there are as many as 1 billion websites, and each minute 70 new domains are registered, and more than 500 websites are created. In this age, where we have such a large plethora of websites, how will you ensure that your website has a successful future? Because of the supremacy of online business, and the development of websites on daily basis, many people ask this question that how they can make their website successful.
We are all aware that the only thing about SEO that is constant is that it is continuously changing. This is due to the fact that Google and the other major search engines are always changing and tweaking the search algorithm in an attempt to improve search results for users. Of course this means that updates like Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird have the SEO specialists running to keep up. But for those who observe SEO best practices there is still a lot of consistency with maybe a few tactical changes here and there. SEO practices that worked before the release of the Hummingbird update still work. That means that we should all continue pursuing strong strategies like:
Creating engaging and original content
Legitimate and relevant backlinks that are earned and not purchased
Using keywords to enhance content without overdoing it
The biggest change we may notice is the way that Google uses the new algorithm to interpret and deliver search results.
There are many different types of strategies that are used in an effective SEO campaign. These might include things like content creation, on page and off page optimization, Metatag data, social chatter and also backlinks. It’s common knowledge that search engines like Google are always making changes to the algorithms that they use to rank sites. Of late, there has been a lot of talk about backlinks. Gathering backlinks used to be a great white hat SEO tool and the more a site could obtain, the better its ranking. But people farmed and purchased backlinks just for the sake of getting backlinks. In many (maybe most) cases, the backlinks had no relevancy with the content or the site they were linked to. Google updates have been made in an attempt to clean it up. Gathering backlinks for the sake of having a large number of other sites linked to a site is now considered a black hat practice. Humans frown on it, and Google will penalize a site that is guilty of it. But this does not mean that backlinks have no value whatsoever, especially when it comes to SEO. It’s just important to know which ones really count and why.
No one but the SEO company understands how rapidly the world of search is changing. There are even some who are trying to say that SEO is dead and done. But this is simply not true. The most recent changes to Google have left many scratching their heads as to how SEO best practices will look in the future. We know the face of SEO is changing, but what can we expect in 2014? Perhaps we can answer this question by looking at some of the most recent Google updates. Here are some of the emerging SEO trends that we see for the coming year.
There are many people who really just don’t get search engine optimization (SEO). If they are not following SEO best practices on a regular basis, it is easy for them to think that it is as easy as creating a site, fill it with content, and then build links from as many places as possible. And in reality, that actually works – sometimes. But as a general rule, the reality is that SEO is a craft, or a unique practice. It can be very easily misunderstood and equally as difficult to hire an SEO specialist who thinks past the simplicity to the more complex issues we face.
Is SEO a Science?
There are some solid definitions of science which includes:
Just a few years ago SEO and social media simply coexisted. But over the last few years the line between the two began to blur. Now more than ever the major search engines use social signals as part of their ranking algorithms. In web marketing today an effective SEO strategy will be incomplete without incorporating into it the social aspect of the Web 2.0 which is built around the social element to begin with. And on the other hand, an effective social media strategy will be contributory to the SEO initiative. It is important for the two to work together in order to achieve higher rankings in the SERPs, increase site traffic and of course increase the ROI for a business. Over the last few years there have been several giants in the world of social media; but recently there have been some changing of the guard. Here three top social media platforms that should be part of any social media strategy used in an SEO campaign.
The various social media platforms can be exceptional tools for marketing, this includes the blog. Maintaining a business blog can yield many different benefits for the business if it is handled correctly. Blogging can keep the website from going stale as well as provide a platform to interact with consumers. Content creation is one of the main components of blogging and it must be done regularly in order to have an impact on a search engine optimization campaign. Blogging can be used in conjunction with a website, or it can be maintained off site. Either way, maintaining a blog can help establish the company name across the internet. A business blog can provide a small business a chance to share their expertise in their own niche or industry.
Producing High Quality Content
One of the most important aspects of bloggingis that the company gets to produce their own voice. It can be an essential part of developing trust between the business and the client. However, it is very important to note that the content on a blog needs to be high quality and informative. One way to develop this is to make the blog into an education center in order to answer all the questions that your clients may have about your products or services. Although blogging is a marketing tactic, the language should be more informative rather than sales pitchy. Maintain an archive so that readers have plenty more articles to look at for examples and always give a call to action by inviting the readers to learn more. These strategies will help keep them engaged with the site, the blog and ultimately the business.
There are many different strategies that make up a successful SEO campaign, and blogging is just one of them. A blog offers a platform which can be used to write on virtually any topic. There are about as many different varieties as any one person can imagine. A blog can offer an effective way to increase site traffic as well as providing a better user experience for visitors. The benefits of maintaining a blog by far outweigh the work that goes into it; and there are many benefits.
Connecting with Consumers
Even though there are a lot of blogs that are written about life from a personal perspective, a blog can be a beneficial tool for the business person. It can offer a great way to connect with consumers who are interested in your product or services. Not only can you provide much in depth information about your products, you can receive valuable feedback from consumers which can help you rethink many of your business techniques. Another benefit is that of improved customer service. Many times consumers will look through your website looking for answers to their own questions. By blogging on the main issues and posting them on the main company website consumers will be able to quickly find the information they need which can help reduce the number of calls and emails made to the support center. When blogging is done correctly it can be a tool used for increasing the number of new clients as well.
If you were to call up 50 SEO advisors and ask them to define search engine optimization, you are likely to get nearly 50 different interpretations of an SEO definition. This is because many people who state that they are an “SEO specialist” just offer two or three aspects of SEO strategies. They found a couple of things that work to help site rankings and use them. But there are not very many SEO specialists who really offer a comprehensive approach to search engine optimization. It is well worth the expense to hire an SEO specialist who knows what they are doing and can effectively launch an SEO campaign that will incorporate a broad range of strategies into a customized campaign for each client.
What is SEO?
In simple terms, search engine optimization is the use of a wide variety of strategies and methods which will ensure that a website will rank high in the search engine result pages (SERP). By using several proven SEO strategies a website can achieve higher rankings in the major SERPs when a user enters certain keywords or phrases into the search field. To offer an example, think about your own last internet search. When you, or someone else, are looking for a product or information it is likely that they entered a search in a search engine because it is one of the fastest and easiest ways to obtain the information. Once you enter a query and the results are displayed, it is likely that you never went past the first page because they were more relevant to the search. This is the goal of SEO. A website is optimized so that when a related query is entered the site will rank as high as possible. The end goal is to obtain more traffic to the site which of course leads to more conversions or sales. When an SEO campaign is carried out properly it will place a site at the top of the rankings so that it will gain instant credibility with the audience you are trying to reach.
