…and you thought SEO is Dead? Think Again!
If you thought “Search Engine Optimization” is dead, then think again! It is far from the truth. On the contrary, SEO has evolved a lot. Yes, it is true that it has become more complex, but it is still a valuable tool that your company needs. Following are the 5 SEO trends that you need to plan for the year 2015.
Semantic Search:
This is vital because Google has completely changed the way SEO works. The latest Hummingbird update is a complete algorithm overhaul highlighting semantic search. Wondering what this semantic is all about? Well, it means that the search that you have made tries to understand the meaning of the query and the searcher’s intent rather than a mere search exercise. This in turn ensures that you get better and genuine search results.
Over the past few years there has been a growth in the conversational queries rather than typing of mere keywords. Say for example, if you search for an Apple store and you type in “where is the nearest Apple store” – Google will understand where the location is and by nearest we mean the location related to where I am presently. Moreover, it also realizes that by Apple we don’t mean the fruit but the phone.
The power of the smart phone!
Most of us use our smart phone to make basic searches before we go ahead and purchase an item. Hence, when you are concentrating on SEO, don’t overlook mobile. These smart phones are an important tool and they contribute to mobile search optimization facility.
Current smart phones are mini computers that we carry in our pocket. In fact, in order to recognize the potential of smart phones and the role played by them, Google is penalizing those sites that do not offer a good mobile experience. Moreover, it has also launched mobile friendly labels and is rewarding those sites with a higher ranking.
Is social media that effective?
Yes, it is – but only to a certain extent. Realize that there is a correlation between Facebook likes, Twitter retweets and Google+ shares and content ranking, but they are not the causation. Not all content will organically receive social support. Only if the post is unique and original or the video that you have uploaded is compelling – only then will you get likes and retweets. You will not get likes on any and every regular post you publish. Only content that is worth sharing will generate the desired results. So it is more of correlation and less of causation.
What are earned links all about?
Earned links are those links that one acquires when the particular post is shared. Say for example you have made a post in Facebook, and others who are in your account have seen the post, like it and have shared it to another platform. The new link is the earned link.
Google takes into account this new link as well. So make sure that your content is worth resharing. We all know that it is not possible to say something that most of us don’t know. But everything depends on the way you express it. This is where it makes all the difference.
Citations and brand mentions are different than link building
A citation is when your company name is cited by any other person. Brand mentions are Google’s way of connecting brands with product mentions. When one thinks of a product and the first image they get is of your company logo your brand and that product become connected. Say for example you think of the latest smart phone and the image of Apple flashes – this is a brand mention.
And both these will be done by a third party in relation to their work and that too free of cost.
However, in order to make sure that all this is possible and takes place for real you need to make sure that the content is right and is presented in such a way that it will be lapped up by the consumers as well as the search engine. Because, if the content is not right, all the other factors will fall flat.
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