The Changing Face Of SEO
The Changing Face Of SEO
SEO is constantly changing as marketers try to gain more exposure and the search engines try to deliver quality. Are you able to keep up with the changes?
Google is currently the biggest force you have to deal with in trying to get organic traffic and its getting more difficult each day for many trying to figure out what Google wants to see.
I think this is backwards thinking.
You should be focusing your energy on creating content that solves the problems people are using the Internet and search engines to find a solution for instead of trying to out think the search engines.
The solution needs to be presented in ways the target audience finds acceptable and you need markers throughout the Internet that give the search engines the idea you are the best expert offering the solution for the problem the searcher is wanting to eliminate.
In the past, this authority (expert status) was determined mostly by the number of inbound links and, to some degree, the quality of those links.
Links are still important but not in the same way as they were. Today’s links need to come from a wide variety sources with a wide variety of anchor text and sometimes even no anchor text.
Most visitors won’t understand or use anchor text so webmasters that have more than 70% of their inbound links using the same or similar phrases as anchor text stick out like a sore thumb.
Acquiring a lot of low quality links from countries outside of where you do business can also harm your ranking.
It isn’t natural to be located in the USA and have a large portion of your inbound links originating from overseas. Common sense would tell you the majority of your customers and website visitors will be in the USA. Because of this, the majority of any sharing being done would originate within the USA.
In addition to that, people are going to share your site across multiple mediums. Some of these may be:
- Social media sites
- Forums
- Blogs
- Videos
- And more
Many webmasters have one or two favorite ways they can automate or outsource the creation of links leading to their site’s pages. By being so short-sided in their marketing, these webmasters attract unwanted attention from search engine algorithm changes.
A large percentage of the websites I encounter also ignore mobile.
Mobile users will probably outnumber desktop users in either 2013 or 2014. If your business isn’t mobile friendly before then, you WILL lose business.
Google has already stated that mobile friendly sites are a ranking factor AND that they are placed higher in the results when a search is conducted from a mobile device.
You need to:
- have links from a variety of sources.
- have different types of links. (i.e. no anchor text, different anchor text)
- embrace mobile.
- embrace social media. (Social signals are a reputation barometer.)
- generate quality content that actually solves problems for people.
If you want search engine love, solve problems for people and get links pointing back to your solutions in as many ways as possible. Leave your favorite methods of attracting visitors and search engines in the comment section.
Your bookmarks, comments and feedback are always welcome. Disclosure of Material Connection
Traditional SEO Is No Longer Enough Is It?
Traditional SEO Is No Longer Enough Is It?
Traditional SEO (search engine optimization) has been the way to attract free targeted traffic for years. The search engines are changing the rules we need to follow.
Traditional SEO
Search engine optimization has traditionally been broken down into 3 categories which are:
- your content.
- on page optimization.
- off page optimization.
Your Content
The quality of your content has always played a role in the rankings you receive but how much of a role varies from time to time. Because of this, it’s important to write for your target audience instead of the search engines.
Stuffing keywords into the content just to inflate the keyword density might make sense for SEO but it doesn’t do anything to help your readers that are seeking solutions to a problem.
Using synonyms and terms that have meaning to your readers is smart. The search engines will see that you know your business and your readers won’t be turned off by poor quality content.
On Page Optimization
Too many webmasters fail to take advantage of the opportunities available to them to legitimately tell the search engines what their content is about. Some of the things they can do are:
- Create a Navigation Menu that is text based and easy to follow.
- Organize your content so visitors can easily find the information they want.
- Use images related to the content that are named as keywords.
- Use ALT text for your images.
- Use the appropriate keywords as hyperlink anchor text to tell the reader and search engines what the destination site is about.
- Use title tags on your hyperlinks. Search engine spiders and readers for the visually impaired will appreciate it.
- Link to related content on your site from within the post if appropriate.
- When it will help the reader understand something better, link out to an authority site on the subject.
- Create a visible sitemap for your visitors that is dynamically updated as new content is added.
- Create a dynamically updated XML sitemap.
- Create a robots.txt file.
- Keep all content within one or two clicks of the home page for the visitor.
Off Page Optimization
Off page optimization is referred to by most people as backlinks. Backlinks are viewed as votes that you are offering something of value to your visitors. Some of the ways you can create backlinks are:
- Write and distribute articles to article directories.
- Actively participate in forums related to your niche that allow signatures.
- Write articles for paid distribution services.
- Write and distribute press releases.
- Comment on blog posts or news articles in your niche.
- Write articles as a guest author for related blogs in your niche.
- Create useful videos relevant to your content and upload them to YouTube and other video sharing sites. Be sure to use keyword rich titles and link to your site at the very beginning of your video description.
- Share podcasts with valuable tips on podcast sites with links back to your site.
- Place free eBooks on eBook download sites that allow links to your site in your profile.
None of the traditional SEO methods listed above take the feelings of the reader into account in the ranking of your site.
The search engines are waking up to the fact that the people that use the internet are social animals that talk to each other about everything. This includes the websites, products and services that they like or dislike. This social interaction creates social proof that can help or hurt your business.
You need to acquire positive social proof if you want to blow past your competitors in the search engines. Some places you can become part of the conversation about your industry, and possibly your business, are:
- Social bookmark sites
- Niche specific forums
- Your site’s comments
If you run an offline business, you need everything above plus:
- Citations
- Google Places
- Bing Places
- Yahoo Places
Mobile friendly websites help both online and offline businesses do better in the search engines. The reason mobile friendly sites are so important is your customers are moving away from their PCs. They are moving towards Wi-Fi enabled laptops, ipads and smartphones.
There are 5 times as many cellphones as there are computers and people keep them within 10 feet of them 24/7. 98 percent of the received messages are opened in the first 15 minutes of receipt.
Your market is mobile and they regularly use their phones to find social proof on products and services they are thinking about buying. This usually means they go to their friends on Twitter and Facebook before review sites or the company website.
If you are relying solely on traditional SEO, you will NOT have your business seen by people that are ready to buy because you do not have a web presence in their environment.
You can learn the basics of traditional SEO from sites like SEO Tips For Beginners and there are courses that will teach you about citations and getting the most out of the places pages like Google Places. If you are a do-it-yourself type person or plan on paying a friend, relative or student a few bucks to do your SEO work, please keep in mind that the SEO work needs to be ongoing on a consistent basis and the search engines are regularly tweaking their rules.
Search engine optimization for online and offline businesses should be built into your ongoing marketing budget. As a piece of your marketing plan, it deserves the same professional attention you give other aspects of your business. Ignore search engine optimization, perform it sporadically or rely on traditional SEO alone at your own risk. Contact my Help Desk if you are interested in professional services.
Your bookmarks, comments and feedback are always welcome. Disclosure of Material Connection
Off Page Optimization and Traffic Generation
You can only do so much on your web pages and site to improve your position in the search engines through on page search engine optimization. Once you’ve completed these on page tasks, it is time to see what you can do off page to not only help yourself in the search engines but to generate traffic from other outside sources.
Generate Inbound Links
There are many ways you can get one way links into your site.
Your bookmarks, comments and feedback are always welcome. Disclosure of Material Connection
On Page Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tips
SEO comes in both on page and off page search engine optimization. We’ll discuss 10 things you can do on your web pages to make your site more user and search engine friendly.
Your bookmarks, comments and feedback are always welcome. Disclosure of Material Connection
Marketing and Search Engine Optimization
Search engine marketing or advertising should be part of your marketing campaign. Almost every site I’ve seen approached search engine optimization (SEO) after the site was designed and the content written.
Everything I’ve learned about SEO and the evolutions of the search engines over the last few years leads me to believe you need to think along the following lines to maximize your SEO:
Identify your target market as tightly as possible. By figuring out who your market is and the words and phrases they are using to find what you are selling, you will know exactly what words and phrases you need to target in your content.
Focus each page of your site on one keyword phrase. Let’s say you’ve determined your target market is looking for remedies. They might use keywords like:
Your bookmarks, comments and feedback are always welcome. Disclosure of Material Connection
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