In recent years, Google has made a lot of changes to how it ranks content on its search engine. In fact, algorithm changes were made 13 times in 2014 alone. Therefore, it is essential to keep up-to-date on all of Google’s updates and changes so that you can change your strategy and stay on a path to success. Luckily, following these simple tips will help ensure a successful SEO campaign in 2014 and beyond.
Remember the Changes in 2014
Don’t assume that the changes that were made in 2014 won’t matter this year. In fact, they might be even more relevant now than ever. If you don’t have a strong grasp of Google’s algorithm changes from 2014, it is important to study them and make changes accordingly.
Understand the Importance of Content
In the past, marketers were able to get away with garbage content that was littered with keywords while still ranking high on Google and other search engines. Google has been working hard to eliminate this in recent years, and this is only going to continue into 2015. Instead of trying to slide by with spammy or spun articles, learn the importance of good content, and master how to post good content on your websites and backlinks.
Google is now looking for content that is relevant, interesting and useful for readers and that isn’t just made for search engines. The algorithms are becoming increasingly “smart” when it comes to catching useless content, so it is best not to even try. Instead, focus on creating well-written, high-quality and grammatically-correct content that real readers can find to be interesting and informative. If you are unable to produce this content yourself, it isn’t a bad idea to pay a professional writer to tap out content for you.
It is also important to post content regularly; otherwise, your site could become forgotten in a sea of competition. One great idea is to write out a content marketing strategy for the entire year. You don’t have to produce enough articles to last until 2016, but it is a good idea to jot down ideas for content, how you are going to get this content and when and where you will be posting it. This can give you a great starting point and will help ensure that you have fresh, unique and interesting content all throughout the year.
Use Social Media
Social media is becoming increasingly important in today’s Internet-based world, and if you aren’t using it correctly, you and your websites are really missing out. It is worth your while to study your target market and try a few different social media sites until you find the perfect combination that will bring you as much traffic as possible.
When using social media, it is equally important to avoid spam content and to focus on quality. Post relevant content that has the potential to go viral, and work hard to reach your target market in every way possible. Also, consider using social media tools so that you can track your campaigns and make adjustments as necessary. Posting regularly helps keep your social media profiles in the spotlight and can keep viewers interested in your company and not your competition, and encouraging comments and conversation can help bring readers back to your profiles over and over again.
It is also essential to make sure that you are using the right social networks for your particular niche. For example, business-related websites do well on sites like LinkedIn and perhaps Twitter. Sites that are related to crafts, recipes, fashion and other similar topics often do exceedingly well on Pinterest. Other sites do well on Google+. You have to study your target market, look at the results that you have gotten from your previous social media interactions and determine which sites are best for focusing your sights on; this will be different for every niche and every website or company.
Build Backlinks the Right Way
Backlinks are still relevant and can help your site soar to the top of the search engine rankings, but you have to build them the right way. Google has become increasingly suspicious of garbage or spammed backlinks, so avoid creating them at all costs. Instead, focus on building higher-quality backlinks that won’t get you penalized by Google.
When building backlinks, make sure that you only place them on the most legitimate of websites. Any sites that are associated with spam, malware or poor-quality content can cost your site your search engine rankings, so try looking for websites in your industry that are well-respected. You can use your webmaster tools to track down any links to your site that aren’t of a high quality; if you find any, you should do what you can to have them deleted immediately. It is also a very bad idea to hire those cheap companies that offer backlink building; many of these companies use spammy techniques and don’t post high-quality content, and they can definitely do your SEO efforts a lot more harm than good.
The best key to success when it comes to positive backlink building is to build natural links that would occur on their own. For example, linking to your site in your forum signature on an industry site, on blogs that are related to your niche and in article directories that relate to your industry and are reputable is a good idea. Spamming blogs, posting backlinks on unrelated sites and using other poor techniques can cost you your rankings, however.
Keep Mobile in Mind
Our world is transitioning to become increasingly mobile, and more and more users are beginning to access the World Wide Web with their smartphones, tablets and other similar devices. Google is making changes to go along with this transition, and you should too. Having mobile-friendly pages is essential if you want to succeed in today’s online world; not only will it help your search engine rankings, but it is sure to please your readers as well.
Stay Abreast of Changes
There were tons of Google-related changes last year, and it might be the same way in 2015 as well. Therefore, it is essential to follow industry blogs and Google posts to stay abreast of changes that occur; then, you can tweak your SEO strategy accordingly.
A lot of people are concerned about SEO-related changes in 2015, but you don’t have to be. By following these tips, you can help ensure that your SEO campaign is as successful as possible.
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