SEO Isn’t Dead (And Ignoring It Is Costing You)

Remember back about 10 years ago or more when SEO really became involved in digital marketing and utilizing it meant putting you at the top of the search engine’s lists? And, all of a sudden, your web traffic increased, your marketing strategy found a new niche, and your business started gaining new customers, sometimes at an alarming rate? The same still holds true today; SEO isn’t dead and ignoring it is costing you.

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Recently, the cyber world has been abuzz with discussions about the death of SEO. Despite some ‘evidence’ to suggest that traditional SEO is dead, the truth is, SEO is very much alive. SEO is just as important to online marketing as it was before and it’s unwise to ignore the impact of SEO in digital marketing altogether. Here are some search optimization tips that show why SEO is still as relevant as ever in the online business world:

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1. Updated Algorithms

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In the past, SEO meant simply inserting some keywords into your content and metadata to make it easier for users to find your site. But due to Google's under-developed algorithm, there was an increase in ‘black hat’ SEO practices like spamming and low-quality link forming page properties, leading to widespread frustrations and dead-end searches on Google.

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Today, Google has revolutionized its algorithm through its Panda and Penguin updates making it hard for keyword stuffing and employs strict penalties for websites that attempt to use the practice. Algorithms are updated to find the best ways to rank content and pages so users can easily find the most relevant, helpful information. Knowing the latest search algorithm and search optimization tips and applying it to your site will help you manage your SEO strategy so you can achieve and maintain rankings that favor your business.

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2. Brand Recognition

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High quality content equals SEO value for brand recognition. According to Forbes magazine writer Sharon Michaels in regard to brand recognition, “I’ll say it again, ‘Out of sight, out of mind’." If you aren’t regularly staying in touch with your customers and/or target market, you’re going to lose business.” SEO is vital for user experience in making it easier for content searching and absorption in search engines.  Hosting relevant content and keywords on your site that your target audience is searching for as part of your seo strategy brings new and returning people to your business. How else are people supposed to find you online if your site isn’t optimized for the terms they are searching for? Proceed with caution, there’s a huge difference between providing relevant information for your target customers and shoving noisy, unwanted information down their throats. It’s up to you to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

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3. Eliminate Technical Issues on Your Site

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Nothing irritates users more than a link that opens a blank or error window or live chat icons that do nothing. Cleaning up your technical issues can improve your search ranking, so it’s important to leverage SEO tools out there or find an agency partner to help you with all this technical ‘stuff.’ Trust us, we know it’s not the most fun aspect of digital marketing, but ignoring the SEO issues with your site can potentially be harming your business.

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4. Industry Trends Reflect User Behavior

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More often than not, SEO trends that are worth keeping tabs on will reflect the way people are using the internet. These trends are an attempt by search engines and marketers to meet customer needs, which is important to pay attention to if you want these users to reach your own market. For example, with the advancement in mobile searches, the world of search engines is leaning more on voice searches for the future because it’s more convenient for the user. By keeping up with SEO trends, you can better understand how to meet your market online. You’ll know what kind of content people are looking for, how they are using search engines, and what they are expecting from brands.

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5. Keep Your Business Competitive

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If you pay attention to and keep up on SEO trends and best practices, your business will remain competitive in a space where brands all over the place are fighting for the same user attention through search rankings, social media posts, content marketing, and advertising. That’s a lot of clouded noise to try and shine through.

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Keeping current with SEO trends and updates is essential to successful digital marketing and branding strategies. When you know how to use the search engines to get users to find your business, you will be provided more opportunities to show your target audience why you are their premier choice. If you would like to learn more on how to optimize your site and content for SEO, please contact us!

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