If you’ve had the same SEO techniques in practice for years, you may wonder why they have been falling more and more flat during that time. SEO is not longer something that you can “set and forget,” as the saying went years ago.
Changes to Algorithms
Massive changes to the algorithms used by search engines made big news in ecommerce circles years ago. However, the subsequent changes haven’t made as much noise in the blogosphere. The Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird algorithm changes that Google has unveiled in the past few years have just been the tip of the iceberg. Search engines today are now rolling out changes regularly to meet the latest needs of online readers and shoppers.
The changes have evolved past the use of keyword-driven SEO and into the realm of Web design, language complexity and the size and scope of your website as a whole. The 200-word pages that worked so well before have been replaced by pages that are 600-words long and use the complex language that gives the reader value rather than simply delivering keywords to a search engine. Longer pieces that are more complex also keep the reader on the page for longer, and Google factors that time into your page’s ranking.
How People Search
Keeping up with the needs of search engine users means keeping up with the way they actually use those search engines. Most now use their smartphones to conduct searches, and many use voice searches instead of typing in their needs. Today’s SEO requires a website that takes these factors into account, just as search engines do. Your design must be adaptive so that it can be viewed easily on devices of different types and sizes. It must be useful for those who conduct voice searches, using text as well as any photos and videos it may include. It also must load quickly to allow for phone users on the go.
Keeping Content Epic
With so many sites vying for attention, fewer than ever actually get it. That’s why every piece of content you put on your site has to be epic. Forget a blogging schedule and put your time instead into creating content that will make people remember it. Create pieces that are the go-to pages that everyone will link to and that page will continue to grow in page rank.
When you write for the reader and create a site that is made for every reader to get the information they’re looking for, you can expect readers to stay longer and create links to your site. Add to each page of your site until every page is optimized for the best user experience possible.
