SEO Strategies to Boost Your Business

With continuous updates to mysterious and complicated algorithms, SEO has changed significantly over the years. It’s no longer enough to load up a page with a bunch of keywords and wait for your page rank to climb. That just doesn’t work anymore. Check out this handy infographic created by digital marketing guru Neil Patel for a quick breakdown of the old and the new in SEO.

So how do you need to adjust your SEO strategy for success today? Writtent.com’s Nelson Dias offers up 9 “tried and tested” strategies that will increase site traffic, leads, and conversions, as well as enhance your online reputation. We’ve summarized the strategies below, or you can read the full article here.

1. Optimize for Mobile

Mobile has become the leading digital platform. Internet usage on mobile devices now exceeds desktop usage, and Google has made it clear that they prefer responsive and mobile-optimized websites. 

2. Stop Tracking Keyword Rankings

OK, maybe not completely, but it makes much more sense to track ROI metrics. 

3. Build Fewer, Better Links

Inbound links have always been a Google ranking signal. However, a few links from trusted authority sites are better than hundreds of links from mediocre sites. Relevancy also is a factor. Make better link building one of your SEO strategies.

4. Focus on User Intent

Since the introduction of Hummingbird, Google handles queries differently – it now considers context and user intent. Make sure your content contains conversational keyword phrases as well as broader, semantic terms.

5. Consider HTTPS

Google recently announced that HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) had become a ranking signal and that encrypted websites would have a minor ranking advantage going forward. Encryption isn’t free, and it may not suit every site, but it is still worth looking into.

6. Define Your Social Presence

Social media is a powerful marketing tool and customer service channel, and search engines like Google tend to take notice. For best results, focus on two or three platforms and be very active.

7. Improve Your URL Structure

Change your URLs to static. Dynamic URLs (those with long ID numbers and “=” and “&” characters) are difficult to index and not very useful to searchers. Optimizing URLs can affect your rankings and click-through rates, and could be one of your best SEO strategies. 

8. Boost Site Speed

Page speed is a ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. Things that can slow page loading times include unoptimized images, plugin/widget overload and bulky code. 

9. Don’t Ignore Other Search Engines

While Google may be the king of search, there are signs that other search engines are gaining traction. Be visible on all search engines.

Sound SEO strategies lead to online success and business growth, but with the web and search engines constantly evolving, it can be hard to know what those are. The solution is pretty simple: keep abreast of changes and follow industry best practices.

Need help with your SEO (or any online marketing) strategy? BizzyWeb can help! Check out our Buzz Builders online marketing programs, or contact us today for a free Buzz Report!