Some bloggers have vastly exaggerated the demise of search engine optimisation. Companies looking to compete on the internet must still take into account the realities of SEO. While things might be changing, this doesn’t mean that SEO is now useless. Instead, those companies looking to drive traffic and improve conversion have to account for the changes in the SEO world. It’s no longer about simply stuffing keywords into an article to trick Google into giving a high search engine ranking. Today, it’s about understanding where users do their searches, how they use their searches, and how the back end on a website plays a role in this process. To this end, here are three steps to help you compete in an SEO world that’s ever changing.
-
Listen to your audience and your customers
Social media provides a valuable tool for businesses. While many businesses use social media to send content out, they should consider the value of the content coming in. When interacting with visitors or customers on social media, you can learn a lot about how they search.
Many companies today continue to use the Google keyword database to inform their SEO efforts. While this is still a good tool, you should be thinking more specifically about how to reach your own customers. This means interacting with them specifically through whatever avenues they choose. See what they are typing on your social media pages. Interact with them in-person to see what terms they’re using. In the new world of SEO, being responsive to the actual behaviour of your own customer base will give you a leg up.
-
Broaden your idea of what it means to be a search engine
Most people think of Google as the end-all of search engines. It’s clear that the company has dominated the online search world for more than a decade, but it isn’t alone. In fact, experts suggest that Youtube is today the second most popular search engine for consumers. When you’re formulating your SEO plan, keep in mind that more consumers are willing to use sites like this to find the information they need. This is especially true as video content becomes more popular.
You’ll want to think not only about where people search, but also how they search. More people are searching through these engines with voice control rather than typing into a search bar. Human beings speak differently than they type. This will have a bigger impact on search results in the future. You’ll need to keep this in mind as you design relevant web copy.
-
Consider the impact of your website infrastructure on optimisation
When many business owners think of the term “SEO,” they focus on the first two letters but not the last. Effective SEO strategy is very much about optimisation. Search engine bots and scrapers need to have a good experience on your site in order for you to sustain a high ranking. This means doing more than having the top search engine keywords in your copy. It means spending the money to build a website that is fast, secure, and full of clean code.
Many web developers today are going with StudioPress because the platform has been built for both speed and security. Others like the Genesis platform because of its focus on clean code. Whatever platform you choose to use for your own web building, you’ll want to make sure the experience is designed with the visitor in mind. Web users today have more options than ever when they need information or when they’re trying to buy products. You need to make sure your site is as cleanly designed as possible, emphasising speed, clarity, and security above everything else. This will help you bring in more visitors and get more out of those visitors when they happen to come.
It makes little sense to abandon your SEO efforts in the changing online world. While SEO may be changing, it is just as important today as it was in the past. You should be listening to your audience to know what they search for and how they conduct those searches. Beyond that, you should consider expanding your view of dominant search engines and modes of search. Lastly, you should focus more of your attention where it matters most, which is on the back end of your website. Your web experience will determine in large part how people perceive you, your content, and your brand. It will also impact your ability to draw visitors from those popular search engines.
