SEO has changed dramatically over the years. Back in the “good old days” we could stuff a page full of keywords, buy a bunch of links and BOOM! we’re at the top of page 1 in Google. Fortunately, search engines have gotten a lot smarter, the algorithms are more complex, and it’s not so easy for spammy sites to rank. Search results are more relevant to the user, and if you are doing your SEO right, you will get a more qualified audience clicking through to your website.
How do you know if you’re doing your SEO right? There are hundreds of factors that are used to rank websites and there are continual updates to the algorithms. We’re going to hit 5 big search ranking factors and show you what you should and shouldn’t be doing with each.
1. KEYWORDS
The importance of keywords and how we use them has changed a lot over time. It used to be you would research your keywords, plug those words into certain key places in your website copy and tags, and then you rank. It’s not so cut and dry anymore.
Yes, you want to do keyword research. It is still important to know how your audience searches. (See #2 for a good discussion on your audience.) You absolutely want to use the words your audience uses. However, don’t just plop those words into your copy & think you’re done. A good rule of thumb:
“What’s good for the user is good for the search engines.”
Only use keywords where they make sense. Think about keywords as phrases rather than individual words. Internet users are moving more and more toward natural speech searches. For example, instead of searching for “pediatrician” today’s user may very well search, “where is the closest pediatrician specializing in Celiac?” Search engines are working toward understanding user intent and returning detailed results. Using longer keyword phrases (known as “long-tail keywords”) with clear intent will help your website rank higher in the search results.
2. PERSONAS
You are not trying to reach the entire world. Even huge websites, like Amazon, have specific buyer personas they are targeting. If you don’t have your buyer personas defined, 2015 is the time to do so!
What is a persona? A persona is a fictionalized member of your ideal target audience. When defining your personas you need to consider not just their demographics, but also their buying process, their research habits and most importantly, their pain points. What problem(s) are they trying to solve? What solutions are you offering that meet those needs?
Clearly define your personas and base your keywords & content around the language they use and the pain points they are trying to solve. Until you have personas distinctly defined, your SEO will be somewhat like throwing darts at a dartboard in a dark room. Maybe you’ll hit something, but more than likely you won’t.
3. LINKS
Links coming into your website (inbound links) are good. Purchasing inbound links as part of your SEO strategy is one of those things that used to work, but now is a terrible idea. Google knows if links are purchased and they will penalize you for them.
DON’T BUY LINKS! EVER!
Link building is good, but it needs to happen organically. You need to earn links by publishing unique, quality content that your persona wants to share. (Jump to #5 if you’re confused about content.)
4. MOBILE
Think mobile first. Mobile use of the web has been on the rise for several years now and it’s only going to continue its ascent. Google knows how your website looks and functions on mobile. If Google thinks the mobile experience isn’t a good user experience, you will be ranked lower. The mobile factor in the ranking algorithms will only grow in importance over the next several years.
The preference is that your website is responsive. That means your website “responds” to the device and creates a good experience whether the user is on their laptop, iPad or phone. Responsiveness creates a good user experience as well as a higher ranking in the search engine results.
5. CONTENT
You’ve probably heard, “Content is King.” It’s still true. Search Engine Optimization is all about the content right now. If you publish high-quality, useful, and unique content geared toward your personas’ pain points on a regular basis, you can pretty much ignore all the other SEO advice. Great content drives traffic and rankings: auality blog articles, relevant social posts, well-written website copy. Great content will bring traffic. You have to continually publish high-quality, useful, unique content to continue to maintain rankings in the search engines. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but the return is amazing.
REMEMBER,
“What’s good for the user is good for the search engines.”
Have you clearly defined your personas? Is your website optimized for a great user experience for those personas? Are you continually publishing high-quality, useful, and unique content? If so, you’re on the right track for high rankings!
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