SEO has always been an ever-evolving landscape. With Google’s changing algorithms, online businesses are required to continually monitor and update their SEO strategies. However, some SEO tactics are proven to stand the test of time. There are also new strategies that can boost your website’s performance on Search Engine Results Pages or SERPs.
To keep your website ahead of the competition, here are the SEO strategies that will give a solid foundation for your brand this 2016:
Keyword research and targeting
Keyword research is and always will be the backbone of all SEO and digital marketing strategies. Keep in mind that reaching Google’s first page can be easy, especially if you are targeting low competition keywords that offer little when it comes to search traffic. However, with proper keyword research and targeting, your strategies will surely attract traffic and develop strong leads.
In the past two years, however, targeting long tail keywords prove to be one of the most efficient keyword strategies for generating traffic. Remember that the longer the keyword, the more precise and the closer it is to a purchasing decision. Targeting long tail keywords will empower your lead generation efforts by directly answering your target audience’s concerns. Furthermore, it is a lot easier to compete in long tail keywords, especially for startups and new blogs.
There are several tools that can help you do your keyword research. One of the leading tools is Keyword Planner from Google itself. Although keyword research will guide the rest of your SEO, the bulk of your efforts will probably go to content development and link building.
Quality link building
Establishing a strong backlink foundation is one of the core SEO foundations when it comes to ranking for SERPs and generating organic traffic. In the past, black hat SEO practitioners mass-produced links with automated software to quickly boost their search rankings. Today, it is all about naturally-built, high-quality links coming from authoritative sites.
As a rule of thumb, you should always aim to build links on high domain authority websites and blogs. Some of the best tools for this job would be Site Explorer from Majestic SEO and Open Site Explorer from Moz. You can then commence link building by launching a blogger outreach campaign and write guest posts.
Link building proves to be one of the most challenging aspects of SEO. Apart from building your network of reputable sites, you also need to develop your content strategy, expand your keyword targeting, and diversify your link profile. It simply takes too much time especially for startups and bloggers that need traction. This is why you should consider availing a link building service from a credible SEO company. Doing so will help you focus more on developing your brand and writing your onsite content.
The skyscraper technique
The Skyscraper technique is a new strategy that can help websites gain relevant links quickly. It can be considered both as a link building and content development strategy. It starts by taking old content from high-ranking pages, refining its essence, explaining its details, and repackaging it into something more thorough. When the new content is ready, you will then reach out to the high authority websites that linked to the original content and asked them to link to your new post.
This is a great way to reinforce your link profile and reach out to a bigger audience without spending too much time on planning your content. Since you’ll only be refining old ideas from popular posts, you no longer have to come up with topics that will amass readers.
Optimising for Voice Search
With the dominance of mobile devices, more users are now relying on voice search to perform online queries. This can have a significant impact on the way online brands target their keywords. For example, instead of typing “Best Hotels in London” on a desktop search engine, a user will say “What ‘s the best hotel in London?” when using voice search.
This increases the need to target long tail keywords, which will cater to the queries of voice search users. Furthermore, you need to tailor your content to have a more conversational tone, which better suits the mobile audience’s preferences. Additionally, your content should offer actionable steps and practical advice. This can help build trust with your audience and increase your credibility as an information provider.
Conclusion
Always remember that in SEO, you could be killing your brand by keeping up with outdated strategies. Underperforming in your SEO will also lead to a massive waste of time, money, and effort. In case you have no budget for a professional SEO or digital marketing agency, the keys to success are to be patient, research, and work hard all the time.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
