There have been numerous changes over the years to how people do search engine optimization. Strategies and techniques have evolved according to the equally numerous changes that Google has made to its search algorithm. For 2014, the focus of many SEO specialists is a bit vague on how to do what they used to do before the 2013 Hummingbird, Penguin, and Panda updates. The SEO game has certainly changed but there are some safe and sound preparations you can do for 2014 that will aid in getting maximum SEO results.
Go mobile
Mobile use is on a steep upward curve – more people now prefer to go online using their mobile devices and experts predict that the number of those using mobile devices to browse the web will exceed that of desktop users. Hence, if you want to provide a good experience to your target audience and to increase your return rate, make sure that your website is optimized for the device they are using.
Hence, mobile optimization should be a priority and a responsive web design is a must for 2014. No amount of SEO efforts will make your target audience stay and come back to your website if they find it difficult to browse using mobile devices. Since the ultimate goal of SEO is to increase business for a website, this will only happen if your market finds your website usable.
Focus on content
Although the content has long been the safest and surest way to good SEO results, a lot of people have gone the short and easy route of getting as many back links as they can. The Google updates are trying to address such ‘workarounds’ by addressing keyword stuffing, spamming, and link building. Without these, SEO is broken down to its earliest and rawest form – providing value to the user through high-quality relevant content.
Make your website content-driven by providing high-quality relevant content to your users. Go for content that answers questions your target market might be asking. For 2014 and in the next few years, the focus will move away from keywords but on search queries and overall value that your content can provide to the readers.
Go social
In the old SEO world, social media has little bearing on search engine rankings. Although technically, this is still true, social media has grown in leaps and bounds and now is a powerful source of traffic and readership – which is what many website’s goals is for doing SEO.
Get your business into social media and establish your presence there. Build a relationship with your social media followers and drive them towards the high-quality relevant content that you have on your website. Social media sharing can be a very effective digital marketing tool and can deliver results much faster and more effectively than old SEO strategies.
Be flexible
The field of SEO is a bit hazy at the moment and a lot of those in this field are in anticipation of what Google has up its sleeve for 2014. Hence, the key is to be flexible, open, and ready for any changes that might come. If there is anything that Google is consistent about, it is to provide a more accurate and valuable service to Internet users. For as long as you keep this as your own goal, it should not be difficult to adjust anything according to the Google changes that can happen this year.
Focus on your target market and what they might want. Make value a priority deliverable for your business and website and you should be able to easily and effectively ride the Google wave this 2014.
Related content: SEO Trends And Predictions For 2014
