SEO Fundamentals That Beat Algorithm Changes
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is ever-changing. The algorithms that Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines use change frequently, but the fundamentals that determine a webpage’s SEO rank will always remain the same.
Despite near-constant search engine updates, there are several SEO fundamentals you can focus on with your business’s website. Here are 5 SEO strategies that never change — implement them and you’ll be well on your way to higher rankings in the search engines.
1. Create and publish quality content
In the early years of SEO, website owners could fill their content with high-ranking keywords to get to the top of the search engine results pages… and it didn’t really matter if those keywords were relevant.
Google and other search engines caught on to how the system was being gamed, and they’ve since rewarded web pages for the quality of their content and not the number of keywords stuffed onto a page.
When you think about writing with SEO in mind, this is the #1 most important thing to remember and it should be a cornerstone of your content marketing strategy. If you’re targeting the correct keywords, they’ll naturally find their way into your content.
2. “Evergreen” content will always perform well
Evergreen content refers to content that is timeless and forever-useful. These pieces of content are typically longer because they’re so in-depth and informative (evergreen content also meets our first piece of SEO criteria: quality).
Think about topics within your industry that people will always have questions about, year after year. From there, consider creating a comprehensive guide that answers those questions or helps the reader solve a particular problem. Then, post it on your business’s website or blog.
3. Keywords are still very important
Keyword stuffing doesn’t work when it comes to SEO, but strategically targeting certain keywords within your niche will always be an important part of getting found online.
How do you know what keywords will bring in the most traffic to your website? You’ll have to make some educated guesses while conducting keyword research. Think about the types of words and phrases your customers might use to find your goods or services. Then, determine whether people are actually searching for those things.
Tools like SEMrush.com can help you track a bunch of online marketing-related initiatives for your business, including keywords.
4. Quality SEO always pays attention to the technical side
There is a technical side to SEO, including alt tags, page title tags, meta descriptions, and other components. You don’t have to be an Internet guru to learn how everything works, though understanding the more technical side of SEO does take some effort. This SEO fundamentals article helpfully explains some of those important pieces.
If you have a website that uses a theme, like on WordPress, you can download plugins that help with SEO. Websites built on an interface like Squarespace have SEO built into the themes you’ll be using, which makes things even easier.
5. New, fresh content will boost your SEO rankings
Google and friends like websites that regularly update their content with new information, which means your website shouldn’t be a “set it and forget it” type of project. Consider updating your website regularly with information like:
New blog posts
New pages describing a product or service
Press releases
News about your business or industry
If you use these 5 basic strategies in your SEO efforts, you’ll be on the right track.
