5 SEO Techniques for Better Rankings
Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a vital role in any website owner’s work. Practicing proper SEO techniques can help rank your business’s website higher in search engine results and ultimately help bring in more customers and revenue.
Similar to the Internet itself, the algorithms that decide how websites are ranked in search engine results are constantly being updated. This means, in order to practice effective SEO strategies, you will have to stay on top of the SEO trends and best practices or hire someone who can do this for you.
While nobody can know for sure what the future of SEO looks like, it is possible to get a good understanding of what you should be focusing on right now. Follow these expert suggestions from the Geeks to improve your search engine rankings
1. Know Your Audience
As a business owner, you should already have a very good idea of who your intended audience is. From geographical location to age, to personal interests, the more you get to know about the target customer, you will be better suited to modify your website to fit their preferences.
Different demographics have varying tastes when it comes to their performance online; some like to watch videos while others prefer to read and see images. Do as much research as you can to find out as much information as possible about the audience members your business is trying to target, then modify your website to suit these needs.
The more you prioritize what your ideal website visitors prefer, the greater increase in website traffic you can expect to benefit from.
2. Publish Quality Content
Trying to dupe Google by using older SEO techniques (like backlinking) is no longer enough to boost your website’s standings. Current trends are showing that the provision of worthy, relevant content is vital in pulling in more viewers, which ultimately leads to a higher ranking. Google has strengthened its emphases on the perceived value of content provided on a webpage, meaning quality content is now the number one driver of ranking search engine results.
Good quality content that suits the needs of your audience will increase your website traffic, which, in turn, improves the authority and relevance of your site. There is no substitute for great content. Never sacrifice good writing for SEO – the most successful pages are written with the reader in mind, not the search engine.
3. Update Content Regularly
It’s not just us Geeks who feel strongly about having the right content, search engines do, too! Regularly updated content is one of the strongest indicators of a site’s relevancy. Simply having quality content is not enough. To be successful in the oversaturated online market, you need to ensure you are constantly fighting to stay relevant. So, keep it fresh and create a posting schedule that works for you and acts as a reminder to perform regular updates to your website.
4. Optimize for Voice Search
The ability to search the Internet using your voice is already well-ingrained into our technologically-advanced society. Think of Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple’s Siri… these are just a few! As this technology becomes more and more prevalent, it is important to consider how it will affect SEO strategies and techniques.
The main difference between optimizing for voice search results compared to typical SEO is that you will need to optimize your website using more natural phrasing. Consider this; regular text searches include stilted, compressed phrases. For example, “best web design agency Toronto.” If you were to use your voice to perform the same search, you would say something like “which website design agency is the highest rated in Toronto?” Notice how the second phrase is both considerably longer and more natural sounding. To optimize for voice search, you will need to include long-tail keywords within your content.
5. Ensure Your Website is Responsive
Google’s algorithm includes a mobile-first index that ranks webpages based on how well their site performs when opened on a mobile device. Even if your website runs flawlessly on a desktop, your SEO rankings will suffer immensely if it becomes hard to use or sluggish when viewed on a smartphone or tablet. For these reasons, optimizing your website for mobile use is no longer optional.
What you should do, is spend plenty of time ensuring your website runs as quickly and seamlessly on a mobile device as it does on a desktop. This is also referred to as making your website responsive.
Remember, SEO is not a static pursuit; as algorithms continue to change, so should your strategies for combatting them. It is important for you to stay up-to-speed with the latest SEO trends to ensure your website maintains a high spot in search engine results.
If you need expert help with your SEO for your business website – look no further. The Geeks are here to save the day! Simply contact us today and let us know what it is you need!
