Search engine optimization – SEO – isn’t static. Google consistently updates its algorithms to improve their ranking system. Today, previous strategies, such as black hat tactics like link-hiding and keyword stuffing, can get your website demoted and penalized. For a company to stay ahead of the competition, it’s crucial to implement best SEO tactics to your advantage. Here are some strategies that can improve your website’s ranking:
- Integrate Across Channels. Businesses know they should be engaging with social media on many platforms – that’s called multi-channeling. When you integrate those channels to market your brand, it’s called cross-channeling. Cross-channeling depends on a strong multi-channeling strategy, so consider your target audience and decide which platforms best suits them.
- Invest in Quality Content. With each new algorithm Google releases, quality content becomes more crucial. Your website should look clean, have well-written pieces, and include a bog. It should also be updated with some frequency – website content decays over time. Either revamp older content or create more. Don’t leave out content for your social media pages, and pay attention to prime time for postings.
- Positive UX. Millennials and Gen-Xers don’t wait around for slow load times, especially when the competition is a click away and there’s no waiting. They may not be the only ones in your talent pool, but they are becoming a bigger part of the market every day. They will expect a positive UX, and they’ll move on if you don’t provide it.
- Be Cautious with Keyword Strings. Leveraging keywords to your advantage is an important practice for SEO, but when you stuff content full of strings that don’t make logical sense, Google will ping you for it. Today, users find what they need through semantic searches, which means searches rely on the meaning of words. Use that to your advantage when creating content.
- Optimize for Mobile. Last year’s statistics confirm what you may already have guessed – more people use their smartphones to seek out information than their desktops or laptops. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, it’s already behind.
When in Doubt, Delegate
When you are looking to improve your business’s website, it helps to know what’s working. Google Analytics offers real insight and can help your business make the most out of marketing solutions, but it’s equally important not to tackle it all on your own. Keeping your business competitive in the digital age is itself a full-time job. When you find tools to help, leverage them. Delegate tasks that stop you from doing the work of running your business.
Keep in mind that website design and upkeep aren’t really options in today’s industries. Technology is driving changes across industries, and while you don’t have to stay current on all the best practices, website upkeep is crucial.
Content Matters 