Are you having a hard time keeping up with SEO strategies? It feels like they change daily, and they do. Google implements hundreds of algorithm updates a year, so there’s a pretty good chance that some of the SEO tactics you’re using now are outdated.
Here are five tactics you need to let go of today.
Keep The Keywords Coming
A few years ago, if you had a fishing store, you could include the word “fishing” on your website a hundred times and you’d be on the first page of Google. Well, SEO strategy doesn’t quite work that way anymore. Google is smart and has put in a lot of guards against keyword stuffing. Yes, keywords are important, but now you’re working with a more intuitive search engine. Think like someone searching for your business, and write keywords for them.
Google’s All You Need
Google is still king of the search engines, but it isn’t the only site you need to focus on. Social media now carries a lot of sway for search optimizers. And, since Google is putting more emphasis on local search, your pages on customer review sites like Yelp and Urbanspoon are important, too. Don’t rule out Bing, either. While most of us use Google, Bing is also becoming more intuitive by monitoring the number of Twitter followers companies have in an effort to deliver more authoritative results.
More Pages, More Results
If you want a solid SEO strategy, you have to focus on quality, not quantity. If your site has hundreds of pages, you may be inclined to think that you have a better chance of something ranking on the first page of Google. But that’s not true. It’s what’s on the page that counts, so keep your content tight.
Put All Your Eggs In The Content Basket
In inbound marketing, educational, well-written content is extremely important. But without a solid strategy and holistic SEO tactics behind it, your content won’t get you anywhere. Think about it: If you have an impressive e-book, but no one is able to find it, it’s not going to do you any good. Content is just one piece to the SEO puzzle.
National Businesses Can’t Use Local SEO Tactics
Local SEO is the big push for Google right now. Even if you have a national company, be sure to optimize local pages. Include all the areas you service nationwide. Register with local directories. Attract local reviews. These are all tactful ways to capitalize on local SEO strategies even if you don’t have a physical location in all the communities you serve.
Start Today Tip: Review your SEO best practices. Are there some SEO tactics you haven’t been able to shake? Update your guidebooks and re-optimize old content for new SEO rules.
Posted By Author Mike Lieberman, CEO and Chief Revenue Scientist
Mike is the CEO and Chief Revenue Scientist at Square 2. He is passionate about helping people turn their ordinary businesses into businesses people talk about. For more than 25 years, Mike has been working hand-in-hand with CEOs and marketing and sales executives to help them create strategic revenue growth plans, compelling marketing strategies and remarkable sales processes that shorten the sales cycle and increase close rates.
