The Ever-Changing Game of SEO

Our topic this week is about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). As most of us already know, this game is changing dramatically. Google is placing a lot of emphasis  on content, social media, sharing, etc. Old ways of doing SEO are obsolete.

Enjoy the article. Hopefully it sparks some ideas for you. Feel free to contact us. We would love to hear about them, and if there’s any way we can help you, please let us know.

The Changing Face of SEO

Seismic changes are taking place in the world of search engine optimization (SEO). Today, algorithm updates and an emphasis on user experience mean that search engines are better able to rank a website based on the quality of its content instead of the number of keywords it contains.

If your SEO strategy consists simply of increasing your website ranking by producing subpar content that is littered with unnaturally placed keywords, it’s time to get a new strategy. And this new strategy must include producing quality content that offers insight on a particular topic or solves a problem.

Of course, the goal of search engines has always been to produce the most relevant and useful results. While in the past this was achieved almost exclusively by identifying relevant keywords, search engines have become much more sophisticated. Search engines are now pinpointing content that connects, educates, and inspires its readers. All while filtering out content that, while chock full of keywords, offers little or no value to the reader.

If you are working with an SEO company that is telling you that they can improve your SEO through keyword placement, you are working with the wrong company. Instead, increasing your online visibility involves filling your website with quality content that not only helps to generate more sales leads, it also helps you to become known as a thought leader in your industry. The best part? Your search engine rankings will increase as a result.

Like most people, you are probably wondering just how search engines are able to distinguish between high-quality content and keyword-laden content that exists only to manipulate SEO. The fact is, until very recently, search engines were unable to. That’s why so many SEO companies could promise higher search engine rankings simply by increasing the number of keywords used.

But the times are truly changing and today search engine rankings are determined almost exclusively by the amount of quality content contained on a particular website. The type of content that leads to increased user engagement and is more likely to be read and shared.

Of course, for content to be read and shared, a website must be mobile-friendly. After all, if you want people to read your content it must be easily accessed from smartphones and tablets. It also must be easy to share through the use of things like social sharing buttons. Remember, today’s Internet users have little time or patience for unresponsive sites that are hard to read or slow to load. And search engines don’t like these types of sites either.

Finally, while keywords may have fallen from grace in the world of SEO, you don’t need to do away with them completely. There is nothing wrong with placing an appropriate keyword in the title or body of an article as long as it helps people understand what they are reading. But one thing is for sure, gone are the days when keywords were the darling of the SEO world. And those days aren’t coming back anytime soon.