We’re back at it again – talking up SEO like it’s not really a thing of the past.
Here’s the thing, though: The way most marketers interpret SEO is a thing of the past. What many fail to realize, though, is that it hasn’t disappeared, it’s just gotten more complicated over time.
Think back to websites you visited in say… the mid- to late ’90s or even the early 2000s. You scroll down to the bottom of a page, where there appears to be lots of empty space… until you press and hold that left mouse button and start dragging downward. At that point, what did we see? We saw a huge brick of text that was nothing more than a huge glob of keywords that their “research” told them would help people find them faster.
That was what passed for SEO back in the day. That was, of course, before search engines were big business and before companies like Google started making the point that what showed up in search results was a key part of their brand image. Today, it’s all about providing a quality user experience, and there are more than a few criteria that search engines like Google use to determine the level of quality that one can expect when clicking on that top hit. In fact, there are literally thousands of ways that the search engines determine where your content will rank.
Notice I said “content,” not “your page” or “your site.” These days, the search engines don’t just grab a page based on invisible keywords. They examine literally every element of the page and raise and lower the bar based on various criteria.
Oddly enough, there are only two things that many marketers zero in on when developing website content: keywords and responsiveness. Yes, these are important – I’ll even call them foundational – elements of SEO. They can, by themselves, give you better-than-average rankings.
Here’s the problem, though: Average rankings are killers. “Average” almost never lands you on the first page of a search. This is why it is important to look beyond the things that everyone else fixates upon and start figuring out ways to stand out. With that in mind, here are five things that you should be paying more attention to in the SEO arena.
#1: Changes in Keyword Trends
The market is in a constant state of flux, and that means that the way we search for things changes over time. The keywords that put your site on top will not keep them there forever, even if you keep recycling them in new content.
Instead of using the same keywords in perpetuity while your rankings plummet, take the opportunity to research and implement the freshest keywords possible whenever you post new written content. This gives you double points with sites like Google: It shows them that you keep your content not only fresh but also relevant.
#2: Page Titles and Meta Descriptions
Even major brands are sometimes guilty of this one. Never accept the default title that platforms like WordPress assign to your pages. Even though it has gotten “smarter” over time, WordPress still cannot give you a truly optimized page title. So how do you optimize yours? That’s simple.
All you need in a page title is the name of your brand and a relevant, well-researched keyword in the description. 5-10 words should be plenty here:
Beez Content: Quality Professional Writing Services
It’s simple, straightforward, and properly branded and optimized (provided the page itself shares congruity with the message).
As for meta descriptions, there are several rules to follow:
• Limit text to 150-155 characters.
• Use at least one strong keyword*.
• Make it read like ad copy.
The asterisk is there to remind you to *use long-tail keywords on pages that deal with specific niche subjects or geographic areas.
#3 – Anchor Text in Hyperlinks
Did you know that the text that appears when someone floats over a hyperlink can have a huge impact on your page rankings? The more things that agree with each other or appear to fit together on your page, the better it is going to rank.
So what is the correct format for anchor text? It depends on the link. It also depends on how often you use the same kind of tag on a single page. They can be just a straightforward friendly (short) URL, but they can also include sales language or calls to action. You can learn more about anchor text here, and it is well worth the read.
#4 – Image Filenames & Descriptions
Are you aware that you do not have to accept the default names for images that your stock photo site or website building tools give them? WordPress takes it a step further allowing you to create powerfully optimized descriptions that make good use of those well-researched keywords we mentioned earlier. Whenever possible, isolate the keywords in your descriptions by using dashes and try to sneak them into the filenames, too.
#5 – Pay Attention to Your Analytics
Make sure you are tracking engagement on every one of your pages. If you discover some that are underperforming in comparison to the rest, odds are these pages need to be optimized. There are loads of other SEO tips throughout this blog, so I recommend scrolling through some past posts for some more comprehensive advice on optimizing entire pages.
Final Takeaway
If you go through each of these strategies and match them up against just one or two of your pages, it should become clear what areas need the most attention. If, like many, you’ve neglected some or all of them, it’s time to get serious about SEO. Don’t take my word for it, though. Start by overhauling one page and crunch the numbers. I think you’ll find the results to be surprising (to say the least).