Search engine optimization (SEO) has proved a valuable tool in helping businesses succeed online. However, one frequently asked question in the online marketing world today is – is the concept of SEO dead? According to industry experts, it’s not! SEO is simply evolving, they say.
2013 witnessed several important changes in search marketing, with Google releasing quite a lot of updates, and making traditional SEO run for cover. Google’s algorithm updates – Hummingbird, Penguin and Panda – set the stage for much of what happened in the world of SEO in 2013. Today, SEO is constantly evolving with new techniques being created each year. The success of an SEO campaign would depend on the implementation of unique strategies for content marketing, brand building, social media integration and mobile optimization. Here are some SEO trends you need to know about when you design your online marketing campaign:
- Content marketing matters – Content marketing is the real buzz word of 2014. Publishing valuable, fresh and good quality information will always keep your audience engaged. Google is taking a hard line approach by penalizing websites for publishing low quality content. So it is important for websites to follow a strategic and professional approach when it comes to content marketing this year. Rather than trying to rank for specific keywords, focus on building SEO friendly pages that target users and provide quality content.
- Mobile optimization strategy – A major proportion of global web traffic comes from mobile. With more and more people accessing the internet on their mobile devices, the demand for mobile optimized content is bound to increase. With Google releasing its Hummingbird updates, it is important for websites to incorporate a mobile optimization strategy to obtain higher rankings. Moreover, a responsive website design is also important to make your website easy to access and navigable across a wide range of mobile devices.
- Brand building – A strong brand presence is very crucial in SEO. For instance, Google’s authorship feature directly connects the content to the author’s profile. A recognized author’s content will get ranked higher in search results.
- Social Media – With the launch of several online networking platforms, social media has an immense impact on SEO. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and PinIntrest marketing means having posts, shares, followers and comments on these sites to promote your brand and improve your search engine ranking.
The SEO industry has witnessed important several developments in the past and one can expect that 2014 will also usher in important changes. Link, content and social media are three important components of a strong and effective SEO strategy. Writing great content for the website is very crucial. The content published must be fully focused on the target audience’s requirements while resulting in profit – generating actions. Build good quality links from top websites and stay active on social media. This will enhances your online visibility and signal to the search engines that your content is valuable.
In short, customize your SEO strategy by analyzing your company’s opportunities and gaps, and focus on the right strategies to attract your target audience for higher conversions and sales.